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  1. #1
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    Help Laptop boot problem

    My daughter booted up her laptop after not using it for 2 years and was immediately hit with the 'bootmgr missing' error.

    Normally i would try to repair it with the installation disc but it's not working.

    Then i would attach my external dvd, change boot in bios and install windows from there, but not working.

    Lastly i would try to install windows from a USB but this is also not working.

    When connected the USB and external drive are not recognised in bios, which i have never come across before.

    Stupid question but i am going to remove the hard drive, connect it to my pc, install windows on it, then put it back in the laptop.

    Will this work? Or can anyone suggest something else to try?


    Any help appreciated.

    Thanks

  2. #2
    DF VIP Member MHP's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    Make and model of the Laptop?

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    Quote Originally Posted by MHP View Post
    Make and model of the Laptop?

    Acer Travelmate 8371

  4. #4
    DF Super Moderator piggzy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    If BIOS not seeing things, I have in the past had this issue caused by poorly implemented UEFI in the BIOS.

    In BIOS does IDE have settings such as AHCI/UEFI etc . Try changing this to/from legacy IDE.
    e.g. If BIOS is set to legacy IDE but the drives/usb devices in question are UEFI some hardware will not see them, and vice versa.

    In actual fact had this issue on Saturday on a desktop PC and it was exactly that.

    Thanks to piggzy

    ilscuro (13th February 2018)  


  5. #5
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    Quote Originally Posted by piggzy View Post
    If BIOS not seeing things, I have in the past had this issue caused by poorly implemented UEFI in the BIOS.

    In BIOS does IDE have settings such as AHCI/UEFI etc . Try changing this to/from legacy IDE.
    e.g. If BIOS is set to legacy IDE but the drives/usb devices in question are UEFI some hardware will not see them, and vice versa.

    In actual fact had this issue on Saturday on a desktop PC and it was exactly that.
    I've actually come across that problem as well in the past mate, but this laptop has the most minimalist bios i've ever seen there are hardly any options.

    This link shows the bios for the laptop.

    I have managed to get the bios to recognise the USB, but the laptop still refuses to boot from it.
    Last edited by ilscuro; 12th February 2018 at 09:25 PM.

  6. #6
    DF VIP Member Over Carl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    Try another USB stick. I sometimes boot one of my pc's from USB. Looks like every stick I have tried works, except the one small USB stick I found that I thought would be perfect for the purpose as it was too small to be practically useful for anything else.

    Also try each of the USB ports. The PC I was just talking about happens to have one dead USB port and another intermittent port.

    Or another method, install win 7 but don't install any drivers on another machine, then move the drive over and install relevant drivers. Not optimal, but normally works with Win7.
    Last edited by Over Carl; 12th February 2018 at 09:34 PM.

    Thanks to Over Carl

    ilscuro (13th February 2018)  


  7. #7
    DF Super Moderator piggzy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    Quote Originally Posted by ilscuro View Post
    I've actually come across that problem as well in the past mate, but this laptop has the most minimalist bios i've ever seen there are hardly any options.

    This link shows the bios for the laptop.

    I have managed to get the bios to recognise the USB, but the laptop still refuses to boot from it.
    Maybe there is an option to change BIOS to advanced. Most seem to these days. According to Google that laptop does support UEFI, so could be that.

    Thanks to piggzy

    ilscuro (13th February 2018)  


  8. #8
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    Quote Originally Posted by piggzy View Post
    Maybe there is an option to change BIOS to advanced. Most seem to these days. According to Google that laptop does support UEFI, so could be that.

    Maybe there is but i don't see it mate lol


    Quote Originally Posted by Over Carl View Post
    Try another USB stick. I sometimes boot one of my pc's from USB. Looks like every stick I have tried works, except the one small USB stick I found that I thought would be perfect for the purpose as it was too small to be practically useful for anything else.

    Also try each of the USB ports. The PC I was just talking about happens to have one dead USB port and another intermittent port.

    Or another method, install win 7 but don't install any drivers on another machine, then move the drive over and install relevant drivers. Not optimal, but normally works with Win7.

    I'm going to try with a different usb stick cheers.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    Ok tried a different USB stick and the laptop now recognises it in the bios, great i thought, but no, even though i change the boot order to boot from the usb first i still get the bootmgr is missing error.

  10. #10
    DF Super Moderator piggzy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    OK you cant see UEFI settings in BIOS, so have you tried making the USB with I assume windows on it in UEFI mode or legacy mode??? Which ever one you did , try the other.

    2 Thanks given to piggzy

    ilscuro (13th February 2018),  Over Carl (14th February 2018)  


  11. #11
    DF VIP Member MHP's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    Do you have a disk to disk recovery option (D2D) in the bios? If so try enabling it.

    Thanks to MHP

    ilscuro (13th February 2018)  


  12. #12
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    Quote Originally Posted by piggzy View Post
    OK you cant see UEFI settings in BIOS, so have you tried making the USB with I assume windows on it in UEFI mode or legacy mode??? Which ever one you did , try the other.

    Trying that now mate, thanks.


    Quote Originally Posted by MHP View Post
    Do you have a disk to disk recovery option (D2D) in the bios? If so try enabling it.

    I did enable that mate, didn't seem to do anything unless i'm not doing it properly.

  13. #13
    DF VIP Member
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    Success, that worked, thanks to everyone who helped.

  14. #14
    DF VIP Member muttleymacclad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    Which bit worked ?
    "When a naked man is chasing a woman through an alley with a butchers knife and a hard-on, I figure he isn't out collecting for the Red Cross." - 'Dirty' Harry

  15. #15
    DF VIP Member
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    Quote Originally Posted by muttleymacclad View Post
    Which bit worked ?

    making a USB in UEFI mode, with a program called Rufus

    2 Thanks given to ilscuro

    muttleymacclad (13th February 2018),  Over Carl (14th February 2018)  


  16. #16
    DF Super Moderator piggzy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    UEFI although it was/is needed it has been very poorly implemented and standards not followed correctly by manufacturers.

    It gives nothing but trouble for me. Pisses me off to the point that on some machines I just put IDE in legacy mode.

    Thanks to piggzy

    ilscuro (14th February 2018)  


  17. #17
    DF VIP Member Over Carl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    When secure boot came out, I read it could be used to prevent us installing anything but MS Windows.

    Then I had a bunch of machines that had secure boot. If it wasn't there to cripple my PC, I would have spend a little time to learn (like I did with slipstreaming AHCI drivers on to WinXP CD's).

    Never setup a PC in secure boot so far, and never had any reason for regret. In fact I once found some software that will not work on a PC with secure boot that works fine on same PC in legacy mode which makes me even less likely to bother learning about secure boot.

    3 Thanks given to Over Carl

    ilscuro (14th February 2018),  muttleymacclad (14th February 2018),  piggzy (14th February 2018)  


  18. #18
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    Default Re: Laptop boot problem

    Had similar experiences with Secure Boot i.e. nothing but problems
    Used Rufus myself to get around a few problems with it but its so shitty on some systems its laughable.
    You know he grew up as a little shitspark from the old shitflint and then he turned into a shitbonfire and driven by the winds of his monumental ignorance he turned into a raging shitfirestorm. If I get to be married to Barb I'll have total control of Sunnyvale and then I can unleash the shitnami tidal wave that will engulf Ricky and extinguish his shitflames forever. And with any luck he'll drown in the undershit of that wave. Shitwaves.

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