# Windows 7 won't boot after restore



## ponderay (Feb 7, 2012)

My computer stopped booting and only displays a black screen with a blinking white cursor on start up. I've used a recovery disk to attempt to restore windows back to an earlier point in time. While the restoration completed smoothly I still can't boot. I've also tried the startup repair wizard and it doesn't find any problems. Any ideas?


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

First thing to do is back up all your important data if you have not already done so, follow this guide if you need to: Ubuntu Live CD to back up files from your dead Windows

Sounds like your boot sector is damaged, try this repair: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392/en-us

Be aware that if you have a Recovery Partition, rebuilding the boot sector will loose acces to it through the normal method, there are ways around it though.


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## ponderay (Feb 7, 2012)

I tried the repair but was uncertain on exactly what to run. I ran both /fixboot and /Fixmbr to no effect.


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

Ok, follow the instructions to use the commands below. Please note that if Windows is installed on a different drive letter to C: you must replace all the instances of C: in the instructions.

bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup
c:
cd boot
attrib bcd -s -h -r
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /RebuildBcd

Please take a note of any error messages you see during the operation.


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## ponderay (Feb 7, 2012)

I get an error on attrib bcd -s -h -r. The error reads : File not found - bcd.

Edit: original post had Bsd instead of bcd for the error message.


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

That error would suggest you mistyped *bcd* as *bsd*, have another go and be very carefull with the spelling. Print out the instructions from the microsoft guide before you start to avoid any errors.


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## ponderay (Feb 7, 2012)

I tried again checking to make sure my spelling was correct and got the same error. Bsd in the previous post was a spelling error.


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## Floobles (Feb 5, 2012)

I'm having the same problem with Windows not booting up, and I tried all of these commands, none have worked, informing me that "the file structure is corrupted" and when I run Chkdsk from a recovery disk command prompt, it says the drive is write protected, so that doesn't work either. I also can't use any of the other tools on the recovery disk because it can't detect my OS, says that I need to load some drivers but for the life of me I can't find the right drivers anywhere.

It seems a lot of people are having problems with W7 not booting up lol.


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

Floobles, your problem is not the same as the one being dealt with in this thread. Please read the site rules and start you own thread.


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

Ponderay, watch you spelling, it can cause a lot of confusion when dealing with command lines and when reporting what has gone wrong in your posts.

Try just running: *bootrec /RebuildBcd* from the Command Prompt and see if that works and you can boot up the PC.


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## ponderay (Feb 7, 2012)

Tried this to no effect. The text it gave me:

Scanning all disks for windows installations
Please wait since this may take a while.
Successfully Scanned Windows Installations
Total identified Windows Installations: 0
The operation completed successfully


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## Niclac (Jan 20, 2012)

Try verifying the integritity of the file system
Right click the command prompt and select "Run as administrator" and type "sfc /scannow" without quotes
Lets see what happens after that command finishes


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

The System File Checker won't repair the boot sector so I doubt that will help the problem.

I am beginning to think there may be a problem with the hard drive as the operation to rebuild the boot.ini file has completed successfully and it still wont boot.

Before we go any further I would suggest you create a diagnostics disc and run an extended test on the hard drive, as follows:


> Identify the make of your hard drive and then use one of the links below to get the manufacturer's diagnostics for *ISO (CD)* not the one for Windows.
> When the download is complete right click the file and select Extract Here and burn the image to a CD.
> In Windows 7 right click the extracted file, select *Open With*, then select* Windows Disc Image Burning Tool* then follow the prompts. For all other versions of windows (if you do not have an ISO burner) download this free software. ImgBurn
> Install the program and start the application. Select the top left hand option to burn image file to disk and then on the next window click on the small yellow folder icon and browse to the file you have downloaded from the links below. Then click on the two grey discs with the arrow in between (bottom left) and leave it to complete the operation.
> ...


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

Once you have completed the above test to confirm the hard drive is in good condition run through this complete guide step by step.

1.Put the Windows 7 installation disc in the disc drive, and then start your computer.
2.Press any key if you are prompted to boot from the DVD.
3.Select a language, a time, a currency, a keyboard or an input method, and then click Next.
4.At the next screen click on *Repair your computer* (do not click on Install now).
5.Next screen select *Use Recovery Tools *at the top of the box. (Ignore the message about the operating system not being listed. If it is listed select it). Click on Next.
6.In the System Recovery Options box, click *Command Prompt* and a box will open.
----------------------------------------------
Then follow this to get the disk set to active. Each command you type at the *diskpart* prompt will receive confirmation.
7. At the prompt type *diskpart* Hit Enter and wait for *DISKPART >* to appear.
8. Then type *list disk *Hit Enter (It will show a list of the disks, 0 through to how many disks are installed).
9. Now type *select disk #* (the '#' represents the number of the disk e.g. you would type* select disk 3* to edit disk number 3) Hit Enter
10. Now type *list partition *Hit Enter 
11. Select which partition to use by typing *select partition #* (you need to select the partition that the operating system you are trying to repair is installed on, again replace the # with the appropriate number).
12. Now type *active* Hit Enter (typing *inactive* will reverse the setting)
13. Now type *exit* Hit Enter then type *exit* again to close the command prompt.

