Solved lost power and now computer won't boot

[nanmisk]

Hi -

I have a Gateway SX2840-01 desktop running Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit. We lost power a few days ago and now when I try to turn it on I get this message:

Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device or Insert Boot Media in Selected Boot Device and Press a Key.

I have tried your advice in this post but no luck.

http://malwaretips.com/Thread-How-to-fix-no-bootable-device-%E2%80%93-insert-boot-disk-and-press-any-key

Attached are the FRST.txt and Result.txt logs per your guidance. Can you please help?

Thank you
Nan

 

[Nico@FMA]

Hello Nanmisk,

I did took the liberty to look around in your logs, and what i noticed is that your MBR (Master Boot Record) is missing or inaccessible or your Partition itself got damaged or your BIOS did De-register your HDD or your HDD has a hardware failure.
But i am pretty sure its either the MBR missing or the Partition who has problems.

============================== MBR Partition Table ==================
Attempted reading MBR returned 0 bytes.
Could not read MBR for disk 0.

==============================
Partitions of Disk 4:
===============
Disk ID: 0004A183
Partition 1: (Not Active) - (Size=466 GB) - (Type=07 NTFS)

The boot configuration data store could not be opened.
The requested system device cannot be found.

This can have multiple reasons and a full power loss can be one of them
So what you might wanna do is check in the BIOS If the harddrive (s) are properly registered and functioning because there is a small risk that due to power failure the BIOS might have created a error which will can disable your HDD (Please be careful do not change ANYTHING in the BIOS if you do not know what you are doing seriously!!) So if you go into the BIOS then just look at your devices and see if they are all there and registered. (They probably are but just to be sure)

In the mean time i need to ask you:
1: Do you have any recovery CD's if yes then they actually can recover your MBR and Partition without data loss (Assuming the BIOS settings are not damaged and that you do not have a hardware failure.)

2: Do you have any knowledge in using command-line?

3: Tell me what steps you have tried prior to posting here.
Please be specific.

Check these for me and i will try to help you.
Losing your MBR or having a corrupt partition is usually not a very big deal.

 

[nanmisk]

Thanks for the reply.

The steps I have taken so far are what are listed in this post (steps 1-7).
http://malwaretips.com/Thread-How-to-fix-no-bootable-device-%E2%80%93-insert-boot-disk-and-press-any-key

The difference I saw was that in step #4, my screen does not show my HDD so I had to just click Next to get to the Command Prompt option. From there I ran the 'bootrec.exe /fixmbr' command which said it completed successfully. But when I restarted I had the same issue (no HDD listed in the screen at step 4).

Step 4 says I can Load Drivers if I don't see my OS on the list but I don't have the drivers - is there a way to find them? Would that help?

I have my Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit disk but no recovery CD was made for this machine ever. I am familiar with how to perform command line tasks (used to work on UNIX machines), but I have no experience in troubleshooting BIOS settings so I'm not sure how to tell whether my HDD is registered correctly. I did go in and make my CD the primary boot but that's about all I know how to do.

Thanks!
Nan

Hello Nanmisk,

I did took the liberty to look around in your logs, and what i noticed is that your MBR (Master Boot Record) is missing or inaccessible or your Partition itself got damaged or your BIOS did De-register your HDD or your HDD has a hardware failure.
But i am pretty sure its either the MBR missing or the Partition who has problems.

============================== MBR Partition Table ==================
Attempted reading MBR returned 0 bytes.
Could not read MBR for disk 0.

==============================
Partitions of Disk 4:
===============
Disk ID: 0004A183
Partition 1: (Not Active) - (Size=466 GB) - (Type=07 NTFS)

The boot configuration data store could not be opened.
The requested system device cannot be found.

This can have multiple reasons and a full power loss can be one of them
So what you might wanna do is check in the BIOS If the harddrive (s) are properly registered and functioning because there is a small risk that due to power failure the BIOS might have created a error which will can disable your HDD (Please be careful do not change ANYTHING in the BIOS if you do not know what you are doing seriously!!) So if you go into the BIOS then just look at your devices and see if they are all there and registered. (They probably are but just to be sure)

In the mean time i need to ask you:
1: Do you have any recovery CD's if yes then they actually can recover your MBR and Partition without data loss (Assuming the BIOS settings are not damaged and that you do not have a hardware failure.)

2: Do you have any knowledge in using command-line?

3: Tell me what steps you have tried prior to posting here.
Please be specific.

Check these for me and i will try to help you.
Losing your MBR or having a corrupt partition is usually not a very big deal.

 

[Nico@FMA]

Right Ok.

But if you follow the steps in that guide, you will see that you can repair your windows using the recovery cd's or in this case your windows install cd.
Hence why i asked.
Because i know for a fact that if its a software problem that we will be able to solve it for you step by step, but its a long road to do so.

So if you have a windows installation disk you can basically repair windows and be up and running in 15 minutes.
That is if you are not having additional issues obviously.

The windows cd has a few tools like checkdisk running the following commands: chkdsk /r and chkdsk /f which can restore your system pretty easy.
Also the scannow feature can help you replace missing system files using the command: sfc /scannow

Just saying.

Anyway i could write you a step by step guide to do so, but others on the net already have written a dozen of guides, so here is a link which says step by step how to use it.

I am sure if you follow the steps to the letter that you will be able to restore your system.
If for whatever reason you cannot do it then let me know and ill help you myself.

Cheers

 

[Jack]

Hello,
Lets try these steps:

Please back up your files using Kaspersky Rescue Disk. Find the Details here. http://malwaretips.com/Announcement-Computer-won-t-boot-up-Hard-to-remove-malware-Learn-how-to-create-and-use-a-Kaspersky-Rescue-Disk

After the backup try this...

