Unstoppable Reboot

Lamar · 07 Feb 2011

Hello Seven forums,

im the new guy here and i desperately need help. The other day i got a virus on my desktop and it completely crapped on me. I was unable to go online or execute any program for that reason. I tried running a system scan to get rid of it and run the repair disk but that didn't work. I made a system image of my laptop to try to bring her back to life...nothing. I need my desktop for school and if i don't i am going to fail my first semester in college.COULD SOMEONE PLZ HELP ME!!! O and after i ran the system image everything seemed ok but then i got stuck in this reboot loop. I ran the start up repair 5 time and it still just goes in circles. I used a system image from a Acer 5315 and my desktop is dell XPS 410 i think. that's all i saw on the tower. Again PLZ help.
Thanks in advance.

SIW2 · 07 Feb 2011

Using the recovery image from a different machine won't work.

Did you make the recovery discs from your original installation ?

If not, you will need either order some from the manufacturer,

OR use a borrowed windows 7 installation disc and the product key off the sticker on your machine.

You will need to install the same Edition ( e.g. Home Premium ) as was originally on the machine.

You can unlock the installer for any edition from a windows 7 installation iso using Kai's free ei.cfg removal utility.

win7utils - Windows 7 ISO Disc Image Utilities

TVeblen · 08 Feb 2011

Hello Lamar. Welcome to the forum.

As SIW2 says, you will need to restore your system or reinstall Windows 7.

But before you do that you should do this (if you are comfortable inside a computer case - if not, find a friend that is):

Find someone with a desktop computer you can use. Remove your hard drive from your computer and connect it to the friend's computer. Then copy all of your important user data and school work off your hard drive and save it to an external drive or thumb drive.

That way you can install your user files onto your laptop and stay in school.

What were you using for an anti-virus program?

Lamar · 08 Feb 2011

Thanks so much for the reply so fast. Is it a compatibility issue why it wont work? Anyway ill try to borrow my friends 7 disc and see how it works for me. Thanks again to everyone who helped me out.

TVeblen · 09 Feb 2011

Yes, every installation of widows is keyed to the machine it is installed on, based upon the exact hardware that makes up that machine. This has much more to do with the drivers that are installed to run that hardware than to any "Big Brother" scenario.

You ran the system image for your laptop onto your desktop and now Windows wakes up thinking it's a laptop but finds there is nothing there that even resembles a laptop and it just freaks out and reboots. Like a bad comedy with Jamie Lee Curtis.

And now that you have essentially wiped your hard drive with the system image the only way back is through a fresh install.

Is you user data (personal files) on the C: drive or on a different drive?

And, do you have a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) stuck to the desktop somewhere that has the Product Key you will need to activate Windows once it is installed?