Not able to boot. no help from system recovery or restore points

gregrocker said:

Normally we can google a listing like the one in SATA Port 1 - [ST9750400A5-(S1)] and it will return a HD make/model. It does look like your HD but it doesn't return any google hits except for this thread.

However it appears to have a Seagate model abbreviation so download, right click ISO to Open/Burn to CD using Windows Image Burner.

Boot the Seagate CD to run the Extended scan to get a definite diagnosis on your HD.

I assume you mean using something like this tutorial? SeaTools for DOS tutorial
Also, I won't have access to my desktop to do that until Friday. I can't do things like that on my universities' computers. I'll just have to update the thread then I suppose.

Sorry the link somehow escaped but has been captured just a mile from the prison: Seagate Seatools

gregrocker said:

Sorry the link somehow escaped but has been captured just a mile from the prison: Seagate Seatools

And this is why people of this forum love you. Thank you for the link!

So I put the ISO for SeaTools for DOS onto a disc and popped it into my drive. I ran both the short DST test and the long test, and it said that it passed both. The PDF I read said that it could still be damaged, but pass the test. I'm out of ideas, and my mom plans on taking it to her friend's computer repair shop tomorrow. *sigh*

You've only completed one test to prove the HD is sound and that the repair guy at your Uni was full of it. You don't need to give up yet.

Next you need to burn a Repair disk or Win7 installer to boot to run Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times .

Do you have another Win7 PC you can use to generate the System Repair Disc - Create ?

If not download the official installer ISO for your licensed version to burn to DVD using step 5 from Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start.

You've not done everything possible to start Win7 until you work through all of the steps in that tutorial. We're here to help you every step of the way.

Time for an update. So I couldn't work on my computer as much as I thought I could last weekend, and I was forced to go back to school without it. Needless to say, it was bothering me that I couldn't fix it. So, this past Saturday I went back to the link you listed Greg. I tried the bootable antivirus disc, I think I used Kaspersky 2008 (which might have been too outdated lol), but it didn't find anything and took forever! Well, then I used my desktop and made a Repair Disc which following the tutorial was simple. So, I popped it in the disc drive, booted it up, and ran the System Recovery. Needless to say, that didn't work. But I figured I'd give the System Restore option a try as well even though it didn't work without the disc before. I thought, well maybe the disc makes a difference? So, I tried that and saw "Show more restore points" and clicked the very last one. You know what? IT FREAKING WORKED!!!!!!! I'm posting this from my laptop right now! I do plan on buying an external hard drive and copying my info to it, like I should be doing anyway. But, I just wanted to say thank you so much, especially to you Greg! My laptop works once again, and I couldn't be happier! I maybe a broke college student, but I'd like to donate something to the forums when I get a chance. Is there anyway to do that? :)

Good news. Glad it helped.

That is Step 7 in Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start.

I would also over time work through the Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7 to become more familar with your PC and its System Resources.

If there's nothing else now though, you can mark the thread Solved at top.

Marked as Resolved. Thanks Greg! Have a good Thanksgiving!