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Computer will not boot


rubby8892

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I have a gateway laptop with windows vista and it will not start up. There are multiple senerios depending on what I do at start up.

If I try safe mode it will not go through all of the files before freezing.

If I just let it go it will come to

Checking file system on C:

The type of file system is NTFS.

Volume label is OS.

A disk check has been scheduled

If I let that go it will fail. If I stop it

Disk Checking has been cancelled.

Windows has finished checking the disk

...

Checking file system on D:

The type of file system if NTFS.

Volume label is DATA.

One of your disks needs to be checked for consistency. You may cancel the disk check, but it is strongly recommended that you continue.

Windows will now check the disk.

Corrupt master file table. Windows will attempt to recover master file table from disk.

Then is never moves on from there.

I do not have any of the original software to load anything. What can I do.

Thanks

Rose

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Those are symptoms of a corrupted filesystem.

You do need to boot to an "alternate" OS (such as an install CD/DVD) and check the filesystem.

It is possible that the issue is just with the filesystem, but it could be a (more serious) hardware issue (failing hard disk).

The issue here is that if the "built in" CHKDSK is not working properly to diagnose (and hopefully fix) the filesystem problem, it may mean that one or more of the needed Vista :ph34r: system files is corrupted/unindexed (and not recoverable/lost).

This more or less is the meaning of the error about the MFT, depending on a number of factors it may be possible to recover "everything as before" or not.

Do you remember if that thingy had/has a "recovery partition"?

Or post the exact model of the laptop, it may be possible to find out this.

Gateways shipped with Vista :ph34r: normally have a "recoery systems", that you get through pressing F8 when booting, see:

http://support.gateway.com/s/software/microsof/vista/7515418/7515418su531.shtml

You will need anyway and FIRST THING some bootable device (a USB stick would be perfect, a CD - of course burned on another PC would do as well), AND an external disk (USB) same size (or better if bigger) as the one inside the laptop.

Your FIRST PRIORITY (presuming that you have data that you haven't saved elsewhere and that you need) is to make an image of the disk "as is", BEFORE any other attempt.

To be as clear as possible, even if a repair of the MFT is possible, it is also possible the steps to perform the recovery will corrupt data that currently is still accessible.

Of course, if you have no data on that disk or you don't care about those, it's perfectly OK to attempt directly a repair.

I don't want to scare you in any way :), but consider that it might be a complex procedure, and you will need a lot of time (and patience) to carry it on.

jaclaz

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Model number is SA6 and I am willing to put the time in to fix it as long as someone can help me through the steps to do it.

It is my sons computer so I am not sure about the recovery thing. I can restart it and F8 to see if that is an option if you want me to

Edited by rubby8892
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Model number is SA6 and I am willing to put the time in to fix it as long as someone can help me through the steps to do it.

It is my sons computer so I am not sure about the recovery thing. I can restart it and F8 to see if that is an option if you want me to

Yep, follow the linked tutorial on Gateway support page:

http://support.gateway.com/s/software/microsof/vista/7515418/7515418su531.shtml

until step 8, i.e. until you get to this:

RecoveryPartition03.gif

but UNLIKE in the mentioned tutorial, choose "Command Prompt".

Post if you can get to there.

jaclaz

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Will this erase all that is on the computer now?

No, until you go forward and proceed (as in the tutorial) with a system restore (steps #9 #10 #11).

That will erase everything by overwriting with what was on the PC in factory.

DO NOT do it, for the moment.

Till #8 you are simply in what is called "WinRE" Windows Recovery Environment, a sort of minimal OS on which you can perform a number of activities, like as an example from command line check the consistency of the filesystem or copy to external media files, etc.

Your laptop, from what you posted and from the mentioned Gateway page should be setup (roughly) like this:

First partition <- no drive letter <- WinRE and "factory image"

Second partition (active) <- drive letter C: boot and system volume containing the Vista :ph34r: OS

Third partition <- drive letter D: a partition to contain Data

Right now the C: partition has issues.

