System Repair Disc Not working

[Stevekir]

SYSTEM REPAIR DISC 6/2015

NOTE: My C: drive is a 256 GB SSD.

I made a System Repair Disc on a new blank DVD-RW in accordance with instructions. I then tested it (in case I needed it). It did not produce a list of tools to repair the machine which is what I believe is the purpose of the disc. Nothing helped.
It has 4 files: boot, efi, sources, bootmgr.efi

I started the computer three times with the disc in the tray, each time rapidly pressing a key before the GIGABYTE initial screen appeared. Here are the results:

DELETE KEY
Black and white screen with two offerings :
Windows 7 Boot manager,
A memory check. I chose the latter and a long memory check was carried out, result successful. I booted Windows.
------------------------------------------------------
F12 KEY
Black and white screen offering:
Please select boot device [7 offered]:
P4: TSSTCORP CDDV SH-224DB
Generic Storage Device 0_00
P1: ST10000DM003-1ER162
P0: Crucial_CT256MX100SSDI
Windows Boot Manager (P0: Crucial_CT256MX100SSDI
UEFI: Test corp CDDVDW SH-224DB
Enter Setup
On earlier tests I had chosen each of the first 6 but got no selection of repair tools.
This time I chose Enter Setup:
A Multicoloured screen with:
GIGABYTE UEFI BIOS
MIT System Info BIOS Features Peripherals Power Management Save and Exit
When clicked on, each produced a screen full of settings etc. I exited without saving. Windows started normally
----------------------------------------------------------
F8 KEY
Windows started normally.

Is my System Repair Disc working as it should? If so, what use is it? If not, what can I do?

Thanks.

 

[Boozad]

The Del key should take you into BIOS, but seeing as you're getting the boot manager screen option click on that and see if that offers the Repair Disk as a bootable option.

 

[GokAy]

I guess you need to select UEFI: Test corp CDDVDW SH-224DB

 

[AddRAM]

Use the boot menu key to bring up the boot menu, choose the dvd drive with your system repair disc in it, hit enter, it should then boot into the disc.

If it doesn`t then you did not create the disc properly.

You only need a blank cd-r to create a SR disc, using a dvd is a waste.

 

[Stevekir]

Repair Disc

The Del key should take you into BIOS, but seeing as you're getting the boot manager screen option click on that and see if that offers the Repair Disk as a bootable option.

Thanks folks. This time, after pressing DELETE is "Windows Boot Manager", there was "Press F8 to get more tools, Advanced Boot Options". Pressing that led to "Choose advanced options for Windows 7" which produced a list of options, white text on black screen:

"Repair your computer, Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, Safe Mode with Command Prompt, Enable Boot Logging, Enable Low res. (640 x 480), Last Known Good Configuration (advanced)" and a couple of other options.​

Those look promising. Which of them should I try (when the time comes to do a repair in earnest)?

At bottom is "Description: View a list of system recovery tools you can use to repair startup problems, run diagnostics, or restore your system."

Thanks.

 

[AddRAM]

That`s great, but did you do as I instructed to see if your SR disc works ?

There`s no reason to go into the Bios. All you need to do is use the Boot Menu, then choose the dvd drive.

 

[Stevekir]

That`s great, but did you do as I instructed to see if your SR disc works ?

There`s no reason to go into the Bios. All you need to do is use the Boot Menu, then choose the dvd drive.

Assuming the following is what you mean, I put my SR disc in the tray, shut down the computer, after 15 sec. re-started while rapidly pressing the DELETE key.:

Black and white screen:

"Windows Boot Manager" at top

"Windows 7" in a white bar
"Do a memory check" (or similar words) in a white bar

In my post I incorrectly wrote:
"Windows Boot Manager in a white bar"
That first executable offering does not contain the words "Boot Manager". Those words are the title of the page.​

Pressing ENTER on the first white bar ("Windows 7") simply starts Windows normally. Although the SR Disk spins, the screen has no mention of it.

On whether I created the SR disc properly, I have made two discs, each one strictly in accordance with Microsoft's help files and those in Windows itself. Both behave in the same way.

If the conclusion is that my computer has not been built properly (it was built in April), I will need to take it back to have it fixed.

Do you advise that please?

Thanks for the help.

 

[AddRAM]

No, delete is not the boot menu key.

Watch the bottom of the screen when you turn on the PC.

It will show you at the bottom which F key (or which key) to push to get to the boot menu.

For example, I use F8 to get to the boot menu with my board.

I can not upload a shot, but I put it in my album, if you care to look.

You can see how it lists all my drives, and the dvd drive at the top, so if you have the SR disc in the dvd drive, you just use the arrows keys to highlight that drive, then just hit enter. Then your SR disc should load files.

 

[Stevekir]

..........
Example of Boot menu: Sorry but I can not upload the photo, not sure why

It would help if in reply you would type something to identify the Boot menu, to help me too confirm that I have reached it.

Thanks.

 

[GokAy]

Google: "uefi boot menu" and select images

 

[AddRAM]

What more do you want me to do ?

I told you how to get to it and I put a picture in my album, this is not rocket science.

 

[Boozad]

What more do you want me to do ?

I told you how to get to it and I put a picture in my album, this is not rocket science.

