Solved Can't Recover Win 7 on Toshiba Satellite Laptop

[skuddle]

In 2012 I made a DVD set of 5 that was supposed to let me reinstall windows. The DVD set does not work. There is no BAT file on them, and no other executables that will let me run them. After 3 hours I am at a loss and the only thing I can think of is to reload from a USB drive.


I am running (i.e. I ran) Windows 7 on laptop, 6 GB RAM. The hard drive still has files on it but none of them work.


I don't have a USB drive that will work. Where do I get the files I need for the USB? I do have a product ID (on the bottom of the laptop).

 

[iko22]

Hello skuddle. What software did you use to make the DVD set?

 

[SIW2]

You haven't given us the model number.

You haven't given us the bit version ( is it x64 as your spec suggests? ) or edition of win 7.

If we knew that, we might be able to find out if there is a recovery partion/how to access it.

You could check Tosh website and see if they offer free recovery media.

If you have the COA sticker with license key, you can use standard MS installation media.

Or, you can use my bootable repair media. It has explorer interface and various tools.

17514x86.iso

17514x64-v9.iso

It can be extracted to usb using rufus, or

usb7ice.zip

 

[skuddle]

Thank you for your replies.


I used the tools that were on the laptop to make my 5 DVDs. I did not use any downloaded or external program.


The model number is: Toshiba Satellite C875D S7225. The OS is 64-bit.


I'm not sure what a "COA" sticker is or what the license key is. I do have the Microsoft sticker on the bottom of the laptop. It has product key containing 5 groups with 5 letters/numbers in each group which I assume is the license key, and another group containing ###-###-###-### (where # is a digit).


More info:



I bought the laptop from a store in 2011 and let it install automatic windows updates. That worked for about a year, then I started getting fail-to-install messages on most of the updates. Last week the Little Lady griped about the constant "Do not turn off - updating 1 of 2 updates" each night, and a "failure to update" messages that displayed on each power up. I did manage to get the earliest of those installed (2011-11 Security and Quality Roll-up (KB4467240). The failure code for the other update was 0652.


Then I opened the restore to an earlier state dialog and I did manage to start installing files. However, the machine hung (did nothing for about 45 minutes), and the progress bar was stopped at about 30%, so I turned the laptop off and began using the 5 DVDs to bring it back up again. No success.


There is no executable or batch file on any of the 5 DVDs, but they all read fine in another computer.



I will download 17514x64-v9.iso, put it on a USB stick and see what happens.

 

[skuddle]

UPDATE:

I used your links and got a (very) basic copy of Windows 7 onto the laptop.


I am now running Windows 7 Ultimate. The computer name is MININT-PEQ973 and it shows as a 64-bit computer with 6 GB of RAM. My Administrative Tools contains a desktop.ini file and nothing else. I would like to get my original windows software reinstalled but I am not sure how to do that.


I have no wireless connection to the internet and there is nothing on the laptop that would let me connect (except for a hard-wired LAN connection). When I open the Network and Sharing Center and attempt to connect to a network or set up a new connection by clicking on the option, nothing happens.


There is no Internet Explorer.



Can you help me some more?

 

[samuria]

What is on the dvd you may not see any any bat files it may be a image or a custom install have you tried booting all of them

 

[skuddle]

Yes, I did try booting all 5 but none of them worked. Also, I just noticed that if I reset the Boot option to boot from the hard drive, I get the following message: Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem: 1. Insert your Windows installation disc and restart the computer. 2. Change your language settings and then click "Next". 3. Click "Repair your computer." File: \Boot\BCD Status: 0xc0000098 Info: The Windows Boot Configuration Data file does not contain a valid OS entry. So, the only way I can boot the computer is to set the Boot configuration to USB and leave the USB stick in, and all that does is reload the windows setup program. There is an Internet Explorer but it is the 32-bit version. When I click Manage Wireless Networks, a window opens with a menu bar but the rest of the window contains nothing. I can change the monitor's resolution but when I reboot the resolution resets to 1024x768. I think I need a little more help

 

[SIW2]

QTweb ( blue icon on taskbar with the letters QT ) is the included internet browser. Why would you want to use that?

Boot the media, and the first thing to try is to run recenv - it is under the start menu in the MS folder.

Try startup repair - if no joy, then try system restore.

Failing that, post screenshots of the contents of the recovery partition - and the contents of any folders on the recovery partition

Also post a screenshot of the main windows of Aomei partition Assistant ( icon on the taskbar), so we can see the layout, how much space you have, etc.

You can take screenshots using the camera icon on the taskbar. Save the photos onto the usb stick.

