PQSERVICE will not boot Plz help

Hello All,

I am new to the posting thing, but use the forum a good bit (thanks for all the help). My problems lies with the PQSERVICE partition. It is still there and I can see it with Ubuntu. When I attempt start up, I get the message c:\boot\bcd and an error status message :confused2: . I also have recovery cds that I have tried to to use but I am not able to boot up from them or get any sort of indication that they work , only a blinking cursor then back to the c:\boot\bcd error. My question is if I just completely delete and reformat my entire hard drive, pay that "lovely" $20 fee for new recovery cds from Acer as I'm out of warranty, would it work? Or is there another cheaper way to fix this issue?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

Install Retail Vista from a borrowed Vista CD then activate it using OEM certs and keys.
Then install all the drivers back

 

OK, thanks Weinter. I will try to download a copy and give it a try. I will post back and let you know how it turns out.

 

You have changed it in the BIOS to boot from DVD/CD first for the recovery discs ?

 

Yes, Mooly. It is set to boot cd/dvd first, then hard drive, but when it ge ts past the Acer splash screen, the cursor just blinks in the left hand corner then the error message appears. It's very frustrating. I've been working on this issue for a week.

 

Hi All, I know it has been a few days, but I've been busy trying the solutions Weinter gave. Well Weinter, it didn't work and Acer question by email is not helping either. I only wanted them to tell me if I could "order" the recovery cds and that fix the problem, but they want me to pay the $59.99 for 30 minutes, all of which I'm sure I would be on hold, just to answer the question. Does anybody know if I order them is it a definite fix. Obviously there is a corrupted file in my hidden partition which is keeping it from booting with the Alt F10. But I made backup copies of the system with the Acer Recovery software so those cds should be ok, but they wont load the computer.

I am now using Ubuntu Jaunty Jackalope. It's ok, but it takes some getting use to. My main concern is that it will work with my chat sessions and be able to complete homework assignments. I should be ok being that OpenOffice has the .doc extention to save word files, right?

Again thanks for any and all help!!! This has been a real headache working with this recovery partition.

 

WTH!? $60 per 30minutes!? This is absurb.
Really. If they repair for hours. You can buy some good hardware for upgrade already. Example:
2hours = $240
You can get a second class GPU already.

Put in the recovery CD and have the BIOS adjusted to boot the DVD rom 1st.
It seems you tried this method. How about F12?

 

I know, right. By the time I pay for them to answer one question, I could have bought another laptop.

No, DarkSilver, I have not tried F12, but I will definitely do that right now .

 

Didn't work?
Which part?

 

After I downloaded a copy of Vista, it wouldn't install, and I know noone that has Vista, so borrowing a copy was not an option.

 

How was it not possible to install?
Error message?
You must burn to a disc using "Burn from Image Options" not simply drag and drop
If you use Nero Burn it is "record from disc image"
.iso files must be burn in this manner not normal burning
You must set the CD-Drive to Primary Boot in BIOS F2
Then custom install over the previous installation.

 

Ok, DarkSilver, F12 and selecting the CD option or the HDD option didn't work.

And Weinter, when I insert the cd and boot from it, nothing happens, I get a blank black screen, not even a cursor. The Vista was burnt as an ISO, CD was set as boot option 1, (I even hit F12 to make sure it tried to boot from CD 1st), but got nothing.

Is there anyway to rewrite the boot file, the actual \Boot\BCD that's actually causing the error?

 

Go into BIOS F2 make sure you set the DVD-Drive to 1st boot device Save and Exit
If F12 works you should get a menu to select Harddisk and DVD-Drive if you get nothing means it is not configured properly.

 

I have that set. I do get the menu when hitting F12 for 1-CD/DVD, 2-HDD, 3-PCI. I select 1 for CD/DVD, the screen goes away, I get the black screen like it wants to do something, but nothing happens. The black screen stays there. It doesn't go to Step 2 of the process.

 

This is really strange...
If you have another PC
1)Does Opening the Install DVD shows all the vista CD files?
2)Try burning at lower speed at high speed sometime it will produce read errors
3)Could your DVD-Drive be faulty that could explain how the Recovery Disc and Vista install disc failed to work.

The reason why overwriting could possibly not work is because the file is located at a specific offset address overwriting may not result in the same location the file is at hence not fixing the issue.

 

When opening the cd to view files, I can see them all, boot, efi, sources, support, upgrade autorun.inf, bootmgr, bootmgr.efi, and setup.exe.

The other cds that I have burnt (Partition Logic.iso, Ultimate Recovery Vista CD, etc) all load and run fine. Maybe Vista doesn't like me anymore LOL.

I really do appreciate you taking your time to help me with this issue. I'd take all of you any day over Acer support, and I'm not being charged $59.99 for 30 min.

 

I think you should go to your BIOS setting and enable F12 booting.
After that, your F12 only can work.

 

We have speak over and over about such issues , that the hard disk on ACERs its not only platers full of files .

The hard disk boot record (Acer MBR ), are also an programmable device ,
that needs the code of ACER in it !!

For more info , read my signature links.

 

The MBR is only to activate Disk to Disk recovery.

 

If this is what you know , then you have allot more to learn .

 

What other "additional" use are there?

 

Thanks kiriakost, I am reading your information links now. I will post back my outcome.