Since it also contains the files actually executed to check the filesystem integrity (CHKDSK, etc.) it is possible that the Drive D: is OK, but that since something in wrong in C:, the checking of the disk cannot be performed successfully.

By checking the disk from the WinRE environment we can see if the D: is OK (very possible) and hopefully even diagnose and fix the C: volume.

You should consider the WinRE environment the same as booting from another media (install CD).

jaclaz

Edited by jaclaz
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Is it possible to move the microsoft office to an external hard drive before I do this. The computer did not come with it and I dont want to lose it.

Yes and no.

Meaning that *anything* (within very loose limits) is possible.

But transferring an installed (Commercial/mindboggingly complex/activated/needing registration) set of programs is something VERY, VERY difficult (even on normally working disks/filesystems)

As long as you are talking about Microsoft Office FILES, then it is "easy".(on normally working disks/filesystems)

BUT you seem like not having appreciated fully the situation in which you are (actually the one in your laptop is).

The symptoms you posted are those of a corrupted filesystem.

This means that any of the files residing inside that filesystem (while being still there) may be:

  1. accessible "normally"
  2. inaccessible
  3. accessible but either incomplete or however damaged

The general procedure in these cases is normally that of:

  1. attempt a more accurate diagnosis (using the command line OS in the Recovery partition or an external tool)
  2. evaluate if the damage is so trifling to allow risking a repair without making an image first (STRONGLY discouraged by me, but still a possibility/decision to take)
  3. image the disk "as is" (i.e. BEFORE attempting to repair the filesystem(s) on it) <- this is the actual "way back"
  4. attempt repairing the flilesystem(s)
  5. if successful, analyze the extents of the success and decide if it is needed to recover more files from the image or the repair was "good" or "good enough"
  6. if failed, use another PC to make another copy of the image and attempt repairing the filesystem
  7. if successful, analyze the extents of the success and decide if it is "good enough" to be redeployed to the original laptop

If you prefer, right now there is no "easy" way to even find (and copy) a given file, the only "items" that we can access and copy "safely" are:

  1. the whole disk (\\.\Physicaldrive)
  2. each whole Partition/Volume in it (\\.\LogicalDrive(s))

As said it is very possible that the filesystem corruption is of so trifling entity that only a handful of files are correupted/unindexed/inaccessible, but in order to try and understand if this is the case, you still need to make a few checks form the WInRE or form an externally booted OS.

Did you manage to get to the mentioned step #8 and from it open a command prompt? :unsure:

From that environment it is possible to do a few checks and copy (if accessible) the files (or the whole disk or the whole volumes) to an external hard disk.

jaclaz

Edited by jaclaz
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Type:

CHKDSK C:

[ENTER]

Since you are running CHKDSK without parameters it won't actually repair the filesystem (if not for things that bear no relevance).

It will provide some feedback that may be useful.

It may also say that it cannot repair the filesystem because the /F switch was not given.

Then re-do the same for drive D::

CHKDSK D:

[ENTER]

Then try:

MOUNTVOL

You will need to post the feedback you get from executing these commands.

Have you managed to procure the external hard disk ?

jaclaz

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chkdsk c:

The type of the file system is NTFS.

Volume label is OS.

WARNING! F parameter not specified.

Running CHKDSK in read-only mode.

CHKDSK is verifying files <stage 1 of 3>...

237056 file records processed.

File verification complete.

1788 large file records processed.

0 bad file records processed.

0 EA records processed.

60 reparse records processed.

CHKDSK is verifying indexes <stage 2 of 3>...

912639 index entries processed.

Index verification complete.

5 unindexed files processed

CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors <stage 3 of 3>...

