Solved Gateway recovery disk not repairing mbr

[blankenshipma]

First, sorry for punctuation and grammar. I am writing this on my phone holding my daughter rocking in a chair.

I have a gateway P79 series gaming laptop. It came with no recovery disks, so I had to burn my own when it asked me in Windows. I have Windows 7 premium 64. I for a while chose to use linux instead, and erased my windows partition, and the mbr got converted to grub for Ubuntu.

I am now choosing to go back to Windows 7 with the repair disks. Even though I burned them myself through Windows, they are branded Gateway in the interface. I did the complete recovery option in the disk, but it did not remove the grub from linux in the mbr and replace it with windows bootloader. I am now doing a repair, but it is not like the ones I have seen on the web. I don't get to choose partitions, or select anything. I don't have the option to repair really, just do a restore and backup my personal folders while it does that. I suspect this wont repair the mbr either. I have no other computer to plug this internal laptop hd into. Any ideas on how I can fix the mbr without a command prompt? Like a boot program I can put on my thumb drive to fix it? Thanks.

 

[theog]

All Linux code must be deleted.As you have had linux on the HD you need do a Clean all & full format.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2668-partition-volume-delete.html?ltr=P
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2674-partition-volume-create-new.html?ltr=P
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html?ltr=P

Do a full clean & full format in command prompt.
1) Boot DVD & Press Shift+F10 (for command prompt)
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/119713-diskpart-pc-startup.html

2) Boot DVD, & http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/682-command-prompt-startup.html
(for command prompt)

Type in command line
DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK # (win HD)
CLEAN ALL
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
SELECT PARTITION 1
ACTIVE
FORMAT fs=NTFS
ASSIGN
EXIT
EXIT

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/91339-ssd-hdd-optimize-windows-reinstallation.html
You will need a Startup Repair Disk:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html

When you have cleaned & formated the HD, use your Gateway Recovery Disks.

 

[Shadowjk]

First, sorry for punctuation and grammar. I am writing this on my phone holding my daughter rocking in a chair.

I have a gateway P79 series gaming laptop. It came with no recovery disks, so I had to burn my own when it asked me in Windows. I have Windows 7 premium 64. I for a while chose to use linux instead, and erased my windows partition, and the mbr got converted to grub for Ubuntu.

I am now choosing to go back to Windows 7 with the repair disks. Even though I burned them myself through Windows, they are branded Gateway in the interface. I did the complete recovery option in the disk, but it did not remove the grub from linux in the mbr and replace it with windows bootloader. I am now doing a repair, but it is not like the ones I have seen on the web. I don't get to choose partitions, or select anything. I don't have the option to repair really, just do a restore and backup my personal folders while it does that. I suspect this wont repair the mbr either. I have no other computer to plug this internal laptop hd into. Any ideas on how I can fix the mbr without a command prompt? Like a boot program I can put on my thumb drive to fix it? Thanks.

Using the Startup repair Disk open up a Command Prompt and then Enter the following codes

bootrec.exe /Fixboot

And then press enter then type out this

bootrec.exe /Fixmbr

Press enter then boot up to see if it works

A format should fix the issue

Josh

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello blankenshipma, welcome to Seven Forums!


Use Option Two of this tutorial at the link below to create a bootable Windows repair disk.

How to Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc


Then use Method Two of this one to boot to Windows diskpart.

DISKPART : At PC Startup


Then at diskpart use Step One of this one to do the wipe secure erase of the entire Hard Disk Drive to completely over-write the Linux/Grub code.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation


Then when the wipe completes exit twice and remove the repair disk and reboot to the Gateway restore disks and reinstall the factory setup and be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.

 

[blankenshipma]

First, I want to say thank you to all the timely replies, unfortunately I can get none of those to work. I have attached a screenshot of what my recovery disk screen looks like when I first boot up. I don't know when I am supposed to try Shift+f11 but I did it at all stages of loading and no luck. This is why I hate proprietary software with each computer company. All other replies are also obsolete, although helpful no doubt to all others except me with these retarded recovery disks. Is there any other way? Thanks again.

P.S. I apologize for the photo quality. Had to take a pic. But you get the point, it is a weird Gateway Recovery disk, not just vanilla Windows disks.

 

[Shadowjk]

That is the point that Shift+f11 is meant to take you to but you found another way okay this is where you Reinstall your OS to when you first brought it

You can do 2 options

Restore Everything - Erase and Install

Restore OS - Partly Reinstall

^^ Retains user Data - Documents, Pictures etc...

If you have backed up all your data then I would seriously suggest to do the First option

   Warning

Whatever option you choose all your programs will be wiped off and will require you to reinstall them

Josh

 

[mjf]

According to this there is a recovery partition and you can do a factory restore this way.
How to Factory Restore a Laptop | eHow.com
I'd be tempted to backup all data and deactivate any paid software. Then do a factory restore.
If you do have a factory restore/recovery partition a "Clean all" will likely wipe it.

 

[blankenshipma]

That is the point that Shift+f11 is meant to take you to but you found another way okay this is where you Reinstall your OS to when you first brought it

You can do 2 options

Restore Everything - Erase and Install

Restore OS - Partly Reinstall

^^ Retains user Data - Documents, Pictures etc...

If you have backed up all your data then I would seriously suggest to do the First option

   Warning

Whatever option you choose all your programs will be wiped off and will require you to reinstall them

Josh

As stated in first post, I have tried both of these, and while the restore successfully completed, I was still unable to reboot computer, hence why I am here asking how to fix. The MBR was still trying to boot linux after the Windows recovery.