 

I just wish I could rewrite the entire necessary files to run the D2D software, restore Windows to factory and get on with it. I'm having so many problems with Ubuntu, my printer won't print and wireless doesn't work. It took me a few days but I did manage to get my webcam going. And OpenOffice docs are not opening right in Word. Hopefully something will work. Again, thank you to everyone for all suggestions and assistance.

 

Ok, not that anyone asked for this, but here is a shot of my gpart:

Now, by it saying "boot" under "flags", I should be able to boot from it, correct? And it is also "unhidden", correct?

 

Theoretically , if your have set the boot partition correctly .
And load the ACER MBR , it will redirect the boot at it .
As long the partition is still named properly .

Linux its not my game , I am Just an MS Server trained IT

 

Linux wasn't part of my game either, but I had to have a running computer for school and no matter what I did, Windows wasn't and still isn't loading. None of the solutions are working for my problem. Looks like I may be stuck with Ubuntu.

 

Well I will save you

Boot with an XP CD , load the emergency console , and type "fixboot" .

As far I know , any MBR made by lynux must be erased, so windows to start handling things .

 

Now will this work even though I have tried the repair console, but kept getting an error message that no hard drives were found?

 

I don't think you can use a XP disc to fix a Vista MBR.
Microsoft redesigned the booting method on Vista hence when was first released there was problem with dual booting Linux.

Did you try burning the disc at lowest possible speeds?

 

Yes weinter, I burnt the disc at the lowest speed, still nothing. And you're right, I have read that XP won't fix Vista. At this point, I am willing to go back to XP to keep from having the headache of navigating through Ubuntu and finding alternatives for it. Maybe I should just format the entire drive including the partition and try to install Vista, if that doesn't work, then XP, and if that doesn't work, then reinstall Ubuntu for the 3rd time:GEEK: .

 

:cry: I'm gonna go back out on a limb in an ice storm and repeat a question...with the Boot\BCD error message, would ordering recovery cds from Acer work on fixing the computer back to factory state?

I still have the "hidden" partition on my hdd. It just won't load by any means. If I purchase the cds from Acer, will that turn it back to factory state? :cry:

 

Most likely the recovery disc wouldn't work because it will be the same as the ones you burn.
I suspect the problem is more serious than disc problems.
Do you have external optical drive?
Try booting using it.

 

People , I am not God , but as far has to do with booting .

Its all one relation between the file system as Fat32 or NTFS , and the Boot record ( MBR ) .

Its nothing about XP & Vista deferences .
Or else their deferences had nothing to do with the file system ..

Its known that Linux , stores the MBR with other format , that Microsoft tools are unable to handle .

In most cases users had to totally format the drive with windows tools ,
so to get back an healthy windows MBR .

What I would do ...

1) With the use of Acronis disk director , I would backup the hidden partition in one external drive .

2) With the same software , I would wipe the HDD ( erase partitions )

3) I would recreate partitions from scratch with out formating them.

4) Restoring back the erecovery files from my backup ( restoring hidden partition ) ( Tip you have to keep notes of the physical size that this partition needs , so to create the same size partition , so to transfer the backup on it .

5) Restoring the ACER MBR , its on my signature links .

6 If you fail to restore the ACER MBR , you can use third party MBR loaders ,
the how to its on my signature links too.

7) you can format the rest partitions with NTFS , and thats it !!

As long you have control over the MBR loader ( ACER or other ) the system will rebuild it self ... and boot to OS .


I do not hate Linux , because of all this messing around that causes .
But I use it only , as tool on self booting CDs , because its known that Windows and Linux its very hard to coexist .

Bottom line .... If some one, is unable to follow this root , about restoring the HDD .

He had one option ...

Send it back to ACER , to rebuild the HDD construction ( partitions - MBR - and Files ) .

And I say that , because the erecovery CDs can restore only the files , and not the messed up MBR .

Restoring the MBR is a manual , separate process .

 

Weinter, I had a feeling you would say that. I just needed a 2nd opinion.

OK kiriakost, looks like I am in for a long day of computer work. I will give this a try after I make a copy of my stuff. I'll let ya know how it goes

 

Ok go ahead , but you will need tools ... an external USB HDD or even an external USB CD ROM ..

The times of " One CD I do it all " is long gone , when you deal with such operations .


By the way, if some one could mail me one copy of the MBRWRDOS.exe ,
I would be happier .

Its the only ACER file that I would love to have .

 

Ok kirakost...I read up about Win 7, tried to run it, didn't work, then ran it through VirtualBox...loved the experience (being that it was Windows)..reburnt iso, installed...now running Windows 7. Thanks to all for your input and help. I'm gonna stay with Win 7 until March, then get the retail version.

 

Its true , the braves are few ..


I was hopping that you will rebuild the laptop , as ACER does .

Now you had throw away , all the valuable futures , that ACER erecovery offers.

Win 7 !! good luck with the luck of drivers .

 

It's not that I'm not "brave" because I didn't try it, I was just fed up with it and I've got school starting very soon and needed a "reliable" computer to "work with their network".

I am VERY happy with Windows 7 and actually have had no probs with drivers. The only one that the software couldn't find a driver for was the modem and since I don't use dial-up with this computer, I didn't need it, but I went to Acer and downloaded it anyway (just so I wouldn't see the red X with the flag).

I actually have went and downloaded the esoftware, but I didn't really use it when I had it, only the PProducer to capture video from my cam, but overall I am very happy.

I think I messed it up anyway by installing Ubuntu to my hdd.

But again kiriakost, THANKS 2 U and EVERYONE on the forum!!!!