Help! Even boot CD won't load!

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super300

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Jul 16, 2012
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Hi,
I had to shut down my laptop manually after it got stuck by holding the shutdown button, and when I turned it on there was a blue screen, and a message in the sort of "a required device cannot be found, or it is removed" or something like that (I didn't disconnect anything).

So I boot it up from the Windows 10 64 CD (that's the OS I have), and after trying out many fixes on the internet, I bumped into the diskpart fix, and I changed the active partition to another one, to see if it's the problem .

After doing that, windows gave me a "no OS could be found, please press ctrl+alt+del to restart"
Then I boot it up from the Windows CD again, and after the windows loading screen it remains stuck on a black screen (It was loading the boot disc slow before too, but it loaded it up in a few minutes, here I let it run for about an hour without success.)

What can I do?
I have been on this for about 8 hours non stop now and I am REALLY worried.
I downloaded the partition wizard tool which got into a problem too,
and also hiren's boot CD-and in hiren's boot CD I changed the partition and it didn't help (I even got a different message without a blue screen but a black screen on the sole partition on which it didn't give me the "no OS found" message".

Now hiren's boot CD has finally loaded the DOS programs (I think it is called that way) and I will be trying the partition manager when it finishes loading, maybe it will be different than the other partition choosing option that hiren's boot CD has.
I also have no idea why everything is SO slow with the CDs, also with the Win CD which in the installation was much faster.

Please help me, I am so lost and quite afraid, particulary because this computer belongs to my father, and has important files.

Thank you so much!
 
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Hello... There was some problem before (stuck)... But if you are worried about files on it... you should not be using any partition APPs or File work on it... this will lead to permanent loss of or file corruption problems too B /

1) There are many things than can go wrong on a laptop/computer system... what is important is to get a digital image of the "exact message" you encountered... and posting it here.

2) I would suggest removing the "important files" Hardrive and purchase/place a new one in... and try a OS install on it for further analysis of the Laptops problems... the "important files" can be retrieved later on another working System.

3) What is the brand/model of the laptop?
 
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If we find a way to get you back to the original issue (where Windows at least begins to load) and the Windows install disk can be loaded the path from there would be to boot into repair mode (before you get to the installer, there's an option on a screen which says something like "repair windows" on the bottom). In that troubleshooting space, find the "startup repair" tool and let the Windows utility find and fix the problem.
 
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Hi,
Thanks for your help.

I am now in "parted magic" and in the partition manager I see that there are three partitions- One of 13GB in an unknown format, one of about 900GB NTFS, and one NTFS of 450mb.

I think the second problem started when I chose in diskpart a partition other than the 450mb. the 450mb should be the active partition, right?

I will try to enable it from (the very slow too) parted magic.

I also have a bootable USB with win 10 now, I will try to load from it when parted magic is done, and I will also let you know about the exact problem messages I get.

P.S. I tried the startup repair when I only had the problem with the blue screen and it didn't help.
Should I maybe try dskchk when I can get to the repair options?
And are there other things I can do in Parted magic itself to try to fix the problem, other than chaning the active partition?


Many thanks!
 
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P.S. I tried the startup repair when I only had the problem with the blue screen and it didn't help.
Should I maybe try dskchk when I can get to the repair options?
And are there other things I can do in Parted magic itself to try to fix the problem, other than chaning the active partition?
Click to expand...

Ok. It may turn out you have to re-install Windows. Since you already have some familiarity with using boot disks, be prepared for the eventuality that you could use one to back up any important information on the laptop to another drive before you wipe it out.

Parted magic isn't based on Widows (it's a Linux based disk) so it won't help you aside from correcting the boot flag. Do relay the exact error message the next time you're able to begin to boot from the drive in that laptop.
 
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OK, so now i added the flag "boot" to the 450mb partition. There is also a flag "diag" checked, should it be checked?
And should I check any of the other options (hidden, iba, ivm, palo, prep, raid)?
 
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Okay thanks, so I will leave the "diag" out too.
Now, as to the other partitions-the 13GB one (file system unknown) has an iba flag. And what about the 900GB partition, whould it be with no flags?

I also have other two few mb "unallocated" partitions BTW.
 
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Unallocated partitions have no reason to be there but their presence isn't relevant. A partition being called "unallocated" is a fancy way of saying it has nothing on it, not even a filesystem (it's unformatted). The 900 GB partition is C:, holding Windows itself plus the programs and data. Since Windows 7 was introduced though, it doesn't have it's own bootloader since that's offloaded into it's own tiny partition. Anyway, whatever flags the C: partition has other than boot (which it shouldn't) shouldn't matter for these purposes.
 
