Startup error - missing OS?

Hi,

My mum's laptop has suddenly started having a problem. basically when you turn it on, it gets as far as the windows loading screen, then it goes into Startup Repair because it says there is a problem it needs to repair. It sits there for a while and never manages to fix anything, then restart and it just does it again.

I've tried various things, like looking for a restore point (but there aren't any) and I've also tried putting in the Windows 7 disc to see if I can repair it from there, but that gave me an error about it not being compatible with the version of Windows on the machine, which is odd because it's the same disc I used to install it.

Anyway, I noticed one very strange thing, which leads me towards a conclusion, and that's that Windows is being listed on the D: now, but it was always on the C: before and the D: was specified as the CD/DVD drive.

Additionally, when I view tyhe diagnosis & repair details after it fails to fix anything, after scrolling down a while, i found this:

Name: Target OS test
Result: Completed successfully. Error code = 0X0
Time taken = 156ms

Root cause found:
-----------
No OS files found on disk

And additionally, at the top of the System Recovery Options screen, it says:

Operating system: Unknown on (Unknown) Local Disk

Now i'm not very good with these technicals things, but it looks to me like the OS has gone walk abouts... However, I was able to view the contents of the C:, D:, etc... when i went into some of the repair options (when it asked me to load drivers from somewhere on the computer) and I can see that on the C: there are still folders like Program Files, etc... but it didn't look like there was as many as there used to be.


Has anyone got any ideas as to how I can recover this at all? Or am I going to have to wipe everything and start again?


Cheers.

Kaktussoft said:

Is win7 on what's called C now? Or on what's called D now?

It's on "Local Disk (D: )", it has Program Files, wamp, Windows, folders, etc... although not as many as it should have I don't think.

On the "System Reserved (C: )" there is just one folder "Temp" which has files like "bcdinfo", "bootfailure", "disklayout", "StrTrail", etc...

Kaktussoft said:

Operating system: Unknown on (Unknown) Local Disk

Where did you see that?

After putting in the Windows 7 disc, select keyboard language and get to the "System Recovery Options" screen. I select "Restore using system image" and then when that fails because it can't find one, i click "Cancel" on the "Select a system backup" screen and it takes me to the screen with:

"Choose a recovery tool"
"Startup Repair"
"System Restore"
"System Image Recovery"
"Windows Memory DIangoistc"
"Command Prompt"

And it's at the top of that screen.

Kaktussoft said:

Did you see this screen?


Did it find something?

I can see that screen yes, it has: "Windows 7 | 238371 MB | (D: ) Local Disk", however when i click on it and then "Next" i get the error about the version of system recovery options not being compatible with the windows version.

It has tried finding the problem many times as it runs the Startup Repair automatically if i don't boot to disk, but it never finds anything it can fix, just scans for ages and then gives up.

Kaktussoft said:

What I think:
You have win7 SP1 and your installation disk is WIN7 without SP1!
It can't find win7 SP1 OS and you can't select it. Because you didn't select anything... "system restore" just doesn't know what to restore.

Get a win7 install dvd with sp1. Boot from it and select "repair your computer". Then try "system restore" first. If it doesn't fix the problem... try "startup repair"

Download a repair/ recovery cd for windows 7 and windows Vista
32bits win7? if so Windows 7 Recovery Environment ISO - Fix Your Problems

OKay, i'll give that a go if I can.

Hi,

I tried that ISO file suggested but no luck, it still complains about it being the wrong version: "This version of System Recovery Options is not compatible with the version of Windows you are trying to repair. Try using a recovery disc that is compatible with this version of Windows".

I've tried the exact disk we installed Windows 7 with as well, as mentioned previously.

I used the same install disc on this computer and that is "Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit (6.1, Build 7601)"

I obviously can't take a screen-shot to show you, as I can't get past the error windows to take one or save one anywhere.

I've scrolled through the Startup Repair "Diagnosis and repair details" and it says there is 1 root cause, but never tells me what it is, it just keeps saying: "Startup repair has tried several times but still cannot determine the cause of the problem."

When I view the Startup repair "problem details" when it asks me if i want to send information to microsoft or not, it says:

Problem Event Name: StartupRepairOffline
Problem Signature 01: 6.1.7600.16385
Problem Signature 02: 6.1.7600.16385
"" 03: unknown
04: 21200600
05: AutoFailover
06: 11
07: CorruptFile
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033

I managed to download another iso and install Windows again. Seems to be working for the time being, not sure what caused the problem though.