Bootmgr missing

[Moonshine]

Hi all

I'm experiencing problems again with my son's laptop.  Having struggled with it for a few days with it freezing everytime we tried to use it, it finally failed, and to cut a long story short, has now dished out the dreaded 'Bootmgr is missing' message.  This happened just after it failed to reload everything from the recovery discs made when it was first set up.  I have three recovery discs, and the first two were fine, but towards the end of the third, it came up with an error, and then the bootmgr missing message.

Since then, pressing control/alt/delete does nothing but return me to that same screen.  I have tried alt F12, F9, F10 (haven't a clue what I'm doing, clearly), all to no avail.

I've read lots of things on the net which confuse me completely, all talking about inserting Windows 7 disc and loading from there (which I haven't got, as Windows 7 is pre-installed in the laptop), creating a disc, partitions, BIOS.....all of which are gobbledy-gook to me.  Someone else also mentioned that I need to do a fresh install of the hard drive (??), but need the 25 digit/alpha product key on the back of the laptop to get round this problem (is this right?  if it is, that's fine, but how do I get past the 'Bootmgr is missing, press control alt delete' page, because I've tried getting beyond that, and I can't figure it out!). 

Lots of people on the net seem to be suggesting things like pressing alt F10 on booting (tried that, does nothing), press F8 before the Windows logo starts (impossible.....it just keeps returning me back to the bootmgr missing screen-although I did once get the blue screen of death, telling me that a problem had occurred, and it was shutting windows down to protect my computer.....then returned me to the 'Bootmgr is missing' page upon me turning computer on again).  Is there anything in layman's terms that I can try without having to waste a load of money on a new hard drive, only to find out that doesn't work either, or waste even more money calling another technician out (I'm scared about doing this, since the last one was not a good experience!)?

Am I right in thinking the laptop is doomed?  Do I have to admit defeat, and realise that I bought a heap of junk for a hefty price?

I was so elated when the laptop failed some weeks back and I managed to get it back to working order when my PC technician guy couldn't, by using the recovery discs, but this time it's having none of it!

HELP!

Many thanks in advance

Moonshine.

[kinmel]

Can you tell us the exact make and model of the laptop please.

[Glenn]

Do you have access to another Windows 7 PC, if so you can create a repair disc, from that PC, see this video clip, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5DzduNRZdA&feature=related

How to use it http://www.packardbell.co.uk/pb/en/GB/content/download

[Moonshine]

Hi

Thanks for the replies.

I don't have access to another Windows 7 pc, only XP (and a very slow XP at that!).  The make of the laptop is Packard Bell (I know!), it's an Easynote TX86 if that's any help.

Many thanks

Moonshine.

[esh]

The hard drive is absolutely fine. It sounds like the recovery disc is corrupted, and could not install the so-called "boot loader", which is the basically the program that starts Windows in the first place.

Easiest: Windows 7 DVD in the drive, boot and reinstall.

But apparently you don't have that.

There may be a rescue/install partition. We could use something like gparted (free) to make this the active partition and try and install with that. I've got to go now, but I'll be back later, and try and list the instructions for this.

[kinmel]

Packard Bell Support will provide you with replacement recovery disks    call  020 8283 3100  ( or 0871 467 0008 ), else email through the link on http://packard-bell-uk.custhelp.com/euf/assets/contactus/contact.htm


If you can borrow any installation disk for Windows 7 64 bit, you can use the System Recovery tools  http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-system/windows-7-bootmgr-is-missing-resolved-using-winre/8bb148bc-8035-4847-9696-888f7a0a9720

[Moonshine]

Thank you so much for everyone's advice.

[esh]

Hi again Moonshine.

If you download the gparted ISO file and burn it to a CD (http://gparted.sourceforge.net/download.php), put the CD in the Win7 machine's drive and start it up, gparted should boot up and you'll get a screen like this.



I am expecting in your case, two partitions -- one small one, likely to the far left of that bar listed as "sda1" and a larger one which is probably "sda2", which will be the size of the Windows drive. If you click on the sda1 bar then go to the Partition menu and mark it as active, then save the changes (the green tick button, or 'commit changes' should do this) and reboot the PC with the gparted CD removed, it should try and boot what I suspect is the recovery partition. If you only have one partition (ie. sda1 only) or no obviously small partition, then you may not have this recovery partition. I would expect the recovery partition to be 5-10GB in size.

It's a bit technical, but it's your only option bar getting new disks I think.

