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Windows 8.1 boot isssue

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BlackHawk1

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Jul 18, 2010
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Hi. I hope someone can help me out with this Windows 8.1 issue that is driving me up a wall. A friends computer (HP 2000-2c27CL Notebook) was badly infected and while I was able to do some cleaning in normal Windows I had to do some in Safe Mode. In Windows 8 I was not being able to access Safe Mode so I got to Advanced Startup Options in Windows 8, Troubleshoot, then Advanced options, and finally the Command Prompt. Using the command prompt I typed "bcdedit /set {default} safeboot network" to have Safe Mode with Networking. Ever since I did that I haven't been able to get Windows to do a normal boot. I always get Safe Mode. I can't get back to Advanced Startup Options either. Via msconfig in Safe Mode I selected the Normal startup button on the General tab and selected apply and then ok. It then prompted me to restart the computer which I did. This did not fix the issue as I continue to get Safe Mode every time I start the computer. I also tried to do a complete system restore by typing "Recovery" in Windows 8 which brought up the HP Recovery Manager. Once in there I selected the Windows Recovery Environment and it prompted me to reboot the computer. I was expecting to get to an area where I could do a complete factory restore, but I again get booted into Safe Mode. What the heck is going on? The person who has this computer has no restore media, no USB or DVD discs. There is however a recovery partion, but as I said I can't do anything because I keep getting Safe Mode. Help with this is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
 
Did you try typing this in a command prompt?

bcdedit /deletevalue {default} safeboot
 
newtekie1 said:
Did you try typing this in a command prompt?

bcdedit /deletevalue {default} safeboot
Click to expand...


I did that. I typed the command, hit enter, closed the window, rebooted, and now it's in a loop of automatic repair. :( Then all it does it take me to the Choose An Option screen... Continue, Use a Device, Troubleshoot, or Turn Off PC.

I tried System Restore and it says no restore points have been created. I went to Troubleshoot, Advanced, System Image Recovery and it says "Windows cannot find a system image on this computer."WTF?!

Are there any Win8 iso's out there that would allow me to reinstall Win8 from the optical drive? This is a legit purchased laptop.
 
flmatter said:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...veCategory&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&product=5395277 depending on how far you want to take recovery-factory reset and reinstall OS. Your friend will lose all saved data, photos, etc... But laptop will be fixed
Click to expand...


Thanks. Let me explain... I had that page pulled up a while ago and as my original post said "I also tried to do a complete system restore by typing "Recovery" in Windows 8 which brought up the HP Recovery Manager. Once in there I selected the Windows Recovery Environment and it prompted me to reboot the computer. I was expecting to get to an area where I could do a complete factory restore, but I again get booted into Safe Mode." So I revisited that link and went to "Recovery when Windows 8 does not start correctly." Surprisingly it started the recovery to a factory state and was making progress BUT then all of a sudden I got this... "HP Recovery Manager failed. Error Code= 0xEFFFFF08."

That sucks! Win8 blows no? I am now getting "Boot Device Not Found. Please install a operating system on your hard disk. Hard Disk (3F0)


I looked on this laptop for a Windows 8 key for reinstallation purposes if he has to order disks, but I don't see any stickers like I normally find.. I opened up the battery compartment and I don't see one there either. Is there one under one of the other bottom covers? How will I be able to find his key? Thanks again people, you have been a great help!
 
The license/key should be on a sticker 25 letters and numbers on it on the underside of the laptop or you can find a free key viewer program to DL and run on your friends machine if you can get it that far. I will check my desktop later and see if I have the downloaded iso from Microsoft when I upgraded from WIn7(mistake lol) but you will need a key for the machine.
 
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flmatter said:
The license/key should be on a sticker 25 letters and numbers on it on the underside of the laptop or you can find a free key viewer program to DL and run on your friends machine if you can get it that far. I will check my desktop later and see if I have the downloaded iso from Microsoft when I upgraded from WIn7(mistake lol) but you will need a key for the machine.
Click to expand...

Yeah I know what you mean man... normally the key sticker is found on the bottom the the laptop, but there's not one there. There is a little square Windows 8 icon sticker there, but nothing else. Nothing in the battery compartment either. Strange unless it's under a panel I would have to take off, but I've never seen sticker placed there before. I asked him if anyone peeled the sticker off and he said no. He's an older retired man and as I said this is a legit purchase. At this point I can't get into Windows so a key finder isn't going to work. :(

I did a memory test and it passed. I just did a short hard drive test and it passed. I'm going to do a "Extensive Test" on the hard drive now. Craziness! I normally don't have too much difficulty solving things, but this one is driving me up the wall! :)
 
jsfitz54 said:
You can purchase restoration disks from HP.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&docname=bph07143
The last time I had to do this it cost about $17.00us.
The Restoration area of the disk "D" was corrupt so all it did upon restore was give a bad image.

I would wipe the entire drive if it was infected, not just the "C" partition.

Have you tested the HD for errors?
Click to expand...


Thank you. This computer is under warranty so I'm not so sure I should wipe the entire drive. I've never run into an issue where an infection spread to the recovery partition. Is infection of a recovery partition even possible? As stated in my previous post I did a short hard drive test and it passed. I'm going to do a "Extensive Test" on the hard drive now. Estimated time to complete that extended test is at 1 hour and 40 minute at this time. Did I mention that I despise Windows 8.? LOL!
 
While we are on the subject... I tried to use a antivirus emergency disk that I made with Sardu. It contains several AV programs on it. I have used this disk on XP, Vista, and Windows 7 with success. This mans laptop would not boot from it so I went into the BIOS and saw that Legacy is disabled by default and that UEFI is enabled. If I remember correctly under UEFI, Boot Manager was listed first then followed by the rom drive. I used the F keys to love the rom drive to the top taking the place of the boot mangers position. The computer still would not boot from the disk. I am new to BIOS with UEFI and wanted to know if I had done this correctly? If not, what would be the correct way to have it boot from emergency disks? Thank you!
 
In that case, don't forget to during bootup, "hit any key to boot from optical drive" in time...?
 
I changed the boot order and it will not boot from a AV rescue disk and it will not boot from a Hirens's disk either. Hard drive issues, error logs in the BIOS started being produced on 04/03/14 with code "03F0" I didn't get the computer until 04/04/14. A memory test shows it's ok. A short and extended hard drive test shows it's ok yet it won't boot up and hard drive errors are produced in the BIOS. If it won't boot from a AV rescuse disk and won't boot from Hiren's, would it boot from a OS reinstall disk purchased from HP? I wonder why it won't boot from the Rom drive? The UEFI boot order by default is... Boot Manager, Internal CD/DVD Rom Drive, USB Diskette On Key/USB Hard Disk, USB CD/DVD Rom Drive, ! Network Adapter. I changed the order to read Internal CD/DVD Rom Drive, Boot Manager, USB Diskette On Key/USB Hard Disk, USB CD?DVD Rom Drive, ! Network Adapter and it won't boot from the Rom drive. All I ever get is... "Boot Device Not Found. Please install an operating system on your hard disk. Hard Disk (3F0)" message.
 
"Boot Device Not Found". Are you sure the cable (from dvd-drive to mobo) isn't loose?

If at "Boot Option #1" the correct dvd drive is listed and selected, yet when trying to boot up from it, "the dvd-drive is not found" a loose cable is the most likely suspect.

Look also under "CD/DVD ROM Drive BBS Priorities" to set the order of devices.
 
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