HELP! Windows 7 won't start and I don't have install disks

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1024kb

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#2130128 20-Nov-2018 11:31

Your USB stick is still connected. BIOS is looking at the stick for a boot sector that isn't there. Pull the USB stick out. Start your computer.

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wally22

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#2130272 20-Nov-2018 13:59

Where are you located?

Dratsab

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#2130273 20-Nov-2018 14:00

wally22: Where are you located?

User profile indicates Dunedin.

wally22

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#2130293 20-Nov-2018 14:05

Sorry, didn't check via phone link. In too much of a hurry. Can't help then

1024kb

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#2130340 20-Nov-2018 14:09

Go back to that HP setup page - the BIOS settings. Select Boot Order - what does that say?

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Tomahawk66

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#2130503 20-Nov-2018 17:15

1024kb: Go back to that HP setup page - the BIOS settings. Select Boot Order - what does that say?

Sorry for the delay in replies. I tried various options in that BIOS page, nothing worked. I got it to some diagnostic page where it ran windows memory tests but it said there were no faults. It sometimes tries to start, shows the very first things it usually shows, then the starting windows words come up but then it fails and goes to the black screen with the fault.

Will turn it on again now and try again.

Thanks to everyone who is trying to help me.

Rikkitic

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#2130508 20-Nov-2018 17:44

Tomahawk66:

I've just remembered that last night I was also using my My Book external hardrive to look for lost photos (that I found on the XP). A couple of times the My Book wouldn't 'disconnect' properly and I just pulled it's USB cord out of the Win 7 machine....... ?? Maybe that is what has upset it ?

My guess, and that's all it is, is that something in the boot sector got overwritten with garbage when you pulled the USB cord. Since My Book wouldn't 'disconnect properly', It may have been trying to write to the drive and yanking it scrambled something, leading to the current problem. I have fixed issues similar to this on more than one occasion.

The Windows installation disk, and other software on the Internet, can repair a bad boot sector by rewriting it. This can make the drive bootable again without damaging any data or programs on it. But it can also completely destroy everything on the drive. From your remarks here, you do not know enough to use a tool like this safely. You have to get some knowledgeable help. Apart from that, you really need to back up the drive. That is essential if you really don't want to lose everything. Two methods have been explained on this thread. There are others. One is to create a bootable USB with a minimal operating system on it. You can then boot the computer and read the drive and copy any files that are important or even clone the entire drive. To clone the drive you would need a spare drive and USB enclosure. Excellent cloning software like Macrium Reflect is available free. USB enclosures can be had for 10 or so dollars from Trade Me. Second-hand hard drives are also very cheap and would probably be sufficient for a situation like this.

Once you have a copy of the drive, you can experiment on the other one. Again, you need help to have any chance of succeeding. But it is not impossible as long as the drive is not irreparably damaged.

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1024kb

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#2130510 20-Nov-2018 17:49

It's ok, I can tell now that it is your existing HDD is dying. If you have vital information on that drive, don't start your computer again - you may damage your chances of data recovery.

Your best move is to put another HDD in place of the existing drive, & move that one out temporarily. Then do a fresh Win10 install to the new drive. When that's done, either put your existing drive into a USB caddy or shut down & reinstall your current HDD so it's the 2nd drive. Now you can access your vital files.

If you can't get a new HDD straight away, then you could download a Win10 PE like Gandalf's version from WindowsMatters.com, burn that to an 8GB USB drive & boot from that. You'll be able to recover your existing data with the selection of freeware recovery tools pre-installed. Use Rufus to burn the Gandalf iso to USB stick.

Megabyte - so geek it megahertz

Tomahawk66

181 posts

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#2130512 20-Nov-2018 17:57

Rikkitic:

Tomahawk66:

I've just remembered that last night I was also using my My Book external hardrive to look for lost photos (that I found on the XP). A couple of times the My Book wouldn't 'disconnect' properly and I just pulled it's USB cord out of the Win 7 machine....... ?? Maybe that is what has upset it ?

My guess, and that's all it is, is that something in the boot sector got overwritten with garbage when you pulled the USB cord. Since My Book wouldn't 'disconnect properly', It may have been trying to write to the drive and yanking it scrambled something, leading to the current problem. I have fixed issues similar to this on more than one occasion.

The Windows installation disk, and other software on the Internet, can repair a bad boot sector by rewriting it. This can make the drive bootable again without damaging any data or programs on it. But it can also completely destroy everything on the drive. From your remarks here, you do not know enough to use a tool like this safely. You have to get some knowledgeable help. Apart from that, you really need to back up the drive. That is essential if you really don't want to lose everything. Two methods have been explained on this thread. There are others. One is to create a bootable USB with a minimal operating system on it. You can then boot the computer and read the drive and copy any files that are important or even clone the entire drive. To clone the drive you would need a spare drive and USB enclosure. Excellent cloning software like Macrium Reflect is available free. USB enclosures can be had for 10 or so dollars from Trade Me. Second-hand hard drives are also very cheap and would probably be sufficient for a situation like this.

Once you have a copy of the drive, you can experiment on the other one. Again, you need help to have any chance of succeeding. But it is not impossible as long as the drive is not irreparably damaged.

Thank you Rikkitic, I'm aware totally I am out of my depth here. I will tomorrow, weather/flooding permitting inquire at a computer shop re the cost to look at it. Right now I have an Advanced Boot Options page up. I tried Safe Mode with command prompt and Repair Computer but both options just went back to the error Oxcooooo thing. Hopefully a computer shop can salvage/fix it for me.

Tomahawk66

181 posts

Master Geek

#2130513 20-Nov-2018 18:01

1024kb:

It's ok, I can tell now that it is your existing HDD is dying. If you have vital information on that drive, don't start your computer again - you may damage your chances of data recovery.

Your best move is to put another HDD in place of the existing drive, & move that one out temporarily. Then do a fresh Win10 install to the new drive. When that's done, either put your existing drive into a USB caddy or shut down & reinstall your current HDD so it's the 2nd drive. Now you can access your vital files.

If you can't get a new HDD straight away, then you could download a Win10 PE like Gandalf's version from WindowsMatters.com, burn that to an 8GB USB drive & boot from that. You'll be able to recover your existing data with the selection of freeware recovery tools pre-installed. Use Rufus to burn the Gandalf iso to USB stick.

Thanks. Will look into this.

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