Windows Vista Vista Laptop, "Operating System Not Found"

I don't have physical access to the machine, but the end user is competent enough to follow directions. I just need some vista-specific help getting it to run.

The laptop now boots with "operating system not found." Working the standard procedure, I tried to have the user boot to a command prompt, safe mode, and last known good configuration - all of which failed.

My normal impulse is to run from a bootable floppy and run a repair on the master boot record, since we couldn't get far enough into the process to run checkdisk and see if that would fix things.

The problem, however, is this is a vista laptop. It doesn't recognize my old FAT-based boot disk from 98, and it doesn't even have a floppy drive. What vista-specific tools are available for this kind of circumstance?

I'm fairly certain I need to check disk and look at the master boot record (it's not booting, after all)... I just don't know how to for Vista. What sort of product/tool should I be looking for?

 

Could you clarify something for me

If it doesn't have a floppy drive what are you attempting to boot from (CD's don't use FAT), if a hard drive are you connecting internally or externally?

The laptop model may help as a recovery procedure may be inbuilt.

 

I was just saying that more as running down my own analysis. Helped me to talk it out.

"Even if it *did* havea floppy drive, my boot disk wouldn't work because Vista would not recognize a FAT system, when it runs NTFS. "

We haven't tried attaching anything to the computer to boot from it. "Acer Aspire 5730z-5330 series," is the answer I was given when I asked for the make and model.

 

Thanks CUISTech,

That cleared things up, FYI it's not that Vista won't recognise the FAT system (it will), it's because your boot media won't recognise the NTFS system.

Ok, as I'm not a vista user I'll step back for other (more experienced) users for input.

In the meantime I'd advise googling for that laptop and examining recovery options or consider a live linux distro to recover any lost data.

I'm sorry I stepped in but I understand you are still on learning experience and this is what I would initially do. Hopefully though others will have more specific answers to your problem.

 

The laptop was not shipped with a Vista DVD. Will any Vista DVD work? Or does it have to be one with the same key on it?

 

An Acer laptop, if not modified, should have the recovery system built into a protected partition. In the bios there should be a d2d (disk to disk) setting to make this possible, and the manual will have the method detailed, ie a hot key will be listed to start the recovery from the stored image.

Roger

 

Hi Roger, will it re-image the drive or repair the current install of Windows?

Maybe the answer lies at the system manufacturer's website or in the User Guide/Manual that came with the computer.

Maybe

Matt

 

Quite right Matt - if no major changes have been made to the OS by the user this is a case of rtfm. Acer put a recovery partition on the machine which, in moments of despair will restore the machine to its ex-factory state.
If the d2d is activated in the bios, pressing Alt + F10 should start the process.

Roger

 

The error is "operating system not found ". As far as the BIOS is concerned, there isn't anything to start the operating system on the HDD. It may be a problem in the boot files, it may be problem with the MBR (Master Boot Records).

With a full version of Windows (Vista), a repair may be able to be carried out (see Arie's post). If the only way to fix the system is to re-image the drive, all data on that drive is lost.

I don't know (or can't find out) if laptops can be repaired or if they just need to be re-imaged.

Roger, re-image is the destructive method. Repair, if possible, is just that. Vista offers Startup Repair. I would like to know if repair is possible. (I won't hold my breath )

From what I can find, laptop manufacturers do not offer a full version of Windows with the computer. If you have problems, do you need to re-image?

Matt

 

Hi Matt,

I've never tried it myself. I bought my Acer laptop in France, and immediately wiped the HD and installed an OEM English version of Vista, mainly to get rid of all the bloatware like Norton.
If the d2d function will not work without a functioning OS it would seem to be a waste of time, but you are probably right. I assumed it would work like a True Image boot disk and bypass the OS to restore the factory settings. I hope that most Acer users have burned the back-up CD that Acer recommend!

Roger

 

Well, I am diagnosing over the phone, so don't be too hard on me. I did the right thing and asked if there was documentation and/or restore discs - to which I got a negative answer, as you saw.

I will shell out for a burnable DVD at my expense just to not have to deal with this again.

 

Thanks Roger. You installed from the DVD.

That reminds me that laptops have the Product Key on a label on their base. If you use the factory image, you don't need the Product Key or to activate Windows. If you need to use the Windows DVD, it will ask for the Product Key and you will need to activate it (I have only done that in Win XP, so I expect it is similar in Vista).