Then remove the windows disc and click on *Restart* at the bottom of the *System Recovery Options *box.
If it still fails to boot you will have to go back and repeat instructions 1 through to 6 and click on *Startup Repair *under *System Recovery Options *and let it run. This time around you should see the operating system listed at step 5. 
The Startup Repair routine may need to be run a few times before it completes the repair so leave the disc in and follow the prompts. Do not hit any key when prompted to boot from the CD, it will automatically go back to the Startup Repair routine. It should finally boot back up to the desktop but after the fourth attempt move on to the next stage.

Go back again through the instructions 1 to 6 and select the* Command Prompt*. Then follow this next stage, type each command as follows, hitting Enter after each line.
*Bootrec.exe /FixMbr*
*Bootrec.exe /FixBoot*
*Bootrec.exe /RebuildBcd*
After this third command you will get a message that would give the impression there is no Windows installed, don't worry, it always displays the installed OS as '0'. As long as it says "Operation Completed Successfully" then all is well.
Next, type exit and hit Enter to close the box and click on *Restart*.
That should do the trick! However if you still can't start Windows, then follow step 1 to 6 again and type this command.
*Bootsect.exe /nt60 all /force* 
Type exit to close the box and click on Restart.
*Make sure you type all the command lines exactly as written including any spaces between characters, all can be typed in lower case. *


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## Niclac (Jan 20, 2012)

Mark1956 said:


> Once you have completed the above test to confirm the hard drive is in good condition run through this complete guide step by step.
> 
> 1.Put the Windows 7 installation disc in the disc drive, and then start your computer.
> 2.Press any key if you are prompted to boot from the DVD.
> ...


PONDERAY, I think it would be a lot easier if you just replaced the hard drive


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

Niclac, that is poor advice to give prior to running a test to prove the hard drives health, the manufacturer's diagnostics will confirm this either way.

You should not advise replacement of any item of hardware without first proving it is faulty. We *don't* use guesswork when helping those that need our assistance.

Why did you need to quote my entire post


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## Niclac (Jan 20, 2012)

Mark1956 said:


> Niclac, that is poor advice to give prior to running a test to prove the hard drives health, the manufacturer's diagnostics will confirm this either way.
> 
> You should not advise replacement of any item of hardware without first proving it is faulty. We *don't* use guesswork when helping those that need our assistance.
> 
> Why did you need to quote my entire post


The time taken to perform all of your steps are too confusing for a novice user
If the files system checking fails the next step I would advise to run "chkdsk" to check the disks
Then if that fails run a disk integrity app from the BIOS (depending of the make of machine) or seek the disks manufacturers app to check the disk
Keep It Simple KIS


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

The fix I have given instructions for cannot be simplified any further and it is up to the OP to question anything that they do not understand. I have successfully used this fix on previous occasions where similar symptoms have been reported. Both the Diskpart instruction and those for the Boot sector repair, only require accurate typing to enter the command lines, there is no computer knowledge required to complete them.

As the attempts to repair the boot sector have failed I then posted the instruction to run the manufacturer's diagnostics as I suspect there may be a physical problem with the drive. Once the drives health is confirmed then the second set of instructions need to be followed to confirm the OS partition in active and a full rebuild of the boot sector is carried out.

This should ensure that the hard drive boots to the OS and further assessment can be made once all the steps have been completed.

I doubt that the System File Checker will repair the error but a disk check might. My advice has been given based on what has already been attempted. 

We all have different ways of dealing with the same problem but may main criticism of your advice was to suggest a hard drive replacement based on guesswork before proving the hard drive was faulty. Also, you should not pre-judge the OP's ability to follow instructions before they have attempted to carry them out.

Lets wait to hear from the OP before making any further posts .


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## ponderay (Feb 7, 2012)

How do I know the manufacturer of my hard drive?
I have a hp dv 2190 us.


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

It is usually possible to remove the hard drive by removing a few screws below where it is housed and it will just slide out. Either that or it will be under one of the removable covers on the base of the laptop.

If in doubt or you are not comfortable removing the drive then use the Seagate link and download Seatools for DOS (CD), then follow the rest of the instructions to burn the disc.

*IMPORTANT*
If you do remove the drive be certain the laptop is switched off, disconnected from the power supply and the battery is removed.


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## Loui5D (Feb 14, 2012)

i had a similar problem with vista, where it would boot but get stuck in a loop, i had to use a restore point to fix it. Hope this helps somehow. in fact ignore my last, if you got a disc when you bought the cd you can use that to restore it too, however it'll get rid of all non OS data. You could use ghost which would copy the contents of the hardrive to another, then use that as an external.


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## ponderay (Feb 7, 2012)

Mark1956's last fix worked. Thank you!


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

So, you are making progress?


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## ponderay (Feb 7, 2012)

I can now boot as normal and I'm experiencing anymore issues.


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

Excellent, thanks for letting me know.

You can mark the thread as resolved by clicking on the thread tools tab at the top of the page.


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