bsod on bootup + unable to reformar (win7)

hi guys,
So i was using my laptop normally the other day when i get a message that my google chrome crashed, and the message would keep coming up after i try and restart chrome. This happened in the past and a simple computer restart fixed it. Upon restarting the computer, i'm greeted with a nice bsod saying "unmountable_boot_volume". Everytime i would try and restart i would get the same bsod. It also wont let me boot into safe mode or anything.

Now i think to myself that its a good time to reformat, so i pop in my win7 disk, click "install now" and it gets stuck on the "setup is starting" screen.

i could really use some help seeing as how my computer is unable to do anything right now.

Thanks in advanced.

 

Did you try formatting the hard drive before popping in the windows 7 cd?

 

Unmountable boot volume BSODs are usually a result of a bad boot.ini (in windows xp) or a bad boot configuration data store (in Vista or Win7)

The fact that your windows 7 boot dvd is hanging seems to indicate something worse going on--quite possibly a bad harddisk (maybe physically damaged boot sector). But before you say that is the case, let's consider....

Obviously you cannot format your harddrive before putting in you windows cd (as you cannot load your computer and windows 7 comes on a dvd).

The fact it is hanging right after you click INSTALL NOW is puzzling. Normally, the first step following this is to agree with the EULA, then you would have a chance to format the drive using the Windows 7 dvd.

You should be able to agree to the EULA before the Win7 install routine even looks at your drive. Are you certain you are not agreeing to the EULA and THEN IT HANGS?

If no EULA appears, I am much more inclined to think you have a bad dvd

 

i dont even get to the EULA. But im sure its not my disk since i installed win7 off it previously

However, i do notice that the disk simply stops spinning in the drive (i can hear it stop) a few minutes after bootup from dvd drive

 

clean the disk with soapy water then pat dry with a soft cloth

 

still doesnt work

What options do i have to try to get my computer working?

One idea i had was to try my original vista recovery disks and then install 7 after i get vista working (if it works)

 

dirty lens on dvd player? Do you have a dvd player cleaner disc?

Also, try downloading an unbuntu disk and seeing if it will run off of that. Then, can you access the windows partition?

 

doesnt seem like any disk i put in works. I just tried my vista recovery disk and it also ended up hanging after seeming like it would read just fine..

 

Did you try a dvd/cd lens cleaner? Could be a defective dvd reader

 

no i dont have one. I'll get one tomorrow and give it another go.

So potentially a dead dvd drive AND a dead hdd? Dang

 

I find that highly unlikely that both went bad at the same time.

If I had the computer with me, I would pull the harddrive and test it in another machine.

 

so lets say that the hard drive and/or the dvd drive are gone. what then? would a replacement hard drive and/or dvd drive fix it?

 

Probably, but that is guess work--again, stop.

What do you have available to you? Can you pull the drive from the laptop and put it as a secondary drive in another machine?

Your computer has an sata drive which can easily be mounted in a desktop with an extra sata controller. Once in there, you can check the drive--even format it if it is still a good drive.

 

so the dvd drive lens cleaner didnt help. It still hangs when i try to reinstall windows.

I suppuse i will now try to see if the hard drive is still any good.

UPDATE: i just tried to reformat off usb drive - set up the usb properly and changed boot order in bios and everything.. - and it hangs at a black screen with a white dash blinking in the top left corner..

 

Format off USB drive...meaning, that you moved the drive to a usb enclosure?

Forget trying to boot off this drive. Connect to another machine...can you read the drive?

 

so i gave in and just brought it to a computer shop since i need it back up and running asap for school stuff

Thanks so much gerryf for all the help youve given me up to now. I really appreciate it, and +rep for you for sure

 

if you have a external Hard drive try install windows on that. Then do format on your laptop hard drive and then unplug and reinstall Windows. I did this in 2006 with my alineware m5550. You can also do this with a usb Cdrom drive. I even Pull out the usb hard drive and installed a old cdrw drive.

 

please tell us what the computer shop found when you find out. I need closure on these things.

 

they said that the hard drive was dead so they just replaced the hard drive and got windows installed and running all fine. ah man i knew it! haha in the back of my mind i was just thinking "maybe if i just replace the hard drive it'll work fine..", since i had numerous people saying it may be a dead hard drive

 

I had a problem like this with my friend's laptop, after a lot of troubleshooting, the Hard drive was the cause and had to replace it.