[Technical Ben]

Or borrow a disk off a friend. All the relevant codes should be on stickers on the underside of the laptop, so you only need a CD off of someone.

[esh]

Or borrow a disk off a friend. All the relevant codes should be on stickers on the underside of the laptop, so you only need a CD off of someone.

In Ye Olde Days I know certain types of keys only worked with certain types of Windows. For example, Dell OEM keys would not work on general retail copies. I don't know if this is still true, but it's not a surefire solution I think.

[kinmel]

you rarely need the product key if repairing an installation, unless you have made hardware changes.

[Technical Ben]

you rarely need the product key if repairing an installation, unless you have made hardware changes.

True. But some times you need to completely reinstall windows...

[Moonshine]

Once again, thank you very much for everyone's input and advice, it is much appreciated.  I wish I was just a little more technical minded, then I would at least be able to pretend to understand your message, esh!!  Thanks anyway!!!  One kind member on here has offered to send me a recovery disk, so I hope that will solve my issues.  If not, I'm throwing the laptop out of the window!!  Packup Bell are not my favourite people right now.....but IDNetters are 

Thanks again everyone.

[Moonshine]

Hi all

Bit of an update.  Nothing worked in terms of loading or recovering with discs, although I appreciate the help from Glenn who tried to help.

Anyway, I took the laptop to a local repair shop, and they've diagnosed a faulty memory module.  I have agreed for them to repair it at a cost of £75 plus vat (!), but wondered if this fault is common in laptops (especially ones that are just over a year old!!).  Could it have been caused by something we'd done at home, and if so, how can it be prevented in future? Could a virus have caused this to happen?

I know I could have gone down the Packard Bell route, but I've found them so unhelpful so far to be honest....and their email system doesn't work properly!  They would have charged me £51 just for the recovery discs, and who knows what else on top of that.  I suppose I could have contacted PC World again, but they would have just charged me £50 to diagnose it, having sent it off to Birmingham or wherever their Mastercare warehouse is these days, then held onto it for a month before deciding to charge me a further packet!

The local repair shop have said that there was nothing on the hard drive, so do I assume that when I was trying to restore/fix, it wiped everything off, because it kept coming up with failures during the restoring process?  Not that there was a lot on the hard drive to be honest, as it's my son's laptop, and he's got very little data, but there were a few drawings he'd done in Paint. 

If anyone has any advice how to prevent this from happening again, I'd be very grateful.  This has become rather an expensive laptop!  The first thing that went wrong, was it kept freezing for no apparent reason, with no option but to turn the laptop off and on again.  Then the problem escalated from there.  What does it mean when a laptop freezes and crashes, and what is the best thing to do when this occurs?

Many thanks for all advice.

Moonshine.

[Simon]

It could all have been down to a faulty memory stick.  It happens (and I missed the 'sh' off the front of that!).  Hopefully the problem is cured now. 

[esh]

A bad memory stick will not be caused by a virus. It is simple degradation of components. Usually they do not fail entirely, but only run stably at slower speeds. Running the RAM slower or cooler helps, but if the RAM is bad, it's bad.

[FritzBox]

Faulty memory module to replace, £75 plus vat, blimey is it gold plated?

[pctech]

Have you committed yourself to this Moonshine?

The reason I ask is you might be better off trying to source the module yourself (crucial.com) should tell you what you need.

If you can find out I'm happy to do a bit of research and get a better price, then you'd only have labour to pay for.

Notebook RAM tends to be a bit more expensive than the desktop stuff but I still think its a bit much.

[Moonshine]

The problem I have is that unless I am given instructions to basically switch a computer on and off or run a simple scan, I am unable to get my head around all this computer lark.  I don't know anyone personally who is capable of helping me, and I end up tying myself in knots with a lot of jargon that may as well be in a foreign language.  Computers are not my forte, and never will be, and frankly, unless I'm browsing the internet or watching Elvis on You Tube, I have absolutely no interest in any of it!!  It's tantamount to my opinion of maths when I was at school, hence why I ended up with a CSE grade 4!!!  (To those youngsters, that's little short of a fail!). 

I think the guy quoted £28 for the part, and I'm assuming the rest is labour.  Who am I to question the charge, when I know nothing about what's involved?  It probably is a rip off, but I'm a bit limited with know-how. Anyway, they have it at their workshop now, so I won't be speaking with them again until next week.

