cretanrunner
Member
No, just the one bay. Maybe I should try to get an updated BIOS. I don't know how good HP support is if you can't do it via the software on the laptop!! Anything ?else I can try first
Vista not booting after changes to easybcd
- Thread starter cretanrunner
- Start date
Sorry.
All of my PCs have been self-built desktops (actually under-desk towers) so I'm used to everything being easily accessed/modified/repaired/upgraded/replaced.
If you've access to another PC with the required facilities, and a spare HDD, you could try cloning your HDD to a different HDD and "startup repair" that in your laptop.
The "failing" HDD might then respond to a (full) format to permanently remove from use any bad block(s) which might be causing your BIOS to give up on it.
All of my PCs have been self-built desktops (actually under-desk towers) so I'm used to everything being easily accessed/modified/repaired/upgraded/replaced.
If you've access to another PC with the required facilities, and a spare HDD, you could try cloning your HDD to a different HDD and "startup repair" that in your laptop.
The "failing" HDD might then respond to a (full) format to permanently remove from use any bad block(s) which might be causing your BIOS to give up on it.
cretanrunner
Member
Hmmm Not sure how much more effort I can put into this. The irony is that I'm planning to order a new tower PC in the next month or so. Maybe I'll just format the drive and install Ubuntu and use it as a spare machine. I don't have any real understanding of just how far-reaching this problem will be. Ubuntu is fine running off the cd, but if I do a full install will that then get sidelined by the BIOS problem?
I have no idea about BIOS issues. If I could manage to do an upgrade of the BIOS, would that fix the issue or is that an each way bet?
Addendum:
OK, it's fixed!!!!
Why the BIOS should suddenly not recognise the HD is a mystery since there is clearly nothing wrong with the drive. This was not the initial problem actually since the problem started out with a Windows Boot Manager screen saying Windows failed to start.
At some stage, this became a "Disk Read Error" message on boot up.
Anyway today I ran TestDisk again. Had previously run it under Ubuntu and recovered something or other so that the partitions showed properly but it still would not boot. Anyway this time on rebooting I got back the Boot Manager screen saying Windows failed to start. This time I went through to the Windows recovery disk and after about 6 reboots the Vista installation is working perfectly again. How flaky is that? I still feel like either easyBCD or a Partition Manager caused the problem. I freely admit it may have been finger trouble, but I'm a bit aggrieved it was so difficult to get it working again. It's taken a week working at it at least half of every day if not more!
Thanks to whoever recommended TestDisk, or maybe I just found it on another forum or thread? Thanks for all the ideas anyway. I'd never have got there without all the nudging along. Hope this helps someone else.
I have no idea about BIOS issues. If I could manage to do an upgrade of the BIOS, would that fix the issue or is that an each way bet?
Addendum:
OK, it's fixed!!!!
Why the BIOS should suddenly not recognise the HD is a mystery since there is clearly nothing wrong with the drive. This was not the initial problem actually since the problem started out with a Windows Boot Manager screen saying Windows failed to start.
At some stage, this became a "Disk Read Error" message on boot up.
Anyway today I ran TestDisk again. Had previously run it under Ubuntu and recovered something or other so that the partitions showed properly but it still would not boot. Anyway this time on rebooting I got back the Boot Manager screen saying Windows failed to start. This time I went through to the Windows recovery disk and after about 6 reboots the Vista installation is working perfectly again. How flaky is that? I still feel like either easyBCD or a Partition Manager caused the problem. I freely admit it may have been finger trouble, but I'm a bit aggrieved it was so difficult to get it working again. It's taken a week working at it at least half of every day if not more!
Thanks to whoever recommended TestDisk, or maybe I just found it on another forum or thread? Thanks for all the ideas anyway. I'd never have got there without all the nudging along. Hope this helps someone else.
Last edited:
EasyBCD is like regedit or a set of spanners. You can use all of them to fix broken things, but you can also use them all to disrupt something that used to work.
Having said that, nothing you can break with EasyBCD isn't fixable with EasyBCD from a second Windows, or failing that, the Installation or repair disc.
Your symptoms didn't look like anything you could achieve by misuse of EasyBCD, but you could certainly have made things more complex by attempting to use it to fix an unrelated problem.
Glad you've got it all sorted now though, and good luck from now on.
Having said that, nothing you can break with EasyBCD isn't fixable with EasyBCD from a second Windows, or failing that, the Installation or repair disc.
Your symptoms didn't look like anything you could achieve by misuse of EasyBCD, but you could certainly have made things more complex by attempting to use it to fix an unrelated problem.
Glad you've got it all sorted now though, and good luck from now on.
cretanrunner
Member
Point taken, and thanks for all your input. A week I'd rather forget!