 

[skuddle]

Hmmm, I didn't mention anything about the QTweb. When I click it I get a "Host not found" message because I cannot connect to the internet. I was using Firefox on the laptop with no problems. I have a MsRecEnvX64 file in my MS folder under my Start menu and when I click it a Systems Recovery Options window opens. I click Startup Repair I'm told that the program cannot repair the computer automatically and that I should go to the internet for help. When I click System Restore I am asked which Windows installation to repair, but there are no Window installations on the computer that I can see. When I click other items in System Restore I am invariably told to restart the computer. PrnScn doesn't work. I've used AEMOI Partition Assistant before. On the laptop it shows Disk 1 having a: C: drive of 450GB available and 443 GB free and a G: drive named HDDRECOVERY with 13.5 GB available and 9.47 GB free. Sorry about the no paragraphs in the post. I don't know what's causing that right now.

 

[skuddle]

I can't copy anything to the USB stick that's in the laptop. Windows Explorer says the file is there, but when I move the stick to another computer the files do not show up.

 

[SIW2]

Winpe is not persistent.

You should copy directly to the stick - do not copy it into any of the booted winpe folders you see - i.e. not the desktop, or downloads, or any libraries etc.

If your usb stick shows as Drive E in winpe - then copy directly to drive E

 

[skuddle]

Sorry, no can do. I can create a jpg using the screen capture app that the system gives me, but when I try to save it, I am presented with the following options: C: (450 GB with nothing on it) D: SYSTEM, the stick from which I initially booted E: Another disk, and I am asked to insert something So I select D: and save the file. When I use Windows Explorer to view what's on D: I can see the jpg that I saved. However, when I move the stick from the laptop to my other computer and use Windows Explorer to view the files, the jpg is not listed. And there is nothing named "winpe" on the laptop or the boot stick. Where do I go from here?

 

[iko22]

Can you see file from cmd prompt?

At a command prompt, type:


D: <Enter>
cd\ <Enter>
DIR <filename>.jpg /s <Enter>

where <filename> is the name you gave to the screen capture file, and D: is the drive the picture is on.

 

[skuddle]

When I type "dir /p" after the D:\ then yes, I can see the jpg file. Here's what I see: BIN (Dir); BOOT (Dir); BOOTMGR (file, 383kb); SOURCES (Dir) system info.jpg (my file). When I follow your instructions exactly (ie, when I type "dir system info.jpg /s" after D:\, then I see "File not found". I can also see the jpg on D: when I use Windows Explorer. I hope I'm not getting too far away from my problem. I can boot from the stick, but since there is nothing on C: I cannot boot from the laptop. I don't know how to get the files from the stick to the laptop.

 

[iko22]

Can you boot the computer with the USB ? Is the boot priority set for the Removable Media (USB)?

 

[skuddle]

Yes, that's how I have been operating since yesterday, and Windows is open. I just cannot find out how to boot when my boot USB stick is removed.

 

[skuddle]

I'm about ready to give up trying to reinstall Win7 on my laptop. Here's a summary so far:

Toshiba Laptop Satellite C875D-S7225
OEM Windows 7 64-bit SP1
6 GB RAM
No recovery disk available

I've used the 17514x64-v9.iso and with a boot USB I've managed to get a very limited version of Win7 Ultimate installed. However, there the C: drive is empty. I can only boot with the USB stick installed. Using a different computer I put a test jpg file on the boot USB and stuck it into the laptop. The laptop did not see the file on the boot drive. I cannot write any files from the laptop to the boot USB.

The MS site does not support the OEM version of Windows 7.

When I go to the Toshiba site and enter my serial number and OS description, I follow the prompts and wind up with a "Your hard drive is toast..." Order Here dialog.

I cannot boot from the hard drive no matter what I try. I hate to trash a perfectly good piece of hardware but it looks like a real possibility right now. Any other suggestions?

 

[samuria]

Are you sure there isnta recovery parition on the pc most come with one if you can get to disk manager post a screen shot showing the parititions

 

[SIW2]

Winpe is windows preinstallation environment. 17514x64 is winpe.

You say below the usb drive showed as E . Yet you say you copied the jpg file to D.

You should have saved it onto E ( the usb stick )

No surprise the jpg file is not on the usb stick.

Sorry, no can do. I can create a jpg using the screen capture app that the system gives me, but when I try to save it, I am presented with the following options: C: (450 GB with nothing on it) D: SYSTEM, the stick from which I initially booted E: Another disk, and I am asked to insert something So I select D: and save the file. When I use Windows Explorer to view what's on D: I can see the jpg that I saved. However, when I move the stick from the laptop to my other computer and use Windows Explorer to view the files, the jpg is not listed. And there is nothing named "winpe" on the laptop or the boot stick. Where do I go from here?

 

[skuddle]

Sorry, something in Firefox overlooks the CRLF function on some sites, sometimes (like every few months). This is one of those times.


What you quoted should read:


....a C: drive that is 450 GB and that has no files on it;


a D: drive named "SYSTEM" and which is the stick from which I initially booted;


an E: drive that causes the system to ask me to insert something....


Hope this helps.