Hi Mark - I don't think being an illegal version is the problem. Was the laptop running ok before? If so, he would have found out before now that the OS was not a legal version. Usually, even if a version is illegal (such as the activation period has expired) it will still boot up - but it'll warn you that unless you activate soon you'll gradually lose functionality. I don't think it will ever totally refuse to boot even if it is illegal. Of course if he got Win7 from a torrent download or somewhere sketchy I wouldn't be surprised if it boots to the Repair And Restore utility. But if it was working before - and suddenly wouldn't boot - it's likely the HD is bad or the system files are all corrupted (or both). Hope what I suggested works for ya.
Good luck, Donk On 7/6/2011 11:08 AM, Absolute Sound Labs wrote: > Hi Donk... > > I was just advised that the Windows 7 might be an > illegal copy. Could this be an issue? I have heard > some talk about update and virus functions > checking to see if the OS is a genuine copy. > > Thanks for your help, I will try the stuff you > tried, but suspect if the OS isn't genuine he may > be SOL. > > Mark > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Donk > Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 8:51 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [A-1-Computer_Tech] Windows 7 - Boot > Failure... > > > It sounds like your Windows 7 installation is > seriously corrupted - > and/or her hard drive is toast. If the drive is > over 4 or 5 years old, > I'd assume the drive is done for. > > First, have you tried booting into Safe Mode? > Press the power button > and keep tapping the F8 key till you see the boot > menu. Select Safe > Mode. If you can get to the Safe Mode desktop try > running Vista's > System Restore option to go back to a date before > the problem started. > Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools. > Select "System > Restore" and follow the prompts to go back to a > previous date. She > won't lose any personal data or files - it'll just > restore the windows > system files. > > If that fails try this: > If you have the Win7 installation DVD, put it in > the drive and boot from > it (if it doesn't boot from the DVD, you might > have to change your boot > order so that the BIOS will boot from the DVD > drive first). > > You'll come to the "System Recovery Options" > screen. Select "Repair > Your Computer" and try the different repair > options it offers. > > Hopefully one of those fixes will work. If the > problem is a defective > hard drive - the only fix will be to buy a new > drive and install Win7 > from scratch. > > Good luck, > Donk > > > > > On 7/5/2011 10:15 AM, Absolute Sound Labs wrote: >> Hello Everyone... >> >> Seems I got myself into another quest for an >> answer in an area that I only know enough to be >> dangerous. >> >> I just offered to help a female friend with he >> son's Gateway MS-2285 Laptop with Windows Home >> installed. I should have known better since I > know >> absolutely zero about Windows 7 because I am >> trapped in the Windows XP-Pro era. >> >> The laptop will not boot. It starts up with a >> program that indicates there is something wrong >> and Windows 7 Setup& Repair will check the >> system. >> >> After checking, it comes up with the message... >> >> "Setup and Repair Can Not Repair This Computer > Automatically". >> It then lists the following... >> >> Problem Event Name: Startup repair off-line. >> >> Problem Signature 01: b.1.7600.16385 >> Problem Signature 02: b.1.7600.16385 >> Problem Signature 03: unknown >> Problem Signature 04: 21201000 >> Problem Signature 05: Auto Failover >> Problem Signature 06: 12 >> Problem Signature 07: Corrupt File >> >> OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.1 >> >> Locale ID: 1033 >> >> The diagnosis and repair log says the following: >> "Startup Repair-several times. Can not determine >> cause. >> >> At this point the computer locks up and must be >> shut down. >> >> Can anyone offer any ideas or suggestions to > bail >> out my a** from having to tell the lady friend I >> can't help? >> >> Thanks for any assistance >> >> Mark >> >> > > ------------------------------------ > > If you have any questions or problems with any > aspect of this site, please feel free to contact > me directly [email protected] Please do not post > personal issues directly to the group. > > To unsubscribe from this list, send an email to > [email protected] > > Thank you for using A-1 Computer TechYahoo! Groups > Links > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/A-1-Computer_Tech/ > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/A-1-Computer_Tech/jo > in > (Yahoo! 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