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#31
Yes it does matter. You'll not be able to Clean Reinstall with the Win7 Installer but will have to rely on trying to restore your Toshiba laptop to its factory fresh software condition using system recovery from it's partition or disks you made or make, or order those disks from Toshiba Tech Support.
But first let's see if you can get it repaired. Work through all of the steps in Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start reporting back as you go.
For Home Basic you'll want to download Home Premium ISO file and run the eicfg removal tool on it to unlock all versions, the burn the DVD or write the bootable flash stick using the Download tool also linked. Are you sure you don't have 32 bit?
Jumanji's post about using peppermint3 on a flash drive allowed me to get the relevant files off my computer. As such, I'll be abandoning any work on the afflicted laptop until next weekend at the earliest.
I hate to leave this unresolved for the rest of the week just for the sake of you and everyone else that has offered advice up to this point, but I have 700 pages to read, another 12 to write and a test on Thursday so I can't really afford to spend any more time on this.
Assuming I have the rest of my files backed up on my external HD where they should be, I'll be fine starting this laptop with a clean slate with whatever OS I can get for free. I won't be able to touch it til Friday though.
Thanks again so much for all the advice you offered. Should I go ahead and mark this thread as solved (and assume that the OS was corrupted)?
I would at least test the hardware and run Startup Repair from the DVD to see if it finds anything obvious.
Startup Repair may automate System Restore which overcomes damage caused by the pwoer failure. If not also try running manually from System Recovery Options.
If you can Start Win7 you can make your Recovery disks so you have a backup method, and save a Win7 backup image so you have a secondary.
If nothing works I would order Recovery disks from Toshiba which don't cost that much normally. Otherwise you're stuck with Linux which is a whole different animal that isn't too friendly.
Glad that you were able to retrieve all important data in time using a live Linux pendrive that kept your GPA intact soothing your nerves. It does not matter whether it was Lucid Puppy or Peppermint 3. All roads lead to the same destination. :)
Now you have all the time to tryout what others have suggested and/or what I am going to suggest at your leisure.
Your hard drive has perhaps turned RAW. a. MBR is corrupted and /or b. the partition table is corrupted.
Try the Partition Recovery Wizard in MiniTools Partition Wizard Home Edition 7.8. Download the bootable CD version of it ( ISO,42.6MB) , burn it to a CD and boot from it to run it.. http://www.partitionwizard.com/download.html
My hands on trial at Partition Recovery for your guidance here:
Straightaway head to the topic Recovery with Partition Wizard: SanDisk Cruzer Blade 16GB
in my thread Recover a flash drive turned RAW – Partition Wizard and TestDisk. and use the Partition Recovery Wizard. (In your case it will be your unbootable Hard drive.)
If it can see your HDD partition and show all your files, Finish and your laptop should be back in business.
If not, using the same Partition Wizard restore/rebuild the MBR and see whether it comes alive.
Last edited by jumanji; 24 Mar 2013 at 21:46. Reason: PW link added.
If you can get Windows running again with the suggestions given, I think you can retrieve your current valid Windows license key.
That way you should be able to re-install Windows using your valid license without puchasing a new license (or Toshiba Restore disks).
I don't want to cross the line and suggest or imply piracy or hacking, but I think Belarc Advisor could help with this.
I'm no install expert, so it's best to wait for Greg or another more experienced expert for best advice on this...
From what I know, Pre-installed OEM licenses work differently than what I use on my home built systems...
Hopefully you can retrieve your OEM license even if you can not read the "melted sticker" at no cost!
Last edited by DavidE; 24 Mar 2013 at 11:49. Reason: delete incorrect info about OEM key
Nope.
What any keyfinder program will find is the Generic OEM_SLP (System Locked Preinstallation) key which that OEM uses to preactivate that particular edition of Windows 7 on all his machines/models.
That key cannot be used to activate a clean install unless certain other conditions - a valid SLIC table in the machine's BIOS embedded by the OEM and a Microsoft issued digitally signed certificate in the installation media - are met. These guard against casual piracy.
The OEM's Recovery discs as well as OEM supplied Reinstall Disc ( which to my knowledge only DELL supplies/ has been supplying free of cost) contains the generic OEM-SLP key as well as the certificate and that is why it will auto-activate after checking for a valid SLIC in the BIOS.
Microsoft provides the unique COA-SLP key on the sticker to enable genuine owners to do a clean install in contingent situations such as a corrupted SLIC table in the BIOS, where OEM activation will not go through.
Anyway all this has changed with Windows 8, where a unique key is embedded on each OEM machine.