Windows 7: BSOD during Windows Boot, I/O error 0xc00000e9?

Hello my name is John and my friend asked me to fix her laptop since her windows wasn't starting up. Long story short, I tried to reformat her hdd with my windows 7 dvd (which is my answer for almost everything) and the screen right after you select languages and the "Install now" button the screen stays on "Setup is starting..." but it doesnt freeze, it just stays there for hours. Every time you try to start Windows normally it would restart during the "Starting Windows" screen but before it restarts it rapidly flashes what resembles a bsod and restarts it self. You can't boot from last known configuration, boot in safe mood, or pretty much any of the options when I hold down F8. Here's the kick, it gives me a page error which says this


So most likely it would be the Hard drive right? no, I had a spare SSD laying around and I plugged it in and I got the the same results as the hdd, only at a faster pace . I want to say it's something like my motherboard or something but you guys here are the experts.

Hi,

When you attempt the installation, are all other removable USB devices unplugged? Are you installing from a DVD? Is the mouse a wired mouse, or wirless with a USB receiver?

Regards,
Golden

The only thing plugged in is the laptop charger and I am installing from Dvd with no mouse, just the trackpad.

Mmm. OK then, the probability is ever increasing that its an HDD issue. But one more hunch : can you see if there is a setting to disable the sound card temporarily? If so, do that and then try the installation again.

To access BIOS, press DEL key continuously during bootup.

Regards,
Golden

Doesn't seem to have an option to disable the sound card anywhere on the BIOS.

OK. It sounds like the HDD is buggered then.

How do you feel about using a live Linux distribution to boot the PC and run some HDD tests? If there is any user data that needs to come off that HDD, you can use Linux to do that. Its quite easy to do.

Regards,
Golden

I was actually thinking about using Ubunto to see if I can get something on it but sure I would like to do that. Would rather just follow your instructions . But I will be away from computer in about 10 minutes or so.

That's fine, I need some breakfast too. I'll post back some instructions here in a bit, and then you can follow them at your leisure.

Ubuntu would also do the trick BTW, its just I'm more familiar with Debian 6 for this sort of work.

regards,
Golden

OK. Please follow these steps:

1. Download YUMI from this site:
YUMI - Multiboot USB Creator (Windows) | USB Pen Drive Linux

2. Run the Yumi exe. Now select your USB drive in step 1, and from the list pick Debian 6 in step 2. Use the 'Download the iso' option to download Debian 6, and then select it in step 3. See image below.



3. Once the bootable Debian 6 USB has been created, in the BIOS of the faulty computer, select to boot from USB, insert the USB and boot the PC. You should see this.



Select the Linux distributions, and the select Debian Live



4. Debian will now boot and you should see this screen. Select the option shown below.



Debian will boot to the desktop and you should see this:



Select the options as shown below:



You should now see this screen. Select your disk and examine the SMART data.



If you select 'View SMART data" you should see more detail, and an option to run some selftests.



Do that to see if it picks-up anything.

If there is any data on this HDD that needs to be backed-up (unlikely since you already tried to install and would have formatted the disk prior to doing that), use the Debian file browser to do that (since you sound familiar with Ubuntu I havent given any detailed steps).

Let us know what you find.

Regards,
Golden

i dont know if you will see this golden, however i was having the same issue and tried to follow youre steps here, but debian will not open any of my drives. do you know how i could fix this?
it states it is *refusing to mount device* and states this for all of my HD not just what i presume to be dead boot drive.