# Freezing during full system restore.(Recovery)



## raisey (Jun 9, 2007)

I have tried to restore my system, actually a complete restore using the restore discs created when I purchased the computer. The discs copy fine, I restart like it says to do, but then while it's installing the hardware (it says such things as the keyboard, etc) it freezes halfway through the process. If you turn off the computer and try to reboot that way it stays on a screen that says please wait and freezes there. Anyone know how to deal with this problem? I need Help...


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## bigbear (Apr 27, 2004)

How exactly are you using the disc's


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

Have you tried just leaving it so see if given some extra time it will install?


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## raisey (Jun 9, 2007)

The discs install properly, I put them in as the restore feature asks for them. After all of the discs load, it says it restored properly, and then as the computer restarts, it says installing things such as the keyboard, etc. This is where it is halfway through the install process and it freezes. I have left it more than 2 hours that I know of and it still was frozen. If you shut it off at this time and turn it back on, it begins to restart windows as normal and then before windows is fully loaded, the screen says please wait and freezes at that point.
Thanks for your help.


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

specifically where does it freeze? If on keyboard and you are using usb keyboard, be certain bios enables usb keyboard as many do not default to that. Double check all bios settings before trying again.


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## raisey (Jun 9, 2007)

Ok it says, setting up windows, please wait. After this it goes to a window that says Installing devices: Please wait while windows installs devices such as keyboard and mouse. the install process gets halfway through this install and freezes.Nothing I do gets it out of this window.


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

Unplug everything plugged into pc except for mouse and keyboard. Unplug cd drives any extra hard drive and remove any pci cards except for video card.Try again. If it still does it unplug mouse and keyboard too.


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## raisey (Jun 9, 2007)

Oops. forgot to tell you, it's a Gateway Laptop


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## raisey (Jun 9, 2007)

Thanks for your help, I got it fixed. I messed with the bios before I restarted. It worked.


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## Kelkuno (Jun 24, 2007)

Could you possibly elaborate on what you changed in the BIOS? I am having the exact same problem. I am on a Gateway Laptop and trying to re-install XP and it is freezing at the same spots you described. Thanks.


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## Kelkuno (Jun 24, 2007)

Has anyone else had a problem like this? Any input would help. I'm running out of ideas. >< Thanks.


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## 1click (Jul 3, 2007)

Had the same problem, turns out it's a well known issue to Gateway and Microsoft it's due to "SpeedStep" and it must be disabled. Here's the chat log with Gateway tech support:

do these steps to disable SpeedStep in the BIOS Setup Utility and then run System Restore again on your computer.
1. Turn on the computer and begin pressing the F2 key in one-second intervals. If you perform this step correctly, you see the BIOS Setup Utility menu. If Windows loads normally, repeat this step.

2. In the BIOS Setup Utility, press the RIGHT ARROW key to select the Advanced menu.

3. On the Advanced menu, change the Intel SpeedStep setting from Enabled to Disabled.

4. Press the RIGHT ARROW key to select the Exit menu.

5. On the Exit menu, select Save Changes and Exit

6. Restart the computer and run System Restore.

7. After completing the restore, download and install the Critical Update for Windows XP (KB885626) package from the Microsoft Web site. 

8. Once the KB885626 package is installed, re-enable Intel SpeedStep in the BIOS Setup Utility.

Myself...I am not going to turn SpeedStep back on it caused me enough time and hassle that I don't want to take a chance that it will screw something else up.
Hope that helps anybody that finds this issue too. I got here by Googling but didn't find a fix anywhere on the net until I chatted w/ Gateway. And if the Laptop was not under warranty, they wouldn't have talked to me. Sad that it's a well know issues and one cannot even search their site for "a known issue"
Good Luck!
Mike


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## tvking (Jul 10, 2007)

Thanks for the tip. I had the same problem. I disabled SpeedStep and all is well. I chatted w/ Gateway twice, out of warranty, and no mention of the SpeedStep issue.  

They wanted me to run FDISK which requires a floppy drive that I don't have. The Recovery disc already formats the drive so I couldn't see how that was going to help. 

Also interesting is that after my second session when they told me I need to take it to Best Buy, I closed the chat window and was informed that feedback for this session had already been left.........

I guess that limits the negative feedback. :down:


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## cloud2019 (Aug 2, 2007)

Thanks BIG TIME!!!! For that tip!!!! It really is sad that the companies don't care about us anymore after the warranty....

Worked perfect on my Gateway 7330 Laptop with Windows XP Home

Problem : Windows Restore program that is booted off it's own partition to completely destroy/format original partition for windows will freeze in the middle of installing new devices as descibed perfectly below!

Found the EXACT tip I needed through GOOGLE also straight to this post so you can tell how Happy I am!! 

Didn't even have to restart the restore - it went straight back to that point it froze at, but this time kept going!!!! whooo!! haha thanks everyone, especially Mike's detailed help, for your contribution! I hope everyone else can find the help they need also in the future - warranty or not!

Dale


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## Ndracer (Aug 14, 2007)

Thanks so much. I was having exactly the same problem and spent all morning trying to get Gateway support to understand that it would just lockup on the device installation. I used your fix and now my computer is up and running! 

By the way, Gateway warranty was up 13 days ago! So they talked to me but couldn't help without charging. I was told my restore disc must have been scratched or didn't copy correctly and they said I would have order a new one for $20. This was before I found the fix. So I ordered it. I did call Gateway back and spoke to a manager who said their techs are very new and although this was a "minor" problem they discovered about a year go most new techs didn't know about it. I asked for my restore disc order to be cancelled and was told that wasn't possible but I could try to refuse shipment and see if they would credit it back. Overall everyone at Gateway was nice but it seems they should be able to pull the information on your model and find out the probelms just as easily as I can by googling it! 
But in the big picture I am happy because my computer is once again working


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## Ndracer (Aug 14, 2007)

By the way, thanks to Mike! You provided very detailed instructions and they really helped! IOU!


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## jrnymn 1979 (Oct 15, 2007)

My gateway 7330gz note book is now working again. Thanks for the detailed instructions Mike.


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## ebsny (Nov 6, 2007)

Thank for these articles, it helped a lot. Now my laptop is working....... I just have to fight with bestbuy for my money spent on diagnostic since they told me that it was a bad motherboard and hard drive....

Thank you.......


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## Byteman (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi, 

I also thank you Mike- this Gateway notebook MX7340 is now back working thanks to the Intel SpeedStep tip.

I also talked with 2 support techs when I was purchasing a disc, ( told them that the Recovery would not finish from the hard drive so I had to buy a Restore DVD)...that Disk also did not work - and took 3 times as long to run until SpeedStep in BIOS was disabled!.
I could not find that information anywhere in Gateway's support docs for the notebook and I am a very thorough searcher.
And, the techs did not mention SpeedStep! Guess it depends on which techie gets your call- anyway, we appreciate this tip!

They should have it included when the ship the Restore disks-


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## seangormley (May 21, 2008)

THANK YOU THANK YOU!!
I had the same problem and your solutions got me out of a very stressful situation. Thank you for taking the time to post on this site so that people like myself can bypass a lot of tech support crap and solve the problem ourselves.
It's all about sharing.

Many thanks. Hope that I can pass on the Karma in the future...
xx


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