Dell Latitude won't load Windows 7 from disk

[francvs]

Because of software problems, I made an image of Windows 7 as I had it, cleaned the hard disk with DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke), and reinstalled the software on my Lenovo laptop from the Windows 7 disk. This has worked OK, but my Dell Latitude won't boot from the Windows 7 disk. Please tell me how I can get this laptop to boot.

 

[DavidE]

Too many unknowns here for me to help much.

What did you create the image with, and what partitions did you backup/restore ?
Macrium, Acronis, AOMEI, Windows built-in backup program, etc. ?

Your specs show Win 7 Enterprise.
Is this a business PC, and is there an IT support staff that can help ?

and reinstalled the software on my Lenovo laptop from the Windows 7 disk. This has worked OK, but my Dell Latitude won't boot from the Windows 7 disk.

How did you reinstall software from the Windows 7 disk if the Windows 7 disk won't boot ?

I'm a home user with PC's using Legacy MBR installs (not UEFI).
When i mess with things and a PC won't boot, a Startup Repair fixes the problem.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html

 

[francvs]

I reinstalled Windows 7 successfully on my Lenovo 4446, not on my Dell Latitude D630. I tried a Windows 7 repair disk, but the Dell Latitude still shows "No boot sector on internal hard drive" and "No bootable devices". Thanks.

 

[francvs]

I created the image on DVD's, and not anywhere on the hard disks, which I wiped clean on both laptops. Thanks.

 

[DavidE]

You could try booting the PC with a MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable CD
Bootable Partition Manger | MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable Edition

Then you should be able to see what is on the hard disk.
If there is no OS and the backup image doesn't work you could do a clean re-install.

 

[francvs]

Thank you very much for the suggestion; it's now booting from a NeoSmart repair disk, and I'll see what it does.

 

[francvs]

It did boot from the NeoSmart repair disk, and told me I have no operating system; I know that already: I'm trying to install Windows 7. It won't boot from the Bootable Partition Manager disk, and I don't know why. Thanks.

 

[DavidE]

Are you saying the Dell Latitude will boot from the NeoSmart repair bootable CD, but will not boot from the Partition Wizard bootable CD ?

If that's true, can you try to boot another PC with the Partition Wizard bootable CD, to see if it works ?

I'm wondering if the PW bootable CD is corrupt (not burned correctly).

 

[francvs]

The Lenovo 4446 did boot from the Partition Wizard disk, while the Dell Latitude D630 didn't. I don't know what the connection might be, but one of the worst problems the Dell had with the former installation of Windows 7 was that the DVD reader sometimes worked, as with Power DVD software, and sometimes didn't work. Thanks.

 

[DavidE]

That is strange, some optical discs can boot the Dell, and some can't.
Just guessing, but i wonder if the Dell CD/DVD drive is starting to go bad.

If you have a USB Flash stick with nothing on it you need to keep, you could try creating and using a bootable flash stick.

Building Boot Flash Drive with Bootable Media Builder:
1. Prepare a USB flash drive and make sure that the USB flash drive is empty or doesn't contain any useful data since Bootable Media Builder will format the USB flash drive when building MiniTool Partition Wizard Boot Flash Drive. Now, please connect you USB flash drive to the computer.

Source: How to build Boot CD/DVD Discs and Boot Flash Drive with Bootable Media Builder?

 

[francvs]

I've wondered about the CD/DVD drive, but it did work with Power DVD software, and when I tried correcting the filter settings, the settings information made no sense. Maybe it's been a problem with software or firmware. I'll see about getting a flash drive; I can't remember the last time I used one. Thanks.

 

[DavidE]

You could check the Dell website to see if there are any new drivers or BIOS updates available for the laptop.
You would need to check for the specific Dell Latitude model you have.

Support | Dell US

 

[francvs]

As I said, the CD/DVD drive did work with Power DVD software and the settings information for the drive made no sense, so the problem might not be in the hardware. Dell informed me that the laptop shipped on 2008/1/31, and it supports Windows 2000, XP, and Vista, so Dell has no drivers for more recent versions of Windows. Thanks.

 

[francvs]

With the Bootable Partition Manager, I don't get the Bootable Media Builder, nor do I get any other option of making a bootable flash drive instead of a bootable disk. Thanks.

 

[francvs]

I made a Bootable Partition Manager DVD, copied all the files to a flash drive, put the flash drive in the Dell Latitude, and the Dell still tells me: "No bootable devices." Thanks.

 

[DavidE]

If i understand what you see, you don't get the option to build a bootable flash drive in the Bootable Media Builder.

You have to scroll down to see these instructions.

Here is a snip showing what the instructions have for how to build a bootable flash drive.
The source for this screen print and instructions is:
How to build Boot CD/DVD Discs and Boot Flash Drive with Bootable Media Builder?

 

[francvs]

Maybe I hit the correct key, as with an Easter egg, but the Dell is loading Windows from the Dell Windows 7 disk right now. Thanks.

 

[francvs]

OK; my Dell Latitude now works, sort of, but the CD/DVD drive problems still seem too inconsistent to be strictly problems with the hardware. When I push the button to eject, sometimes the drive opens, and sometimes it doesn't. When I put in a software disk, even a Dell software disk, sometimes it follows the default setting to run the software, and usually it doesn't. When I go to "Computer", and double-click the D drive, sometimes it runs the software, and sometimes it just shows me the files on the disk. Thanks.