Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Windows won't boot after restore image

Oct 1, 2015 6:00PM PDT

When we last left our hero, his PC would not power on. After testing the PSU, he brought it to the local repair shop. There, the repair guy reseated the RAM and it powered on but wouldn’t boot windows, most likely because of my interrupting Windows restore when the PC was locking up.

I said, I know how to restore a back up image with Macrium rescue disk (I religiously make back ups!) and took it home. No dice. It powered but wouldn’t boot the restored image. I brought it back to the shop and at great expense, he reinstalled Windows & and told me not to try to restore the image; to be happy with a working OS.

I of course tried to restore the image so I wouldn’t have the miserable task of reinstalling all my programs, getting it to network with the printers, etc. What do you know- Windows won't boot, giving me error messages that a windows 32 dll is missing.

Macrium tech support via email has been helpful and made numerous suggestions-I’ve tried to reinstall the most recent image, older images, image made with another program of the native reinstalled Win 7, to boot with the second drive removed, to restore with overwrite enabled, to use the rescue disk Boot Fix utilities all no go.

A friend who knows computers spent 2 ½ hours the other night trying various fixes including some repair attempts with a Windows flash drive. He suggests removing the partition on my primary drive with cmd that I can get to via the rescue CD and trying to restore the image.

The BIOS changed a little after bringing the PC home from the shop- I get an ASUS, not AVA screen when prompted to boot the BIOS and on powering up, I get a single beep from the motherboard.

I ordered a windows 7 reinstallation disk off of Ebay (I have the original OS serial number), so when I’m ready to throw in the towel I can always try reinstalling Win 7 (again).

Any bright ideas? I can supply more specifics about the system/error messages as needed.

Thanks in advance

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Answer
Tell a little more about that BIOS.
Oct 1, 2015 6:32PM PDT
- Collapse -
not sure about reinstalling windows from the DL
Oct 1, 2015 6:36PM PDT

I do have a valid serial. I looked into DL'ing a windows 7 ISO but apparently there's a utility needed to install the image and the link to it was dead. Am I wrong?

What can I tell you about the BIOS. Use small words, please, I really am limited.

- Collapse -
Worked fine here.
Oct 1, 2015 6:41PM PDT

The new system was noted and once in a while folk try the outdated digital river links. I can't see what you did.

You wrote the BIOS was different. As you know, Windows belly flops when we change motherboards or BIOS makers. I can even cause a BSOD on demand on many BIOSes.

- Collapse -
Answer
Sure ...
Oct 1, 2015 6:36PM PDT

After you get it up and running again, why wouldn't you do what most folks do and create a set of System Image Disc's ?
Than a weekly back up of files and folders would get you back in the game post haste.

Seems to me that you still have to learn the most basic , newbie steps to recovery

- Collapse -
Eager "to learn the most basic , newbie steps to recovery"
Oct 1, 2015 7:14PM PDT

Please illuminate me. I honestly would like to learn a better way.

I routinely make back up images with Macrium to restore the system with a crash. I can explore the images to replace data, but still have to reinstall every game, printer etc.

With the time I've spent trying to get the restore to work, I probably could have gotten that all done, but now it's a matter of pride!

- Collapse -
Here ya go
Oct 1, 2015 7:30PM PDT
- Collapse -
Here's a Youtube tutorial
Oct 1, 2015 7:38PM PDT