You did edit your post after he'd quoted you Brian, maybe he didn't see that.

 

[AddRAM]

Yes but it was all done within a matter of 5 minutes

And he only quoted what he wanted to, not my entire reply.

I kept trying to post the shot of my boot menu, but it would not upload, never seen that happen before with a jpg.

 

[AddRAM]

Sorry for the delay, but someone lowered the size limit for our pictures and I had to lower the shot to less then 2 MB

Example of my Boot Menu which I get to by tapping F8 when the computer starts, I have no idea what key you push on your Gigabyte board.

 

[Stevekir]

Sorry for the delay, but someone lowered the size limit for our pictures and I had to lower the shot to less then 2 MB

Example of my Boot Menu which I get to by tapping F8 when the computer starts, I have no idea what key you push on your Gigabyte board.

I have used each of my identical System Repair Discs about 8 times in total, with the following:

RESULT 1 I got this every time (except once, see below) and with each of my identical System Repair Discs

With my Sys. Rep. DVD in the drive, disc spinning, I started the machine (button on box). The flash screen told me that F12 was "Boot Menu". I rapidly pressed F12 and got "Please select boot device". I chose "UEFI: TSST corp CDDVDW SH-224". Screen cleared. "Press any key". I pressed one very rapidly.

Screen "Windows Boot Manager". "Choose an operating system to start". Only one choice offered: "Windows Setup (EMS Enabled)". "To specify advanced operations for this choice, press F8." I stopped there, not wanting to risk messing things up. I pressed Escape and Windows started normally.

RESULT 2 I got this once (possibly twice) early on, out of about 8 tests in total involving each disc.

With my Sys. Rep. DVD in the drive, I started the machine (button on box). Again, the flash screen told me that F12 was "Boot Menu". I rapidly pressed F12 and got "Please select boot device". I chose "UEFI: TSST corp CDDVDW SH-224". Screen cleared with title "GIGABYTE-UEFI Bios." "Press any key". I pressed one very rapidly. (All that is the same as for RESULT 1.)

"Windows is loading files". New screen: "System Recovery Options". "Select a Language". "US" is greyed out. "Select a Keyboard". "US" is offered, not greyed out but not responsive. "Next" button with a right arrow. Not responsive. I pressed keys but no response. System apparently hanging. Tried to restart computer from button on box: no response. Had to pull the mains plug.

It is worrying that I got Result 2. Any ideas please? Many thanks.

 

[gregrocker]

Do you know for sure you have a UEFI install? Does the Win7 hard drive have an EFI System partiition or the older System Reserved partition. If it's not a UEFI install then you would boot the other DVD drive choice without UEFI.

 

[AddRAM]

Exactly, don`t choose UEFI.

As you can see in my shot there is nothing UEFI related.

 

[Stevekir]

AddRAM and others who have stuck with me on this: many thanks. Much appreciated.

I have gone through yet again all the options offered by my System Repair discs (both of them, identical) with the same results: no sign of the System Tools which I believe that disc should offer. I conclude that there is something wrong with my (new) computer and will now explain all the story to the local computer shop in my town who built it, and ask for a solution, probably with a home visit.

It is interesting that when I was testing Casper 8 (the cloning software) I made a bootable clone and it failed to be recognised as such.

Whew! How much time do I have to get such a straightforward feature to work!

 

[gregrocker]

I asked you a question. Were you going to reply?

Don't say you've tried everything when I read the thread and spotted what could be the problem, then you reply saying you've tried everything and are giving up. You have not.

 

[Stevekir]

Do you know for sure you have a UEFI install? Does the Win7 hard drive have an EFI System partiition or the older System Reserved partition. If it's not a UEFI install then you would boot the other DVD drive choice without UEFI.

Here is what I get when running my System Repair Disc:




UEFI

I don't know whether I have a UEFI install. How could I find out please?

However, I reported in my first message that when I chose the last choice in the screen opened after pressing F12: "Enter Setup", the (multicoloured) screen displayed a title and several buttons:

GIGABYTE UEFI BIOS

MIT System - Info BIOS Features - Peripherals - Power Management - Save and Exit

When clicked on, each produced a screen full of settings etc. which did not look like repair tools. I exited without saving.

Windows started normally. But does the presence of a title on the screen reading "GIGABYTE UEFI BIOS" mean that I do have

UEFI?

In message 15 I reported what I got when selecting the choice "UEFI: TSST corp CDDVDW SH-224".

You say "....then you would boot the other DVD drive choice without UEFI." The other non-EUFU is P4. This produces "No

system disc in disc drive or disc error. Replace and press a key." I opened the DVD drive (not having another disc) and got

"Reboot and select a proper Boot Device, or insert boot media in selected Boot Device and press a key." This resulted in a loop and I restarted on the button on the box.


PARTITION

My C: drive (it is a 256 GB SSD which holds Windows 7). When I open its contents in Windows Discoverer: Start > Computer:

My Local disk (C) I get folders: Intel, Perflogs, Program Files, Program files (x86), Users, Windows. Opening these (Perflogs denied access) I cannot find anything to show the presence of a partition of any sort but I am not expert enough to be absolutely sure.

You mentioned that you might have spotted the error. Has this helped?

Thanks