Solved Recovery but no EMS

[weiser701]

**I apologize if this has more to do with Asus support than Windows**

I'm trying to do a recovery through the pre-installed recovery partition but I'm not getting the EMS option upon pressing F9 on boot up. I only get an option to boot into Windows 7. I checked my partitions to make sure the recovery partition is in fact still there and sure enough it is. I wonder why I don't get the EMS option. What else can I do? Thanks

Disclaimer: I am running a UL30A and thus I have no optical drive, nor do I have an external optical drive.

 

[boyans]

Could you post the disk management screenshot and the output of bcdedit.

(And the wording for EMS?)

 

[weiser701]

Could you post the disk management screenshot and the output of bcdedit.

(And the wording for EMS?)

I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with bcedit. Could you elaborate more on what I need to do for that? Thanks

EMS is supposed to stand for Emergency Managment Services. I should have that option to select from when I press F9 during boot up.

 

[boyans]

1. For the disk management screenshot - click on "Start" in the input field type:
diskmgmt.msc (then enter)
Use snipping tool or other tool to save the displayed layout of your disk(s).
Attach it.

2. Click "Start" in the input field type:
cmd - in the listed select cmd.exe, right-click select "Run as Administartor"
In the displayed command prompt type:
bcdedit (than enter)
select and copy the displayed output (click upper left corner of window select edit-mark, select displayed output, than type <enter>) and paste it in your reply.

 

[weiser701]

1. For the disk management screenshot - click on "Start" in the input field type:
diskmgmt.msc (then enter)
Use snipping tool or other tool to save the displayed layout of your disk(s).
Attach it.

2. Click "Start" in the input field type:
cmd - in the listed select cmd.exe, right-click select "Run as Administartor"
In the displayed command prompt type:
bcdedit (than enter)
select and copy the displayed output (click upper left corner of window select edit-mark, select displayed output, than type <enter>) and paste it in your reply.

Before I could even get to doing that I'm back to the BSOD. Except now I can't even boot in Safe Mode with command prompt like I could before (yesterday). So it looks I won't be able to provide you with the info you need. I'm getting thoroughly annoyed with all this. It seems it all started with a bad Intel driver (at least that's what the internet community led me to believe) and now my computer is disabled. I find it odd that something so small can leave me with a several hundred dollar paper weight. Every boot option leaves me with BSOD.

 

[boyans]

get a windows recovery disk image and put it to usb - use "Windows 7 USB DVD Download tool"
use usb to boot and recover

 

[weiser701]

Would that be the DVD Asus provided: "Windows 7 Recovery Media for Windows 7 Products"

Could I do the same with an SD card? The files on the DVD are quite large. Much larger than the 4GB of space I have on my SD card. I was trying to copy the DVD to my SD card yesterday when I realized there was more than 4GB of files.

UPDATE: I can at least get into command prompt now. Not sure if I'll be able to get it again so I'm leaving it there for now. Seems to be hit or miss.

 

[boyans]

You need a Windows recovery image (same version as your OS - 32/64bit) on any media your computer can boot.
See in BIOS the device choices you have for booting.

The best would be to download the correct Windows recovery image from 'neosmart.net' - or make an internet search for 'Windows 7 recovery disk download'. (The image is less than 200MB.)

I don't know what is on ' DVD Asus provided: "Windows 7 Recovery Media for Windows 7 Products" ' - you cannot use it for booting as already stated ..?

 

[boyans]

overlooked "UPDATE: I can at least get into command prompt now."

Could you post the output of bcdedit
so we could see if the problem with F9 -> EMS is in the BCD.

The BCD stores info for the boot manager like "how to load the choosen boot entry" as well as all boot choices (the boot-menu)... and some more.

 

[weiser701]

I'm trying to get bcedit through command prompt but it's not registering. What exactly do I need to input?

 

[boyans]

Bcdedit<enter>

 

[weiser701]

oops! I didn't notice the "d" before edit. I'll have to either type it out by hand or post a photo of it. I'm not sure how I could take a screen snapshot in command prompt. I should have it by this evening. Thanks for all your patience and help!