237056 security descriptors processed

security descriptor verification complete

38172 data files processed

Usn Journal verification complete

The volume bitmap is incorrect

Windows found problems with the file system

Run CHKDSK with the /F (fix) option to correct these)

116854783 KB total disk space

87734608 KB in 192688 files

123784 KB in 38173 indexes

0 KB in bad sectors

351855 KB in use by the system

65536 KB occupied by the log file

28644536 KB available on disk

4096 bytes in each allocation unit

29213695 total allocation units on disk

7161134 allocation units available on disk

Failed to transfer logged messages to the event log with status 50.

chkdsk d:

The type of the file system is NTFS.

Volume label is DATA.

WARNING! F parameter not specified.

Running CHKDSK in read-only mode.

CHKDSK is verifying files <stage 1 of 3>...

256 file records processed.

File verification complete.

0 large file records processed.

0 bad file records processed.

0 EA records processed.

0 reparse records processed.

CHKDSK is verifying indexes <stage 2 of 3>...

635 index entries processed.

Index verification complete.

5 unindexed files processed

CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors <stage 3 of 3>...

256 security descriptors processed

security descriptor verification complete

18 data files processed

CHKDSk is verifying USN journal

960 USN bytes processed

Usn Journal verification complete

Windows has checked the file system and found no problems

116855807 KB total disk space

4532004 KB in 37 files

36 KB in 19 indexes

0 KB in bad sectors

70295 KB in use by the system

65536 KB occupied by the log file

112253472 KB available on disk

4096 bytes in each allocation unit

29213951 total allocation units on disk

28063368 allocation units available on disk

Failed to transfer logged messages to the event log with status 50.

mountvol

Creates, deletes, or lists a volume mount point

MOUNTVOL [drive:]path VolumeName

MOUNTVOL [drive:]path /D

MOUNTVOL [drive:]path /L

MOUNTVOL [drive:]path /P

MOUNTVOL /R

MOUNTVOL /N

MOUNTVOL /E

path Specifies the existing NTFS directory wher the mount point will reside

VolumeName Specifies the volume name that is the target of the mount point

/D Removes the volume mount point from the specified directory

/L Lists the mounted volume name for the specified directory

/P Removes the volume mount point from the specified directory, dismounts the volume, and makes the volume not mountable. You can make the volume mountable again by creating a mount point.

/R Removes volume mount point directories and registry settings for volumes that are no longer in the system

/N Disables automatic mounting of new volumes

/E Re-enables automatic moutning of new volumes

Possible values for VolumeName along with current mount points are:

\\?\Volume<71c2e141-012d-11e3-9183-806e6f6e6963>\

E:\

\\?\Volume<71c2e145-012d-11e3-9183-806e6f6e6963>\

X:\

\\>\Volume<71c2e146-012d-11e3-9183-806e6f6e6963>\

C:\

\\?\Volume<71c2e147-012d-11e3-9183-806e6f6e6963>\

D:\

Yes I have an external drive and he has saved all his files my only concern is the office. He is a college student and that is important to have.

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Good. :)

The situation seems not too bad.

As seen the D: drive has no issues.

The drive that is mounted a E: is most probably the recovery partition (normally not mounted/not visible in the normal system or possibly - if you have connected it - the external hard disk) whilst the X: should be the virtual "system" volume of the WinRE.

The way chdsk proceeded on disk C: is mostly normal (i.e. it shows not any kind of "catastrophic" issue).

Now I would try directly a

CHKDSK C: /F

[ENTER]

and see if it can fix the (seemingly minor) errors.

jaclaz

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I think what you are looking for now is it says CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the volume bitmap. Windows has made the corrections to the file system.

Good.

Try running again the "plain":

CHKDSK C:

This run should end (like the previous one on D: ) with:

Windows has checked the file system and found no problems

If this happen, EXIT the command prompt and shutdown the PC, then try rebooting it normally.

jaclaz

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Ok that all worked jus the way you said it would. Now that I have it back is there something I can do to cleanup all this junk on here. He was expecting a restore so as long as I can keep the office I could wipe him down to almost nothing.

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