Cannot restore OS

Ok,
I just got my Satellite A205-S5800 back from Toshiba and wanted to restore it just in case they messed somethign up. I put in my Recover DVD (first disc out of 2) and when I try to run the Recovery Wizard I get an error for DMI.exe saying the memory cannot be read. If I click ok there, I then get an error saying "Error: 03-EEEE-0000" which is of course not on Toshiba's site. The only thing I did was swap the 2x512MB Dimms out for 2x1GB Dimms since Vista (even home basic) runs like crap with only 1GB of RAM. Does anyone have a clue what I can do?

 

Run MemTest?

 

swap the old memory back in....sounds like you've got two brand new sticks of bad ram (or one of the sticks is bad)

 

did, no errors

it worked fine in the computer until i sent it back to toshiba after their "local" repair center messed up my touchpad when it wouldn't power on (2 months old and been in for service twice now).

i had ubuntu on it until i messed up upgrading it to an alpha release last night, i might go that route again since i know i can get almost everything i need working (still working on freediag).

 

Maybe so....but memtest does not catch every error...I have had many sticks of memory pass memtest but swapping said sticks out still fixed the problem

 

What version of the BIOS are you running? On the Tosh website, there's a fairly recent BIOS update (Jan 30, 2008) that includes an update to DMI that appears to be relevant to memory types. It's possible that your system isn't recognizing the memory properly b/c of a bug in the Tosh BIOS, so if you have an old version of the BIOS, update it and see if that helps. The specific link for the Tosh BIOS update is: [url="http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/su/su_sc_dtlViewDL.jsp?soid=1976952&moid=1905971&rpn=PSAF3U&BV_SessionID=@@@@0737704078.1206024865@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccccadedimjklemcgfkceghdgngdgmn.0&ct=DL&all_docs=false]sa200f3v190.exe[/url].

The service "technician" might have also monkeyed with your CMOS DMI data (i.e., corrupted it when s/he had her/his grimy little mitts in there), so you may need to go into BIOS setup and reset the CMOS data.

 

that be the bios i have. i don't know how they could have messed it up since there are so few options to choose from (i.e. almost none). but i will try resetting it to factory defaults and see what happens.

 

There are any number of ways to dork around with DMI, especially if a service monkey is messing around in the innards.

 

well, i reset it to factory. but it didn't help. the worst thing is, i have no way to boot into windows to run toshiba's bios update unless i can make a thumb drive into a bootable device.

 

Have you googled around to see what you can find? When I did that earlier, I found a couple of references to a Tosh utility that was used (on older machines, I believe, so I don't know if it would still work on yours) to correct the machine name in the DMI data. In your case, you'd have to put that onto a bootable CD (e.g., http://www.ubcd4win.com/), boot from that and then use the utility (if, in fact, it applies to your system).

Have you tried booting into safe mode or doing a system restore?

 

i can't boot into safe mode or use system restore as in the middle of resizing the partition i had an error, all that is on it for partitions now is a linux ext3 and a linux swap. i will try my old ram tonight and if that works hope i can get a dual boot working correctly.

and i did a bios upgrade from 1.9 to 1.9 and there is no difference.

 

Using the old RAM is probably the simplest way (provided it works ). If it does, after you re-install the new RAM, you should check to see that it's properly recorded in the DMI info. I believe that there are utilities that will allow you to dump the DMI info (e.g., CPUID from http://www.cpuid.com). See what, if anything, is recorded there regarding your RAM.

Also, once you're back up and running, try checking with Tosh regarding BIOS problems with upgraded RAM, including a failure to recognize the new stuff (I believe the BIOS update mentioned problems with incomplete SPD information - perhaps that way lies a clue that can be hashed out with a Tosh tech on the phone or online (don't let 'em get their mitts on your system again if you can avoid it!)).

 

if they say it has to be looked at again, i will flat out say no and that i want an upgraded replacement since being in for service 3 times in under 2 months would qualify it as a lemon if it were a used car.

 

That is another good option, particularly since it seems that they (or their authorized service monkeys - "authorized" usu. means they're on the hook) busted it.

If the restore using the old RAM doesn't work, I'd probably read my warranty and make a call to send it back if it were me - I've taken enough guff from the supposed "service" provided by the big brands that I'm no longer willing to tolerate ineptitude.

 

its not the ram, same issue with the factory ram in it.

 

and they are saying i may have to send it back to them................

 

Stick to your guns. The computer is giving a fairly precise error that seems to be related to an issue with DMI - their technical support staff should be able to talk you through a lot of diagnostics to check it out before the service-monkeys get it again.

Also, go read the terms of your warranty and also google the lemon laws for your state - as you said, it's already been in several times, and it'd be a lemon if it was a car - perhaps it's a lemon as a computer, too.