PCtech.....I appreciate your offer of help, but I am not sure I would have any understanding of sourcing the module, and fear I would get tangled up in a web of technical jargon. And then I've got to try and get someone to fit it who knows what they're doing.  I realise I'm probably paying over the odds, but sometimes I feel powerless to help myself.

I suppose I just wanted to find out whether it is commonplace for a laptop that's a little over a year old to develop this type of problem, and whether it's likely to occur again.  What exactly is this failure, and can anyone explain why it may have happened in the first instance?

I really do appreciate everyone's input, and sorry to be such a sheep when it comes to the techy stuff.

Moonshine

[FritzBox]

Give someone a clue as to your rough location, Forty seven for fitting stick of ram is astronomical even by PC World standards

[Moonshine]

Hi Fritz

I'm in Milton Keynes, but I really think it's probably too late now, especially since I'd probably be charged for them diagnosing it.  I don't know if it means anything, but the fault has wiped out the operating system, so they're reloading that as well.  I think I may just have to swallow this one. 

Cheers

Moonshine.

[Rik]

If they're supplying, refitting and reinstalling, I don't think the price is unreasonable, but next time, should there be a next time, let me know as I'm in MK.

[esh]

Replacing a RAM stick is definitely one of the simpler things to do internally after installing a PCI card; the hard thing is just identifying which RAM stick is bad.

[Technical Ben]

I've been offering help to one of my customers. He wants to call BT around to fix his internet... I think it's just a case of his filter plugged in back to front (on the wrong end of the extension cable basically). I'd hate to know what BT would charge him to sort it. If they'd even have success. As I'm probably going to offer to do other stuff for him, perhaps even some training on the computer software he uses, I might charge for it. Even if I charge half of what the local shop does, I'd make a bomb...

[Moonshine]

If they're supplying, refitting and reinstalling, I don't think the price is unreasonable, but next time, should there be a next time, let me know as I'm in MK.

Many thanks Rik!  You might regret saying that, but I'll definitely bear it in mind.  I am always going to struggle with the simplest of computer issues, but apart from seeking a little bit of old fashioned advice on this forum, I usually don't like to be cheeky and ask anyone for practical help.....I'm a bit backwards in coming forwards in that respect.  However, I'd happily pay you (or anyone else locally who frequents this forum) the going rate to sort out my computer issues in the future.  I value and trust members of this board, so would prefer to do this than to ring around cold for a repair person.  Thanks again. 

[Rik]

I'd never charge.

[cavillas]

Other then food of some description. 

[Rik]

I usually bring my own, Alf.

[Technical Ben]

It's one of those things. Like car repairs. It could be they did a good job. It could be they fixed a single bolt and charged you for a new alternator... 
Finding a honest firm is hard it seems.

[pctech]

Once I'm able to hit the road I may look into doing computer repairs as a small sideline as I'm truly fed up with people being ripped off for the most basic of stuff.

[Moonshine]

I'd never charge.

Ah, but I'd never not pay. 

[Moonshine]

It's one of those things. Like car repairs. It could be they did a good job. It could be they fixed a single bolt and charged you for a new alternator... 
Finding a honest firm is hard it seems.

Very true indeed.  I've had that same problem with car mechanics, funnily enough!

[Moonshine]

Once I'm able to hit the road I may look into doing computer repairs as a small sideline as I'm truly fed up with people being ripped off for the most basic of stuff.

If only there was a niche in the market for poetry and prose.....it's about the only thing I'm any good at as a sideline!!!

[Rik]

Contact Hallmark?

[Moonshine]

Contact Hallmark?

Not sure Hallmark would appreciate my type of poetry....it can be quite dark, melancholy and satirical.  Not for the light-hearted, perhaps!  However, here's a little ditty to end the evening (blimey, is that the time?!), though I'm not much of a rhyming poet as you'll notice!:-

Switched on to a shocking blue screen
Something frankly I seldom have seen
I then frantically pressed
Lots of keys, but you guessed
My laptop was still bright blue in sheen.

I rebooted and thought "Blimey, I'm stuck...
Boot Manager's Missing, oh ****"
Screen turned black from sheer blue
Not a clue what to do.......
Sod's law, now I'm down on my luck.

To cut a long story down to a tale
The memory's faulty, thus a fail
Wish I understood why
"It's a year old", I sigh
Should never have bought 'Packup' Bell.

There's a moral to this little rhyme
If you ever should feel so inclined
If you need a new PC
Don't part with your dosh, see
Consult IDNetters next time.