All Linux code must be deleted.As you have had linux on the HD you need do a Clean all & full format.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2668-partition-volume-delete.html?ltr=P
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2674-partition-volume-create-new.html?ltr=P
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html?ltr=P

Do a full clean & full format in command prompt.
1) Boot DVD & Press Shift+F10 (for command prompt)
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/119713-diskpart-pc-startup.html

2) Boot DVD, & http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/682-command-prompt-startup.html
(for command prompt)

Type in command line
DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK # (win HD)
CLEAN ALL
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
SELECT PARTITION 1
ACTIVE
FORMAT fs=NTFS
ASSIGN
EXIT
EXIT

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/91339-ssd-hdd-optimize-windows-reinstallation.html
You will need a Startup Repair Disk:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html

When you have cleaned & formated the HD, use your Gateway Recovery Disks.

This worked, but not how you wanted me to do it. I still had no way of going into the command prompt with these disks. I had to boot into my linux liveCD, and use the "shred" command in terminal to physically wipe the disk. That worked, and after another recovery, I am talking to you on my fresh Windows install now. Thank you.

 

[theog]

You will need a Startup Repair Disk:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html

When you have cleaned & formated the HD, use your Gateway Recovery Disks.

Hello blankenshipma, welcome to Seven Forums!


Use Option Two of this tutorial at the link below to create a bootable Windows repair disk.

How to Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc

Then when the wipe completes exit twice and remove the repair disk and reboot to the Gateway restore disks and reinstall the factory setup and be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.

Did you?

 

[blankenshipma]

You will need a Startup Repair Disk:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html

When you have cleaned & formated the HD, use your Gateway Recovery Disks.

Hello blankenshipma, welcome to Seven Forums!


Use Option Two of this tutorial at the link below to create a bootable Windows repair disk.

How to Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc

Then when the wipe completes exit twice and remove the repair disk and reboot to the Gateway restore disks and reinstall the factory setup and be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.

Did you?

I only did what you said, but had to do it a different way. You gave me the idea though, and it worked. I had to wipe HD first, then reinstall. I just couldn't get a command prompt from the disks i made and found out why. When I first got my computer, Gateway software prompted me to make recovery disks through THEIR software, not the normal Windows way. Their software gave me no option to get to a command prompt, not with Shift f10 or anything. So I used my linux live cd, ran their command prompt and wiped the drive from there, then reinstalled Windows and it worked. Same thing, different method. Thanks for your help.

 

[Shadowjk]

I am glad you got your problem sorted

 

[mjf]

You'd better keep your recovery disks in a safe spot because you have probably wiped your recovery partition.

 

[blankenshipma]

You'd better keep your recovery disks in a safe spot because you have probably wiped your recovery partition.

Thanks, you are right, I deleted that a long time ago though, on purpose.

 

[Shadowjk]

Hence the reason why Shift+f10 didn't work that is the Command to use to boot into your recovery partition

 

[tjjjc2]

Mouse and Enter key not working on RESTORE TYPE screen

On the screen shot of both ways to restore from the hided partition, from the 1st page. I get the same screen, but, my mouse can high lite, but DOUBLE CLICK of the mouse does not start the restores? Nor does the ENTER key start the program. Nor both at the same time. Any ideas on how to click to start the restore process? Or why the mouse and enter key do not function on that screen?

Is there a CMD path? Or is that the same screen I will get when using the CMD?

In safe mode, it starts the countdown to shutting down. Of course, forget about the normal start.

( I do not mean last restore point).

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

 

[tjjjc2]

Update, FYI and all.

Safe mode would lock, but it was the HELP & SUPPORT program that would freeze or something caused it to freeze, (I noticed that windows would start with the previous started programs)

I was watching a youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx-LW8BzZZc

and the member went to control panel then to restore, they did note that the ENTER/Mouse would at times not work.
Then back to the desktop they typed in GATEWAY, and displayed the restore option, picking advanced.

Using that info, I went back into safe mode, types GATEWAY as fast as I could, before I knew I was finished, the SUPPORT program started and froze, I quickly CTRL-ALT-DEL, and turned off the program, then a screen under it displayed another error with COM, closed that, then discovered the GATEWAY menu was up, picked the center option, went to advanced.

Then the RESTORE program came up and the mouse/ENTER key did work.

Right now it's in PROGRESS, with the RETAIN USER DATA, which might be a waste of time.


Anyways, I kinda believe the REGISTER was corrupt, or a virus. I never checked, Not my PC.

I did not find the option to check for lost clusters, as I have never used WIN7. I am thinking if there was a way to delete all new registries, then WIN7 would have worked, The RESTORE to previous date was never turned on. too bad.

A high headed young man owns this PC, Plus FRYS told him he had a bad hard drive. So, you see there were a number of issues, from the very start, there were walls that prevented a quick repair. At least the guy backed up his stuff, but I would have done a complete clone of all partitions. Which I will TELL him to do and virus check.

Now I'm going to tell him to make two copies of his RESTORE disk/s, and I will enable regular restore dates. He may or may not take my advise, hate to see him waste money, but I'm not helping him again, this was all free. I did learn a lot in two hours, next time it will take me under two minutes, but I won't tell him that. He needs to take the time to open up his mind, learn how to find info, then use it

THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS THREAD AND KEEPING IT OPEN, this was my third helpful source.

-Dad