Windows 7: Toshiba Laptop will not boot into Win 7

Not sure if off topic, but hope someone can help.



Here is a weird scenario. Toshiba Satellite Pro A210.

HDD failed. Fortunately do regular backups, so restored to a new HDD.

New HDD securely fitted to A210. Powered up, HDD recognised by BIOS, and proceeded to boot, get the following error:
For Realtek RTL8100E-8101E Fast Ethernet Network Adaptor Version 1.02
PXE-E61 Media Test Failure Check Cable
PXE-MOF Exiting PXE ROM

A210 WILL boot from USB or DVD.

Tried various things, searched internet, found lots of same or similar errors all with no good result.

I have a Paragon Boot Disk, booted into that. One of the options is find OS's on hard disks. Try that, it finds OS. Asks if want to boot into it, accept and Win 7 loads!

So, why will the A210 not load the OS? It recognises the HDD, and another medium can boot into the OS.

Looking forward to your replies!

My guess would be the old drive contained a hidden partition which contained required boot files. Did you restore the whole drive or just the C partition?

You may need to do a repair of your MBR, which would require a system recovery disc that you created, or the Windows 7 install disc.

Use the Paragon disk to boot into Windows 7, then post back a screenshot of your maximized full Disk Management drive map with listings, using Snipping Tool in Start Menu.

Here is a screenshot, thanks for your help.

Paul.

The drive APPEARS to be missing the 100MB boot partition.

How can that be done please?

The problem is that you've reimaged to a Logical partition from which Windows 7 cannot boot. It must have originally been on a Primary partition since the reimaged partition contains the "System Active" boot files, but they nevertheless can not start from a Logical partition now.

The solution to this is to burn to a free Partition Wizard bootable CD, boot it, rightclick on Windows 7 partition to Modify>Convert to Primary, click OK.

Next highlight the Windows 7 disk itself on the map, from Disk tab choose Rebuild MBR, click OK. Now Apply all Steps.

Now reboot into Windows 7 to see if it will start. If not boot the Windows 7 DVD or Repair CD to run Startup Repair a few times to repair or rewrite the System Boot files to Windows 7 partition, reconfirming first that it is Primary and marked Active.

Booted into Partition Wizard, it shows the Windows 7 partition as unallocated!

If I create the partition using Partition Wizard, will it delete Win 7?

OK, got it sorted.

Using Paragon in Windows 7, it allowed the change to Primary, and then rebooted.

Now boots straight in to 7.

Thanks gregrocker.

This is not good to hear about Partition Wizard. It should have seen Windows 7 and allowed conversion.