How to re-install Windows 7 on a hard drive with a logical failure

That was it - I did as you suggested and was successful in creating a PW Bootable CD.

I tried to boot the notebook with the PD CD and I get the following message:

Windows Error Recovery

Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause.
If Windows files have been damaged or configured incorrectly, Startup Repair can help diagnose and fix the problem. If power was interrupted during startup, choose Start windows Normally.

Launch Startup Repair (recommended)
Start Windows Normally

When I choose Launch Startup Repair, I get a message WIndows is loading files and then a blank black screen sometimes with a cursor and other times without .

When I choose Start Windows Normally the laptop tries to boot, reaches the Starting Windows screen with the Windows logo and then displays the Windows Error Recovery screen again.

I get the exact same results when I try to boot with the MSFT Standalone System Sweeper.

It seems like something is preventing the Windows to boot whether it is from the hard drive or from bootable CDs and I do not know how to get around this problem.

Motasim

You are not booting the PW CD, instead it is attempting to boot into the HD.

Set the CD drive first to boot in BIOS setup as shown in this illustrated tutorial: How to Boot your Computer from a Bootable CD or DVD - Boot to CD. Set HD second device to boot.

Another method is to use the F12 key Toshiba one-time BIOS Boot menu key given on first boot screen to trigger the CD drive. Tap the key vigorious every second once BIOS boot screen appears, then choose CD drive to boot.

Follow the steps I gave you earlier to use PW CD, then if necessary boot the Win7 DVD REpair console or Repair CD to do the Startup Repairs - not allow it to boot into HD to use the Startup Repair which autostarts as it depends on possibly corrupt System Files.

You are right - it was not booting from the CD drive. The boot order sequence was actually right. I did some poking around and noticed that in the Advanced Tab, the boot speed was set to fast which was overriding the boot sequence setting and going straight to the hard drive. Once I set the boot speed to normal, it now first tries to the boot from the CD. Progress, thanks for pointing to the boot problem.

I started with the suggestions in your first response and tried to boot from a Windows 7 System Recovery Disk. This time it did try to boot from the CD (I got the hit any key to boot from the CD message) and after loading files, it ended up in the black screen with a cursor state.

I then tried to boot with the MSFT Standalone System Sweeper CD with exactly the same results as above.

I then tried to boot with the Partition Wizard bootable CD and this time the application loaded. However, I am not sure what to do in Partition Wizard to clean up the hard drive and re-install Windows 7.

Motasim

Problem solved!

I rebooted the system holding down the 0 key (Toshiba restore option) as before it ended up in a black screen with a cursor. After a few minutes, the Toshiba recover screen appeared and then it was a simple matter of following the wizard to restore to factory settings.

Thanks a ton for your help - I learnt a lot.
Motasim

motasim said:

I then tried to boot with the Partition Wizard bootable CD and this time the application loaded. However, I am not sure what to do in Partition Wizard to clean up the hard drive and re-install Windows 7.

The steps to use PW CD were given in my first post:

gregrocker said:

Make sure Win7 or its 100mb System Reserved partition (preferred) are still marked Active: Partition - Mark as Active (Method Two).

You can also do this using free Partition Wizard bootable CD to rightclick 100mb or Win7 partition>Set to Active, OK. Then click on HD to highlight it, from Disk tab select Rebuild MBR, Apply all steps. This may preclude the need to run Repairs after marking Win7 Active.

Glad Toshiba factory recovery worked for you. Let us know how performance pans out.

Here are tips to clean up the preinstalled Factory Bloatware and useless Factory utilities which have better versions built into Win7: Clean up factory bloatware