Computer Help and Support

hobbit709

(41,694 posts) Tue Jun 30, 2015, 08:25 PM Jun 2015

Windows 8-What a major PITA.

Someone brought their Toshiba laptop over because it wouldn't boot. Does nothing for about 10 minutes and then flashes the screen saying repair is started. Then does nothing for hours afterwards.
Bad enough they don't put a product key sticker on there so you can do a clean reinstall. So I look up how to do a Reset to back fresh out of the box state. Toshiba tells me to open the Charms bar, etc.-If I could boot into Windoze I wouldn't have to do a reset.
Tried changing the settings in BIOS so I could boot with a Linux live disk. "No boot media found"-both from internal DVD drive and external one.
Finally pulled the hard drive, plugged it into another computer so I could copy their data files off it.
In the morning I'll try my Windows 8 OEM disk and see what happens.

a friend of mine joked that since every other version of Windows is a POS, the reason they skipped 9 and are going to 10 is so they won't have a decent version.

12 replies

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Windows 8-What a major PITA. (Original Post) hobbit709 Jun 2015 OP

Windows 8 is what drive Mr. Dixie to declare!!!! we are done with Microsoft. dixiegrrrrl Jun 2015 #1

Create a Win 8 usb boot drive Mnpaul Jun 2015 #2

Update: Evidently hard drive is no longer bootable. hobbit709 Jul 2015 #3

The boot order probably needed to be changed Mnpaul Jul 2015 #4

While unlikely, a bad boot sector can kill the disk discntnt_irny_srcsm Jul 2015 #5

Unlikely on a Win 8 machine Mnpaul Jul 2015 #6

I had a seagate die that way discntnt_irny_srcsm Jul 2015 #7

Nothing is unlikely on a computer. hobbit709 Jul 2015 #9

Seagate moved production to Thailand some years ago Mnpaul Jul 2015 #11

Nope. Drive locked up system. Changed all three settings in BIOS. hobbit709 Jul 2015 #8

Glad to hear it Mnpaul Jul 2015 #10

I was able to recover the customer's data. hobbit709 Jul 2015 #12

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)

1. Windows 8 is what drive Mr. Dixie to declare!!!! we are done with Microsoft.

Reply to hobbit709 (Original post)

Tue Jun 30, 2015, 08:36 PM

Jun 2015

We have been with Linux ever since.
Has it's own problems, but things are much much easier to work with, to add onto, etc.

Mnpaul

(3,655 posts)

2. Create a Win 8 usb boot drive

Reply to hobbit709 (Original post)

Tue Jun 30, 2015, 08:58 PM

Jun 2015

Start from that and you have many options, renew, refresh, restore points and reinstall.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media

I used it to repair the landlord's laptop and it worked great. Renew failed, refresh failed but the third restore point worked and I was done.

You don't need a product key. The key is in your bios.

hobbit709

(41,694 posts)

3. Update: Evidently hard drive is no longer bootable.

Reply to Mnpaul (Reply #2)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 10:54 AM

Jul 2015

It's readable as a secondary drive on another computer but will not boot or allow any other boot device to properly load. Just freezes up system.
Put in a new 500 Gb drive and it's installing. Hope there's no problems.

Mnpaul

(3,655 posts)

4. The boot order probably needed to be changed

Reply to hobbit709 (Reply #3)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 06:41 PM

Jul 2015

if you could read it as secondary, it should allow to boot from usb. A new hard drive can't hurt though. You need to have Toshiba drivers on the usb or maybe not. Wish you luck.

discntnt_irny_srcsm

(18,482 posts)

5. While unlikely, a bad boot sector can kill the disk

Reply to Mnpaul (Reply #4)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 06:54 PM

Jul 2015

Mnpaul

(3,655 posts)

6. Unlikely on a Win 8 machine

Reply to discntnt_irny_srcsm (Reply #5)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 07:00 PM

Jul 2015

It can be that old. It could have been a boot sector virus. I wonder if the OP scanned it when hooked up to the other computer.

discntnt_irny_srcsm

(18,482 posts)

7. I had a seagate die that way

Reply to Mnpaul (Reply #6)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 07:05 PM

Jul 2015

It was in a Linux box and I replaced it with a WD RE4. No problems so far, knock on silicon.

hobbit709

(41,694 posts)

9. Nothing is unlikely on a computer.

Reply to Mnpaul (Reply #6)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 07:21 PM

Jul 2015

I've had a one month old drive crash and burn. Since it was under warranty, Seagate replaced it with the next larger. Sent in a 250 gig and got a 320 in return.

Mnpaul

(3,655 posts)

11. Seagate moved production to Thailand some years ago

Reply to hobbit709 (Reply #9)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 07:29 PM

Jul 2015

maybe that wasn't a good idea. I use server drives on my desktop and only had one fail and it was an ancient one bought from ebay. My tablets have ssd drives, I'm curious as to how long they will last.

hobbit709

(41,694 posts)

8. Nope. Drive locked up system. Changed all three settings in BIOS.

Reply to Mnpaul (Reply #4)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 07:18 PM

Jul 2015

Turned off Secure boot, changed it to legacy so it would boot another OS, and set boot order. Locked it up every time it accessed the drive.
Soon as I swapped drive with the new one had no problem booting from USB or DVD drive.
8.1 installed no problem, had all the drivers in its database. Installed Classic Shell to get rid of that damn Metro interface.

When I tried to read drive on another computer it would lock it up. The only way I was able to read it was connect it to a USB adapter and then run Linux Live.

Customer is now happy camper.

Mnpaul

(3,655 posts)

10. Glad to hear it

Reply to hobbit709 (Reply #8)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 07:25 PM

Jul 2015

After hearing additional details, I agree the drive was toast. Could you save any of your info from the old drive?

I guess that they don't make 'em like they used to. Remember to back up your stuff.

hobbit709

(41,694 posts)

12. I was able to recover the customer's data.

Reply to Mnpaul (Reply #10)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 08:17 PM

Jul 2015

I have at least 3 backup copies of all my data files.

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