 

the tech said the only way to fix it is to have the exact same tech that first fixed it look at it. i have already threatened to goto the mn atorney general, i am flat out pissed. and they attempted no diagnostics and said they cannot exchange it nor can i send it in without the hd even though i have data privacy concerns (in reality i had grub loaded in the mbr and they would have shipped it back). they also said they have no way to fix the dmi information. i am waiting for their customer satisifaction department right now.

 

and i got disconnected after being on hold for 20+ minutes

 

and i'm up to 20 minutes on hold again

 

This is what I get for a) trusting statement A and b) reading too quickly and missing statement B.

Let's back up. You had a dual boot system here, which means you rewrote the master boot record on a pre-activated version of Windows Vista when you loaded Ubuntu, and then you want to do a system recovery, which needs to access the master boot record to verify this is the same harddrive so that the hardware specific recovery disks can work.

I think maybe this is part of the problem?

Pretty sure DMI.exe is part of the recovery process that is checking the hardware to make certain that you are not trying to dupe your OS to a different machine. You splooged the drive when you screwed around with the MBR, including and specific Toshiba information in there so DMI could restore your preactivated version of vista.

I think the memory that could not be read is the information DMI is looking to verify--not memory in ram.

Did you explain to Toshiba when you talked to them that you had done this?

It is possible that there is some way to restore the original MBR, I supposed...maybe they have a utility they can send you...odds are, they are going to need to re-image the drive

 

this is not the cause as i have run the recovery wizard with ubuntu loaded on the drive previously. i also removed drub from the mbr. basically, i have tried all the previous steps to fix the issue that i used when i couldn't get the wifi working in my first venture into ubuntu on it. and i am not goint to accept toshiba saying that all they can do is send the laptop back to them for the second time (third time in service) because their service techs screwed somethign up (i.e. the discs didn't work before i loaded ubuntu but i thought nothing of it). i also never had the dual boot working, the partition editor messed up before i got that far.

 

I'm not saying you didn't have it working---I am saying that your recovery program is looking for something that has been altered.

You may think you put it back the way you had it when you started, but something if amiss. You have had this laptop for two months and you've been messing around with it ever since trying to get Linux onto it, but keep blaming toshiba. It was working when you got it back and the first thing you do is run a system recovery?

The partition editor messed up before you got that far....dude, the partition editor you were running screwed up your MBR...that's why your having this problem.

I don't want to be mean, but arghhh!

This is what I would do if I were you....get yourself an OEM version of VISTA, wipe out the drive and start from scratch. Consider it a learning experience.

I know you won't do this. I know you will read this and think I am as much of a bastard as the Toshiba people. I know that despite all evidence to the contrary this is someone else's fault.

That won't change the truth, though--you messed up your laptop. If you want them to fix it, grit your teeth and send it back and have them reimage it or do as I suggested and go with your own OEM version of Vista or XP. This will give you a better starting point then these "recovery solutions" these PC makers come up with.

Or just dump Windows all together.

You seem like a tweaker at heart, an experimenter...that's good. I respect that. But this is not Toshiba's fault. The errors you are getting are a direct result of the recovery set being confused by what you have done to your hardware

 

the first time i installed ubuntu it wiped out the entire hd and i was able to use the recovery cd that time. i have also been able to use the recovery cd after installing mac os x 10.5.1 and wiping the drive in that setup too. the problem initially started when i took a trip to north carolina for work and they didn't have a company laptop to give me. it refused to power on the second day i was there and when i took it to COMPAR in minnetonka they messed up my touchpad. i then shipped it to toshiba and it has always been my habit to redo the os as soon as i know everything is working correctly when i send it in for service. i would like to know why it doesn't work when i used the exact same procedure i used previously after i get it back from service. something seems fishy to me, as does the fact that i keep getting disconnected after being on hold for half an hour when i am told to stay on the line if i need to speek to someone. to be honest, i would love to just install windows xp on the thing and be done with it, but since i would loose the ability to adjust screen brightness (at all) by doing this i can't really justify it. i am honestly about ready to just keep linux on it if i can get my wifi working again (pain in the ass using ndiswrapper and wpa) but i would like to know why they have to provide a recovery disc that can't be used if you have to replace the hd in your computer which toshiba will sell you.........


as for being a tweaker, i am. but i want to dualboot vista and linux in case i cannot get my obdii adapter working in linux (not working so far) so i can read and reset trouble codes on my car until i can fix the one error it has right now.

 

Runt,

Just as an aside did you ever get this fixed? I'm having the same issue with my A215-S5818 that I bought in January (no hardware mods just an upgrade to Vista Ultimate I got from school). Any insights?

kresston

 

I was able to get this error fixed. It's a case of a DMI error. The BIOS on my machine was configured incorrectly, but I found a program, from Toshiba, to fix the DMI, after much trial and error the recovery disc's worked.