Download and burn Partition Wizard Boot Disc

1. Boot infected machine from CD you just burn.
2. Push enter to choose Boot from Partition Wizard Boot Disc.
   
   
3. Be patient and wait.
4. On the left panel select Partition Recovery Wizard.
   
   
5. On first screen, cilck Next.
6. Select your hard drive, then click Next.
   
   
7. On two next screen don't change anything, just click Next.
8. Now the most important part:
   • Select only 100MB partition (Windows 7 files are on hidden partition) and your partition/s - look the size column.
   
9. Click Finish.
10. Back on the main menu, click on your disk click on your disk, on left panel choose Rebuild MBR
11. Click Apply on up.
12. When done click X on up right corner to reboot. Remove Partition WIzard Boot Disk.

 

[MrXidus]

An added suggestion by me is to install a safety switch in your homes power box or if that's not an affordable option purchase a surge protector and hook up your computers power cord into it. All my TV's and computers in my household have one, been through 3 blackouts in the past 2 years and not a single broken TV or any corrupted MBRs.

Thanks.

 

[nanmisk]

Hi Jack -

I'd love to try what you posted but I ran into two problems.

1) when I tried to run the Kaspersky recovery CD it showed me the screens you have in the post but at step 3.5 instead of starting the Kaspersky OS, it said "ata2: COMRESET failed (errno=-16)" over and over again until I powered it off.

2) then when I tried your Partition Boot Wizard disc, I was very patient at step 3 (kept seeing the 'ata2: COMRESET failed (errno=-16)' but I saw other things too so I waited). The next screen asked me to pick a resolution and then it popped up a box that said "This bootable CD does not support Windows Server". Is the download you pointed me to not for Windows??

I am eager to get this PC to find my C: drive so please let me know what else to try.

Side note: those steps for Kaspersky recovery CD don't seem to backup my data, but rather scan for malware, no? Am I missing something??

Thank you!
Nancy

 

[Fiery]

Side note: those steps for Kaspersky recovery CD don't seem to backup my data, but rather scan for malware, no? Am I missing something??

The Rescue Disk can scan for malware but you can also access your C-drive in the rescue disk environment. Simply plug in an USB and you can transfer your files using the Kaspersky explorer within the rescue disk. The link was to assist you to make the rescue disk, not scan for malware.

When you access your BIOS (If you don't know how, click here), under CMOS feature/utility, what is the SATA configuration at? Is it AHCI? IDE? or RAID?

 

[nanmisk]

Hi Fiery -

When I go into CMOS I see two ACHI Ports (1 and 2):

ACHI Port 1 = ATAPI CDROM
ACHI Port 2 = Not Detected

And it won't let me change the ATAPI CDROM by using the +. There is a pic attached if you want to see what it looks like. It's like my HDD is just lost.

Thank you!
Nan

When you access your BIOS (If you don't know how, click here), under CMOS feature/utility, what is the SATA configuration at? Is it AHCI? IDE? or RAID?

 

[Fiery]

Go into the BIOS, look for the Advance tab > Look for SATA configuration > scroll down to SATA Mode.

If it's at ACHI, change it to IDE.
If it's at IDE, change to ACHI

Save the setting then attempt to boot the Kaspersky disk

 

[nanmisk]

Thanks Fiery -

I found that it was set to ACHI so I set it to Native IDE (that was the only IDE option for me). Then I put the Kaspersky disc back in and let it run it's course. I saw the usual first few screens and then before it started the OS it popped up a bunch of "ata2.00: SRST failed (errno=-16)" messages but I was patient. Now it's showing me the following on the screen:

In: creating symbolic link `/etc/runlevels/shutdown/eject`: File exists
new-host ~ #

Looks like it's expecting me to type something there.... any advice?

Thanks!
Nan

Go into the BIOS, look for the Advance tab > Look for SATA configuration > scroll down to SATA Mode.

If it's at ACHI, change it to IDE.
If it's at IDE, change to ACHI

Save the setting then attempt to boot the Kaspersky disk

 

[Fiery]

Sorry I'm out of ideas at the moment. Plus I will be away for the next 3 days so I don't think I can assist you until I get back.

Maybe other members have ideas, hopefully

 

[doubletap33]

Sorry for the interruption to all.
Hi nanmisk!
Since you are using a desktop not a laptop. If you do have an extra empty HDD, may be you could installed a copy of Win 7 or Win XP (if you have any on a DVD or USB flash drive) on that extra empty HDD and read from there for this cannot boot HDD?

How about downloading ReaTogo and burn an ISO copy on a DVD or USB flash drive and boot it from there?
Thanks.

 

[nanmisk]

Thanks for the reply Doubletap33, but I don't have an empty HDD and I don't know what to do with ReaTogo either. I need specific steps to take in order to try what you are asking please.

I'm at a loss now. I have made so many changes to my BIOS from suggestions on this post that I'm not sure what the current state of my machine is now. It can't see my c: drive that's for sure but isn't there a diagnostic tool I can run to tell why? Or is my machine just dead??

Thanks all.
Nan

Sorry for the interruption to all.
Hi nanmisk!
Since you are using a desktop not a laptop. If you do have an extra empty HDD, may be you could installed a copy of Win 7 or Win XP (if you have any on a DVD or USB flash drive) on that extra empty HDD and read from there for this cannot boot HDD?

How about downloading ReaTogo and burn an ISO copy on a DVD or USB flash drive and boot it from there?
Thanks.