Unable to start windows

Solid Snake · 02 Oct 2011

We have tried all this pal, her partition is badly screwed. She can't get access to system repair nevermind system restore. She is going to try a system repair from a bootable disc and get back to us.

Kelly · 02 Oct 2011

hey guys

unfortunately starting windows from the cd didn't work for me either. i let my dad (who is a little more computer savvy) try as well. it seems windows has somehow blocked all access to my system, since i cannot even get into system recovery. i don't really know what to anymore *sigh*

theog · 02 Oct 2011

Are you sure that the CD is booting?

Kelly · 02 Oct 2011

no, i'm not sure, but i've tried every way possible and always end up in the same menu. i left my laptop on for the night (i read another post of a girl with the exact same problem and her laptop recovered itself after leaving it on for about 10 hours) but when i woke up this morning the screen was still black (the windows loading screen was gone and my mouse was working now, though). my dad thinks it's a hard drive problem. even from the beginning i've had problems with the hard drive (like toshiba giving me random errors about not being able to read it etc). my laptop won't start at all anymore, it's unable to find the boot manager (F12, F8--- are not working), and after my dad tried to fix it, my laptop won't recognize the hard drive AT ALL.

theog · 02 Oct 2011

I would Check the hard drive with the manufacturer's diagnostic tools.
Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.
HD Diagnostic

Boot Priority - Change - Vista Forums

When you boot the Startup Repair CD, do you see this screen?

Kelly · 02 Oct 2011

nope, i don't. even when i start from boot manager. i sent an email to toshiba and i'm hoping i'll get an answer tomorrow. i think i'll have to send my laptop in for them to replace my hard drive.

Solid Snake · 02 Oct 2011

I wouldnt just assume the hard drive is faulty without testing it. This could still be a corrupt partition from a failed windows update or virus. If you don't see the screen illustrated by theog then your still booting from the corrupt section of the hard drive. I would go into your bios settings and change your boot priorities from Hard Drive 1st Boot to CD-Rom 1st boot. Then try again, and I know you said earlier you was familiar with ISO burning process. but you havnt just copied the actual ISO file to the CD instead of extracting it? If you have then the CD won't work. To check this put the CD into a working machine and view the contents of the CD from My Computer. If the CD only contains 1 file then you havnt extracted the ISO correctly. The problem with your laptop IS quite simple and not hard to rectify. I think you are struggling with the process which is ok. If your unsure of anything just ask.

Lets do this in steps and not keep stabbing at it with random sequencies.
first of all go check that CD.

If you find the CD only contains 1 file then I will talk you through the process of burning the file to CD correctly.

Dan

Kelly · 02 Oct 2011

i didn't. i extracted the iso and put those files on the cd. i tried again just now though and it suddenly gives me an error saying it's 'no bootable device'.

Solid Snake · 02 Oct 2011

I'm still convinced something with the CD isn't right. Okay well I know this is a pain but that CD is the key item we need to move forward. With the working computer, attempt to boot the CD from that machine.

After you have restarted the good computer with the Repair CD in the cd-rom drive, and selected the CD-Rom to boot before the hard drive. You should get the 'press any key to boot from CD or DVD' as theogg illustrated earlier.

This will identify either...

The CD image has not been compiled correctly, by that the good computer won't boot from CD either.

Your laptop is not booting from the CD Rom first.

Let me know what happens when you try this step

Solid Snake · 02 Oct 2011

If you need to make a new CD, use this software to do it for you. This way you can't go wrong.
All you do is download and install Active ISO Burner Click here to download
With Active ISO Burner opened in front of you, select the ISO image file I provided you with this morning.
Insert a new blank CD into your machine, the select Burn to disk.
Let this app extract the files and burn them to CD for you.