[pctech]

Very good

[Simon]

 

[Rik]

 

[Ray]

 

[pctech]

I previously owned a Packard Bell desktop machine which seemed to quite literally eat CPU cooling fans.

Following that I had a Fujitsu Siemens system which I'm convinced had an issue with its hard disk controller but I could never get them to agree to a motherboard replacement.

From that moment on I swore I'd never buy an off the shelf system again.

In terms of laptops the best ones I've seen are the IBM (now Lenovo) Thinkpad and Toshiba Satellite Pro, I used to be responsible for a whole collection of Tosh SPs which were handed out to teenage kids with special educational needs, at that time they were built like tanks and the only thing I had to do was rebuild the Windows install every so often they were that good.

[Moonshine]

Hi all

My son's laptop is now working again.    Many thanks to all who contributed to this post.

Thank you for my karma and karmics, by the way.  I've no idea what to do with them, but they sound good! 

Moonshine.

[Rik]

Grill and serve with a Bearnaise sauce.

[D-Dan]

I am always going to struggle with the simplest of computer issues

You know, whenever I hear someone say that I always get the feeling that it's because PC Geeks always spent a lot of time making computers seem hard back in the earlier days (and if you are old to have done CSE you are old enough to remember). It's all about mindset and perspective. Modern computer hardware is little more than a jigsaw for all practical purposes. You don't need to understand electronics, and you don't need a degree in quantum physics. All you really need is to be able to fit an edge into a slot most of the time (Of course matching the correct edge to the correct slot, or even finding the slot can be a little time consuming if you are trying for the first time, but you'd be surprised how quickly you can become familiar with what is a limited choice anyway.

Computers are no different that a screwdriver in many respects. They are a tool. Try sitting in front of yours for a while and repeat over and over to it, "You are a tool, you are a tool". You'll be surprised how the fear vanishes after a fairly short stint of that (and there's something rather satisfying in telling something it's a tool safe in the knowledge that it won't argue with you, unlike when I said it to that big bloke down at the pub .......)

[Rik]

Mind you, you need the screwdriver to open the computer rather than vice versa, Steve. I agree with you though, computers have acquired a mystic complexity which they don't deserve. If you can plug in the monitor, printer and mains, you can also plug in a card or memory module. I always say to people that they should remember that computers are so dumb that they only know how to recognise 0 & 1.

[Simon]

Then again, I know of people like that. 

[Rik]

 

[Glenn]

Building computers, I had to build my calculator, it may have been an abacus for some here. 

[Rik]

Was that Shirley Abacus, well known singer in the 50s & 60s? 

[Moonshine]

Computers are no different that a screwdriver in many respects. They are a tool. Try sitting in front of yours for a while and repeat over and over to it, "You are a tool, you are a tool".

My computer often says that to me.....!

[cavillas]

Computers are no different that a screwdriver in many respects. They are a tool. Try sitting in front of yours for a while and repeat over and over to it, "You are a tool, you are a tool".

My computer often says that to me.....!

You sure it says "tool" and not"fool".  

[Moonshine]

You sure it says "tool" and not"fool".  

Yes, that too, I don't doubt!  Clearly I failed miserably trying to use the word 'tool' in a derogatory fashion, as I've heard lots of the youngsters use these days!!  I'm obviously too old to be 'hip'!! 

[Lance]

Yes, that too, I don't doubt!  Clearly I failed miserably trying to use the word 'tool' in a derogatory fashion, as I've heard lots of the youngsters use these days!!  I'm obviously too old to be 'hip'!! 

No, its just Alf is too old to know its used in a derogatory fashion!

[Rik]

 

[cavillas]

Yes, that too, I don't doubt!  Clearly I failed miserably trying to use the word 'tool' in a derogatory fashion, as I've heard lots of the youngsters use these days!!  I'm obviously too old to be 'hip'!! 

And what do you know about my hips then?

[cavillas]

No, its just Alf is too old to know its used in a derogatory fashion!

Whats derogatory then? I never went to Public school or Uni so only know short words.

[Simon]

What, like Gin, Scotch, Brandy... 

[cavillas]

 Hic!

[Moonshine]

No, its just Alf is too old to know its used in a derogatory fashion!

[Moonshine]

Whats derogatory then? I never went to Public school or Uni so only know short words.

Well, I went to a rough secondary school, and learned lots of lovely short words such as:  Gap, years, did, not, exist, when, I, was, at, school.....etc etc.     

[Rik]