Recovery Problems

I tried performing a system recovery on my laptop. After it was finished, I received an error stating "The computer restarted unexpectedly or encountered an unexpected error. Windows installation cannot proceed.To install windows, click ok to restart the computer, and then restart the installation." Then, after restarting, the computer begins to boot, but brings me to a screen "/noexecute=optin" "edit boot options for microsoft windows vista. Path: windows\system32\winload.exe". Alt+F10 then brings me to a Change boot device screen, giving me the option between my hard drive and CD/DVD ROM drive. My laptop is not under warranty any more, and I do not have recovery discs, nor can I afford them. What can I do to either boot my laptop, or properly recover it?

Acer Customer support has been rubbish so far...

 

The most likely reason for this to happen seems to be corruption of the acer MBR, the master boot record for the disk that takes you into windows or the recovery options according to what you do at boot up.

The noExecute=optin is a bit misleading, it is the last line of a boot.ini file that just ran and just sets DEP options. The edit boot options bit though says the boot instructions point to a file that cannot be found where it is expected to be found.

You do not say what made you do the system recovery . . is this connected ?

The Alt F10 system recovery process is NOT always willing/able to do a complete re-build of the acer partitions / MBR. It may vary but on my Laptop all it did was overwrite the C partition (and not touch the defective W7 100MB partition for instance!).

I will ask in my most optimistic voice if you took a full disk image onto a USB external drive at any stage. If so restoring that image likely solves your problem (or if not the HDD has a problem itself)

If not then life is quite complicated. You can make a boot disk or stand alone linux OS (e.g. knoppix) un hide the recovery partition and extract the Acer MBR utility then find a way to run it to restore the acer MBR Search for Instructions elsewhere on this forum and use at your own peril !

Alternatively if you have access to a retail /downloaded ISO operating system disk for your OS you can go into the install repair options and use that simpler approach.
How to fix MBR in Windows XP and Vista This will lose the Acer F10 and any original linux-boot media player capability for the future though
If the worst happens you can use the repair console to wipe the HDD entirely, use the borrowed or downloaded disk to install windows (must be the very same version etc as the original your laptop came with) then try to activate with the paper key on the bottom. It may ask you to phone for authorisation. Explain you had to wipe HDD and are now reinstalling the original OS on the same HDD/Laptop. They are generally ok with this (the first time anyway)

 

Actually it's my brother's laptop. I just copied/pasted my query to Acer, since he does not have internet access. He tried performing a system recovery because he was convinced his computer was beyond repair. Several viruses, most drivers not working, and in order to even use the computer for the past year, he's had to boot into safe mode every time. A friend of his is bringing over a valid copy of Windows 7 that he is able to get from his college. If he does a complete hard drive format before installing the OS, it should not cause any problems, should it?

Edit:
And no, unfortunately, after several attempts to convince him to make recovery DVDs and such, he has not made any.

 

Given the problems you have had I would be going the clean install route too.

There is a technique to this though as you need more than the format command to entirely de-acer the HDD.

FIRST, do NOT read this bit last !!!!!

You can probably still recover files, photos music emails etc off the HDD by putting it in a USB laptop drive caddy and plugging it into another PC. If you proceed you will lose that opportunity to recover anything

Likewise you are about to lose your acer recovery options.

I would buy a clean new HDD and swap that to retain your old HDD and data to recover later if needed. If youre sure you want to reuse the current HDD then fine . . but you know what you are doing

On another PC locate the acer downloads sites (help and support on the website) of driver and application files for your laptop and windows 7 version 32/64 you will have. Many drivers will install with windows but expect to have to install the acer sound driver, card reader driver, launch manager, power managers and get an up to date video driver and have a bit of fun finding the right wifi and camera drivers. Useful to have these things on a usb stick.

I will assume that the W7 DVD you get is a retail full install version (not an upgrade) and that you will have a valid license key for this. Instructions will change if these are not the case so do check please.

In summary
Go into BIOS (F2 at acer logo time suring BIOS boot) and ensure the CD/DVD is set to boot before the HDD. Save exit, insert Windows DVD, reboot.

After a couple of windows setup screens you will get to an option that allows you to select repair.

From the repair console options screen choose the command prompt (DOS box)

In that DOS Black screen type diskpart and enter
type list disk and enter
look at the disks listed. what number is your HDD ? Remember the number (#)
type select disk # where # is the number of the HDD and enter
type clean and enter
the disk will quickly be totally wiped of all partitions, whether hidden, broken whatever.
type exit and enter to return to the menu and then return to windows installation

the windows install will now tell you of an unformatted disk and ask if it should install there. Off you go.
The exact install menu choices might not be exactly what i say above - typing this from memory. 99.9% sure onthe diskpart commands though

 

Okay, thank you so much. I'll start searching for the drivers for him tomorrow. He's getting a valid Windows 7 disc with a serial and everything. Doesn't care about losing everything and starting from scratch. I'll post on Thursday (when he receives the disk) to let you know how it went. Thanks again in advance!

 

Ok. By the way it is good to install the Acer chipset drivers and video /sound card drivers as early as possible in the process as these can affect the installation of subsequent apps. (Being a bit vague as you don't say what laptop you have

Windows 7 is really good for drivers but again get the wireless and LAN drivers up to date asap too as you can then start using online drivers and updates. Typically you will have to hunt for a couple of drivers but W7 usually delivers a largely working system

 

Make sure the drive is in AHCI Mode for Windows Vista and Windows 7 and IDE Mode in Windows Xp.