 

[gregrocker]

Sounds like you might have been one of the lucky few who got a Win7 Installation DVD with your Asus.

Boot it to see if it has the "Install Now" button on second screen. If so, instead first choose "Repair My Computer" in the bottom left corner, see if it finds an installation to repair, accept any offered repair. (The Repair console may also be on your Advanced Boot Tools list accessed by tapping F8 at boot.)

If it fails to start, boot back into Repair, click through to Recovery Options list to run Startup Repair repeatedly to see if it will start. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html?ltr=S If not, make sure Win7 or it's 100mb boot partition are marked Active then run Repairs again x3: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html

Startup Repair automates System Restore which might be able to get you back before whatever caused your bluescreen, but if it doesn't offer it you can also try it from the Options list on Repair console. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/668-system-recovery-options.html

If Win7 won't start, you can copy out your files using this method if your Win7 partition is not scrambled: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/93347-copy-paste-windows-recovery-console.html

Then if F9 again won't boot and run full Facctory Recovery, you can wipe your HD to clean reinstall with the Recovery DVD following the steps given here to get a perfect clean reinstall: http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/125874-re-install-windows-7-a.html#post1086729

If an apps disk wasn't included then you'll no longer have the Asus utlities and bloatware, which is a much superior cleaner install. However if you want them you'll have to order Recovery Disks if they didn't also provide them or you didn't make these disks when you set up your computer.

 

[boyans]

in the already posted some hours ago -> how to get console output by select, copy, paste.
alternatively type

bcdedit >log.txt

and paste/attach log.txt in your reply.

 

[boyans]

gregrocker,
see first post in thread - user has no DVD/CD reader...

 

[gregrocker]

Thanks boyans. Strange that they would provide DVD media for a machine that has no DVD drive.

In that case, I would write the supplied DVD to flash stick using another machine: Install UltraISO trial version, on File menu open ISO, on Bootable menu choose Write Image, Format, Write. Boot stick under USB or HD's.

To try the repairs more immediately, reboot and tap F8 key to see if Repair My Computer console is on the Advanced Boot Tools menu. There might even be a Factory Recovery listing in the Recovery options list.

 

[weiser701]

I used a neighbor's computer because the other computer in this house doesn't have a card reader. It's a custom built desktop but he never got around to installing a card reader. Go figure. Anyway, I did my best at interpreting the UltraISO program and I may have been able to load the right stuff on to an SD card. I ended up making an ISO from the DVD and then "extracted" to the SD card. What I ended up with is one file labeled "Boot.WIM." It's about 144mb. I'm hoping the SD will work because I don't have a USB flash drive (lost it). If I had one then I wouldn't need to mess with the neighbor's computer. What a big, complicated mess this has become

 

[weiser701]

To try the repairs more immediately, reboot and tap F8 key to see if Repair My Computer console is on the Advanced Boot Tools menu. There might even be a Factory Recovery listing in the Recovery options list.

I've went through that a few times. I never had any success. I was beginning to wonder if they just put it there to make me feel better but doesn't actually function

 

[weiser701]

Ok, somehow I was able to boot into Windows normally. It's kind of weird, actually. But I still need to restore or repair because this has happened before and I just need a clean slate to start from. Is there now another method I can use within Windows to do the restore (back to factory condition)? It seems I should simply be able to select the option within Windows to do a complete restore back to original, factory condition. Maybe I'm just trying to use too much common sense

I was trying to boot from the removable disk drive (I changed boot sequence in the BIOS) but it was gonna have none of that I guess. I wonder if that drive is even applicable.

 

[gregrocker]

You should be able to write the DVD ISO to a card. Just extract the ISO using Imgburn, write to card using UltraISO, boot it to Install. If not borrow or buy a 4gb flash stick.

Did you follow the steps given earlier for UltraISO: on File tab Open ISO, on Bootable tab Write Disk Image, Format card, then Write.

It sounds like you need to clean reinstall to overcome the problems you're having. Just follow the steps given in earlier post to get a perfect install: re-install windows 7

Keep us posted.