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Yes!!
So we are half way there-
The good news-I can boot with the USB drive and get to the windows troubleshooting options without any speed issues.
The bad news is that I get the "no OS found" message when the 450mb partition is active.
What should I do next? Should I perform chkdsk? how long will it take to do it considering I have a 1TB HDD?

Thanks!
 
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Now it is stuck on a blue screen after clicking on "repair". I can move the mouse though-
Is it possible that it won't let me even load the repair options since the installation is completely corrupted?
Or should I just wait and it should probably appear (even though it's been more than 15 minutes)?
 
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And I guess I will go your way-I will backup the files (shouldn't be a huge problem since it is a new laptop, only a few pictures and word/power point documents to backup.

So I just enter cmd prompt in the repair section, enter notepad and copy the files to an external HD there, right?
 
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No, that's unusual. It does sound like the Windows copy is just borked and the repair utility is having a hard time reading it.

I'm sorry to have to go back to it but if you need a utility to back up the stuff, consider an Ubuntu boot disk. Run it in Live CD mode (click "Try Ubuntu" as opposed to "Install Ubuntu" and it loads the desktop off the DVD) and it's file explorer should be able to read the Windows partition and copy any files off you need to save.
 
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Hello... There is a install option in "custom install mode" too... that will place the previous OS install/files into a folder called "Windows.old". But like I said before... the safest option to "important data" is to use a whole new Drive, and leave existing DATA and drive for later safer retrieval methods. B /
 
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Just saw your reply-thanks for the info.
I guess I will backup the data on an external HDD, and maybe use the custom install too (that won't force me to move the files from the external drive to the HDD once again, but still I'll have backup on the external drive in case the installation corrupts it or something.
I will be able to delete all the files that remain from the previous windows installation though, right? I mean, it won't be any less 'clean' in potential than a regular clean installation?
 
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Once you're sure there's nothing in the Windows.old folder you still need it can be deleted - just not through File Explorer directly. You'd first go to This PC in file explorer, right-click C: drive and select Properties. In that window, click "Disk Cleanup." That takes a bit to scan the system and load a window showing what's available to be cleaned, but you'll have to click "clean system files" and go through that again. Now it will have the option to clean "Previous windows installations."
 
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Hello... I have found the "new install and save old install" Windows.old folder will contain everything just like you OLD install...

Basically the install media will locate that area on the Hardrive, Put into a folder and name it 'Windows.old" ... and hopefully leave it alone... and all things are available for use, sorting and cleaning... the only reasons not to use this in some cases is if your HD is too small for a New OS over the Old OS files/apps... Or the HD is failing, this will create a problem(s).

After you have gotten what you want from it... you should be able to delete Windows.old Folder later to free up the disk space. B )
 
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Is there really a chance of the old files being deleted when I custom install?
Because even Ubuntu takes forever to load and I am afraid it won't load at all (stuck at the page with the five circles feeling up in red and white alternatively. The screen is not stuck though and they're moving)
Will I really risk losing files in custom install? Because I know that of course all installations will not be runable, but the files and documents should all be fine?
 
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Can I somehow backup the files with Hiren's boot CD? because that bootable CD did work very well.
The Ubuntu is just keeping running command lines with many words like "error", so my senses are telling me it is not going very well
 
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Hello... I told you the risks and best procedure... like I said the "original problem' has not been identified or understood... a Hardrive is one of the weakest links in a laptop... But APPs, Drivers, hardware, and ? can cause a Blue screen too B /

Your trouble shooting methods were directed toward the Files on the Hd... and you could have been finger pointing in the wrong direction? get a OS installed, (I would prefer a different drive all together) and see how the laptop hardware performs with it. The HD can be put into another computer and files/folders retrieved/backed up manually... this common everyday PC repair and upgrading. B /

We will always be here for the next questions/problems you have B ) anytime you post I/we will have a notice of it.
 
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Thanks. The only reason I was afraid to custom install was that you wrote "and hopefully leave it alone..."
The "hopefully" got me a little worried.
So just to make sure before I custom install on the same drive (I don't have another HDD and I don't have the money for it at the moment)-
It saves ALL the files on the computer whatsoever, and not only the files in the Users folder? I mean, It will basically put all of the C drive files into the windows.old folder, and not only windows/user related settings and such?

I have way more than enough free space for the old files and the new windows installation. So if the risk is not there (again, I want an explanation for the "hopefully"! 😉 ) I will just custom install without backup.

Thanks again for all your support!
 
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