Need help with neighbors laptop

[i386]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

If you have any discs in the drive, take them out.

Power off the laptop, then power it on. I think F11 is the key to launch the system recovery. Just importantly as hitting the right key is hitting it at the right time. So the easiest thing to do is power on the laptop and start tapping the F11 key until it does something. Let us know how that works.

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

If you have any discs in the drive, take them out.

Power off the laptop, then power it on. I think F11 is the key to launch the system recovery. Just importantly as hitting the right key is hitting it at the right time. So the easiest thing to do is power on the laptop and start tapping the F11 key until it does something. Let us know how that works.

Okay - just tried that and still no joy.

I do however, have a 4 pound sledgehammer that I'm considering using! LOL!

 

[i386]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

You can also try F12.

You must start hitting the key as soon as its powered on. If you see Windows trying to load you can stop hitting the key because it would have done something by then.

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

You can also try F12.

You must start hitting the key as soon as its powered on. If you see Windows trying to load you can stop hitting the key because it would have done something by then.

Yep, I understand the process. I'll try F12 now...

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

F12 didn't work either.

 

[hank3rd]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

Before going into recovery mode, what error are you receiving, i.e. missing files ect? Looks like the Master Boot Record is screwed or start up files have been damages. A reformat and install is going to be the easiest, but clearing the MBR may help.

You can try to fix the MBR:


1. Restart your computer
2. start the Recovery Console.
3. At the Recovery Console command prompt, type fixmbr and then verify that you want to proceed.

See if that helps. I would need to know specifically it is doing at boot up to help more.

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

Before going into recovery mode, what error are you receiving, i.e. missing files ect? Looks like the Master Boot Record is screwed or start up files have been damages. A reformat and install is going to be the easiest, but clearing the MBR may help.

You can try to fix the MBR:


1. Restart your computer
2. start the Recovery Console.
3. At the Recovery Console command prompt, type fixmbr and then verify that you want to proceed.

See if that helps. I would need to know specifically it is doing at boot up to help more.

I posted what happens on startup in my post #3 above. See pix.

Don't know how to start the Recovery Console... but I do know how to get into Setup.

 

[hank3rd]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

I posted what happens on startup in my post #3 above. See pix.

Don't know how to start the Recovery Console... but I do know how to get into Setup.

You will need a windows disk to get into the recovery console. What happens if you choose start Windows normally? Does it go back to the same screen? Also, how long does it take to get to the black screen?

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

You will need a windows disk to get into the recovery console. What happens if you choose start Windows normally? Does it go back to the same screen? Also, how long does it take to get to the black screen?

If I had a Windows disk, I'd just reformat the thing. LOL

At startup, the Acer logo comes up, followed a few seconds later with the black screen.

 

[hank3rd]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

F10 should get the recovery partition, not f11 or f12. Try pressing f10 at the post screen, if the recovery partition is still there, that is your only option. Otherwise you will need a disk.

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

F10 should get the recovery partition, not f11 or f12. Try pressing f10 at the post screen, if the recovery partition is still there, that is your only option. Otherwise you will need a disk.

Okay! F10 got me this... now what? Hammertime?

 

[i386]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

I'm finding a lot of conflicting intofmation on how to access the recovery partition. Here's another:

"Here is the standard Acer Recovery Instructions

1. Power on the machine
2. At the white ACER BIOS screen, hold the ?Alt? key and press the ?F10? key simultaneously to start Acer eRecovery
3. Once eRecovery has loaded, click ?Restore to Factory Default Settings?
4. Click ?OK? to continue
5. From here, the eRecovery process will update all the data on the C: drive and restore a fully functional factory image (approximately 10 minutes).
6. Once eRecovery has run, press ?OK? to reboot unit"

 

[hank3rd]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

After some research, I think that you are screwed. Here is a blurb that I found. If the laptop has been upgraded from XP to Vista, it will not work:

I got the same message on my Acer 5633. I called up Acer and they told me that because I had upgraded to Vista via the Acer upgrade disc this function was no longer available. The reason they gave was because Acer eRecovery isn't on Vista when it is installed using their upgrade disc. I was told to reinstall a clean version of Vista by running the upgrade disc again from scratch and that would rule out any hardware faults. It should work perfectly after this and if not then it is a hardware fault and needs to be checked out by the manufacturer or whoever you have you extended warranty with.

Sorry no hammertime

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

I'm finding a lot of conflicting intofmation on how to access the recovery partition. Here's another:

"Here is the standard Acer Recovery Instructions

1. Power on the machine
2. At the white ACER BIOS screen, hold the ?Alt? key and press the ?F10? key simultaneously to start Acer eRecovery
3. Once eRecovery has loaded, click ?Restore to Factory Default Settings?
4. Click ?OK? to continue
5. From here, the eRecovery process will update all the data on the C: drive and restore a fully functional factory image (approximately 10 minutes).
6. Once eRecovery has run, press ?OK? to reboot unit"

Tried that just now and it brings me right up to the first black screen from my post #3 above. Dangit.

 

[hank3rd]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

I'm finding a lot of conflicting intofmation on how to access the recovery partition. Here's another:

"Here is the standard Acer Recovery Instructions

1. Power on the machine
2. At the white ACER BIOS screen, hold the ?Alt? key and press the ?F10? key simultaneously to start Acer eRecovery
3. Once eRecovery has loaded, click ?Restore to Factory Default Settings?
4. Click ?OK? to continue
5. From here, the eRecovery process will update all the data on the C: drive and restore a fully functional factory image (approximately 10 minutes).
6. Once eRecovery has run, press ?OK? to reboot unit"

I hope this might work. I read a few people still being able to use the recovery partition after an upgrade (if that is the fact).

 

[i386]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

My Acer laptop came with recovery discs.

Other Acer laptops I've worked on did not. But they all have a recovery partition. They do come with instructions and a utility to make your own set of recovery discs. That should have been done on day one of owning the laptop. Those will also recreate the recovery partition I believe.

If you've reached the end of the line, I would contact Acer for a new set of recovery CDs. It will be MUCH easier for you to repair the laptop with these than some Windows CD you have to borrow from someone. Acer will provide these for a small fee.

Start here:

https://secure2.tx.acer.com/fixmyacer3/fixmyacer.aspx

Or email them here and ask about replacement recovery CDs:

http://acer.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/acer.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php?p_sid=JmNErEwj

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

Anybody else have any other suggestions?

 

[ThumbPkr]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

Are you brave enough to try the live cd using the links that Dolluper provided maybe?That would clear the hardware issue for you.Ron G

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

Are you brave enough to try the live cd using the links that Dolluper provided maybe?That would clear the hardware issue for you.Ron G

I don't have a USB drive or a CD/DVD writer.

 

[ThumbPkr]

Re: Need help with neighbors laptop

I would guess that getting the correct system disks from the mfg is going to be the solution in the long run.I would mail you a boot disk but am going out of town for a few days.If you go to bootdisks.com you can download the Bart bootdisk for free but you will need to slipstream it to your operating system disk which you don't have and the burn it which is out of the question so getting the correct disks is the way to go.Good luck.Ron G