So it looks like you are right CUISTech, that seems to be the recourse if you need to do a Startup Repair on a laptop.

Matt

 

I just wonder if the HDD manufacturer's testing utilities could help you with checking the MBR. I haven't used the latest version, but Seagate/Maxtor had the option to save a copy of the MBR and "Update the MBR ". On a laptop there is always the possibility that there has been physical damage to the HDD (I worked on one recently and the testing utilities [Hitachi] said the drive had been "shocked ").

Some laptops have HDD testing utilities in the BIOS/Startup settings.

I have seen that some laptop (OEM System) manufacturers will send out a set of recovery disks. (At minimal cost?) We use them often where I work

Matt

 

Would a bootlog be a good place to start? Or do I need something fancier like those utils from the manufacturers?

 

Have the laptop in hand... No vista disc yet, I'm still trying to borrow someone's to fix it with. But here's some error code for everyone to chew on while I beggar around.

Useful? "Partition table" is not what I would have expected to find... Still check the MBR after I find and run the Vista disc? Or go straight to repairing the partition table?

 

With the error "Operating System Not Found ", it means that the BIOS cannot find the boot files for the operating system. It might mean an MBR problem (file system or partitioning) or the BIOS might not even be able to "see" the HDD at all.

"Bootlog ", there will be no update of the bootlog if the operating system has not started. If you can open the bootlog, it might tell you about the last time the system was booted. In previous Windows versions, you needed to "enable" boot logging (I think, from memory).

Me, I would run the HDD manufacturer's utilities before spending any money. If you go into the BIOS, (hopefully) the HDD will be listed and it should have the model number. You can put the HDD model number into a websearch (and try adding "utility ") and it should not be hard to find those testing utilities.

There is a good list here, but check if they are the lastest version.
http://tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

Matt

 

You posted before me. The partition table is part of the MBR (Master Boot Records).

Repairing the partition table can be destructive. As I was saying before, the HDD utilities may have the ability to save a copy of the MBR, then you can try fixing the partition table. (And again, the HDD could possibly have physical damage.)

One of our members, McTavish, is clever with these problems. Try a search of his posts. If he is around, maybe he could give you his thoughts.

Matt

 

Found a dell's Vista restore CD, and I booted from it. I selected the option to "Launch Startup Repair," and then triggered the CD drive to boot. I was able to get into BIOS and configure that. Forgot to check for the HDD manufacturer, though. I'll do that on next pass.

At the install screen, I selected all the options and took the option to "repair your computer." The System Recovery Options box loads and the bar starts scrolling, when it tells me it's "searching for windows installations." I don't hear a hard drive or CD spin up during this time. Not even the fans turn on. (But I am used to older, louder drives and fans - it could be that something was running).

The next dialogue says that "windows found problems with your computer's startup options. Do you want to apply repairs and restart your computer?" I opted to view the details before continuing.

"The following startup options will be added:
Name: (recovered)
Windows Device: Partition=Not found "

I select "repair and restart." The message that is returned is "(red x) Failed to save startup options." I now have the option to load drivers, and it accesses the Vista CD, prompting me first to insert the installation media for the device and click okay to select the driver." It feeds me to the X: (Boot) drive, and the \sources\ folder. Nothing useful seems to appear in the folders, and there are a half-dozen inf files that I'm unsure of what they do.

(I'll research these, but hopefully someone knows the answer off the top of their head: osfilter, sfpat, sfpat2k, sfpatlh, sfpatxp, upgcompat)

I've been to the Acer site looking for downloads for this model of notebook, with little success. I've found a number of drivers, but for the webcam, nic card and other peripherals. However I didn't see a hard drive driver. Unless I just totally missed it. The interface to find drivers isn't exactly friendly.

I have Everest somewhere, which would tell me everything if I were inside the OS. The BIOS returned a long string for what I think is the HDD. I'll research it as soon as I post this, unless someone beats me to the draw again. But what kind of everest-like tools work in the boot process, or in a command prompt? (Scratches chin... wonders if he las a knoppix distro to boot the comp with to see if he can restore things)

IDE0 Model Name: WDC WD3200BEVT-22ZCT0-(PM)