Help with Vostro 3700 no OS, but Windows 7 restore CD!

mariainireland

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Jan 22, 2012
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Not sure exactly where to post this, but I need help. I have a Vostro 3700 with Windows 7 that was almost completely overrun with malware. I ended up taking out the hard drive and reformatting the drive with NTFS and creating a single partition which I assigned the letter g:/ and gave the name 'Main'. I did this by taking the hard drive out and installing it into a second vostro and using a program called EASEUS Partition Master 9.1.0 Home Edition. There is now absolutely nothing on the sata hard drive (Seagate 320gb 7,200 Rpm), except a single partition.

When I start my vostro 3700, the boot order goes to CD 1st, but it won't read the original dell restore cd with Windows 7. So I loaded the restore CD with Windows 7 on to both the Hard Drive and a memory stick, but when I try to boot from either of them, I get the message 'Reboot and select proper boot device or insert bood media in selected boot device.' Basically it doesn't recognize either of them.

Not sure what to do, but would really, really, really appreciate someone pointing me in the right direction... I guess primarily how to get the computer to recognize either the CD drive, Hard Drive or USB. Thanks in advance. I'm a computer dummie. 🙂

Maria 😍
 

You need an Installation CD not a recovery CD.
 
If you can get a hold of a copy of the windows 7 installation disk (there are downloadable copies fairly freely available ( http://www.mydigitallife.info/download-windows-7-iso-official-32-bit-and-64-bit-direct-download-links/ ) you may be able to install it with the product key on the underside/with the user documentation that came with the laptop.
 


Apologies. What I have is called 'Reinstallation DVD Windows 7 Home Premium 32-Bit' that came with my Vostro when I bought it. The problem is that when I put it in the drive and set the cd/dvd drive to boot is that it doesn't read it. I don't know why, because the drive will read any other dvd, but not this one. There doesn't appear to be any problem with this dvd, because I was able to read it fine on my other vostro and even make a copy of all the files for the usb memory stick.

Thank for your help and any other suggestions would be appreciated as I'm lost...

Maria 😍
 


Maybe I should try that, because my computer just won't read this dvd for some strange reason. It appears to work on two other computers in my home and it was in the original sleave, so I don't think it's a problem with the dvd or of the cd drive, but for some reason, it wont read it. I dont understand why the bios won't open the USB as it gives me an option to load from the USB when I start up the computer and when I select it... it just gives me the message:

''Reboot and select proper boot device or insert bood media in selected boot device.'

Very confused. Maria 😍
 
you should not have wiped the drive. when you did this you wiped out the recovery partition and you can no longer reinstall windows unless you burned a set of backup disks when you set it up. you needed to do a factory restore. you should almost never wipe a drive completely on a prebuilt PC.

see here to request the backup disks from dell

www.support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/en/backupcd_form
 

@Maria: When you say the other Vostro could read the Reinstallation Disk,
(i know you copied the disk) - But on the other computer, could you actually boot from it ?
 


Hi ksimeb, I just tried ato boot it from my other Vostro (1710) and it appeared to boot fine. I got as far as the final Install option (although it took about 8 minutes to get there). So if the DVD is working fine, there doesn't seem any reason to suspect that it's corrupted or damaged. Again, it was in the original box, unopened in the original sleave and had never been used before and the other computers don't have a problem with it.

I am a complete newbie, so I'm probably talking rubbish, but is it possible the bios was infected somehow too? I've never fooled around with the bios, but the original reason I formatted the whole drive was because it appeared infected with malware and viruses and nothing seemed to help (Norton, PC Health Advisor, Malwarebyes, etc.) There was a partitition containing a copy of the original installation, but I couldn't get it to boot or load (even using the Dell System recovery software), so I suspected it was infected too and formatted the whole drive. Probably a bad decision, but I wasn't sure what to do.

So is it possible the Bios is the problem and can I reformat the bios easily? Thanks in advance!

Maria 😍

 


If tried to boot my reinstall dvd from my other vostro, and it booted fine, so I don't think there is a problem with the DVD, but possibly the bios?
 


You can always try F2 on boot and see if you can find (if you get into setup) anything related to the optical drive configuration.

Apples & Oranges ?
I thought initially your vostros were the same model, but after re reading the thread I see they are not, and the optical drives for one differ, which is probably why you cannot read the media.
DELL Vostro 3700
Optical Drives
Tray load: 8X DVD+/-RW with double-layer DVD+/-R write capability

Dell Vostro 1710
24X DVD/CD-RW combo drive
8X DVD+/-RW with double-layer DVD+/-R write capability

You might try taking that media to the 1710 and burning an image, and try that on the 3700.