What to do if even recovery disk doesn't help

[jquin3]

Hi I'm trying to help out a friend with a problem with her Sony Vaio laptop that came with pre-installed Windows 7 Home Basic. She updated Windows like she usually does and when she restarted it freezes during logon before the desktop appears. The mouse cursor is there and the wallpaper but nothing else. I tried to boot in safe mode but its the same problem. We cant do a system restore. We tried using the Recovery/rescue disk but it also doesn't work. It just shows the screen telling us that the recovery process is about to start and it just gets stuck there for a very long time. The only thing I can think of next is to do a reformat and re-install of Windows 7. Since we don't have an installation disk (since the laptop came with Windows 7 preinstalled already), is my choice only to buy a new copy of Window 7? The laptop was a gift and was bought overseas so she cant go to the original seller. Second question is if we do a new install of Windows 7, will it remove the Sony Vaio software (I'm talking about Sony Vaio functionality like the Webgate which allows internet access without booting Windows,etc)? Thanks for any help guys.

[patio]

Laptops nowadays ship without a Windows CD...it's been this way for awhile now.
There are basically 2 options depending on the manufacturer:
1) They will have instructions on creating your own Recovery DVD....or
2) They will have instructions on accessing the hidden Recovery partition to facilitate a re-install of Windows7.

Unfortunately doing this either way will wipe her data and take the machine back to Day One status....as if it were brand new....
And yes the Sony software and all pre-installed apps plus system drivers etc. will all be included.

Contact Sony before proceeding...
If you have important data on there since you cannot get into Windows the hard drive would need to be removed and put in an external enclosure and hooked up to a working machine to retrieve any needed data....

The only other option...but one well worth considering would be to borrow a Win7 DVD from someone and run a Repair install which is the last option when booting to the DVD...
NOTE: For this to work properly the versions have to match what she has and whats on the DVD...

Hope there is a workable option here for you...

[patio]

There used to be another way where you could DLoad an .iso to create a Repair DVD...
This tool will not re-install Win7...only repair the existing installation...
Unfortunately the lawyers got involved and the file had to be taken down from the site...

Read About it Here...

[truenorth]

Patio and o/p As a result of another posting on another forum by a CH member i created an "Avira ISO Common Windows Rescue Disc"
http://mooremn.wordpress.com/2010/10/16/avira-rescue-system-part-1-of-4-creating-the-rescue-disk/
 I have NOT had occasion to try and use it. But might this work for the O/P? truenorth

[patio]

Patio and o/p As a result of another posting on another forum by a CH member i created an "Avira ISO Common Windows Rescue Disc"
http://mooremn.wordpress.com/2010/10/16/avira-rescue-system-part-1-of-4-creating-the-rescue-disk/
 I have NOT had occasion to try and use it. But might this work for the O/P? truenorth

That will only get him far enough to be able to run an Avira scan for infections...it will not facilitate a Win7 Repair...

[aussie11]

http://www.mydigitallife.info/download-windows-7-iso-official-32-bit-and-64-bit-direct-download-links/

[patio]

http://www.mydigitallife.info/download-windows-7-iso-official-32-bit-and-64-bit-direct-download-links/

He has to be a Student to use that and pay for it...

We were attempting Free solutions 1st...

That should be his last option.

[aussie11]

Hi.
 I have downloaded burnt and re installed win 7 from this link activating from the original product key on my laptop for free.

[reddevilggg]

Hi.
 I have downloaded burnt and re installed win 7 from this link activating from the original product key on my laptop for free.

Is this a  breach of forum rules?

[patio]

It's very close...one eye open...

[Geek-9pm]

That will only get him far enough to be able to run an Avira scan for infections...it will not facilitate a Win7 Repair...

I have used the Alvira ISO. It doss more that remove infections. It can fix rt a laptop that has some problem with the boot loader. I have used in on Vista laptops and it worked fine. Not sure how it works.

[jquin3]

Laptops nowadays ship without a Windows CD...it's been this way for awhile now.
There are basically 2 options depending on the manufacturer:
1) They will have instructions on creating your own Recovery DVD....or
2) They will have instructions on accessing the hidden Recovery partition to facilitate a re-install of Windows7.

Unfortunately doing this either way will wipe her data and take the machine back to Day One status....as if it were brand new....
And yes the Sony software and all pre-installed apps plus system drivers etc. will all be included.

Contact Sony before proceeding...
If you have important data on there since you cannot get into Windows the hard drive would need to be removed and put in an external enclosure and hooked up to a working machine to retrieve any needed data....

The only other option...but one well worth considering would be to borrow a Win7 DVD from someone and run a Repair install which is the last option when booting to the DVD...
NOTE: For this to work properly the versions have to match what she has and whats on the DVD...

Hope there is a workable option here for you...

Thanks for the advice. I dont think my friend has any important data that she might want to save there. I can probably borrow a copy of Windows 7 Home Basic 64-bit from somewhere. Does it matter that its not the same copy of Windows 7 that was used in the laptop? Can I use the Home Premium?

[jquin3]

We tried to do a repair install but when it goes to the Windows is starting screen it just stays there and just freezes just like before. Do I need to bring it already to a Sony service center?

[jason2074]

The Product key for your Win 7 Basic differs from Home Premiums Edition. Are you sure the CD is free from scratches or dust? Since this is a laptop, try direct connecting AC power adapter when performing the repair option. We don't know about the power being drawn for the battery-only usage compared to the direct power so its worth a try. 

[Geek-9pm]

Hi I'm trying to help out a friend with a problem with her Sony Vaio laptop that came with pre-installed Windows 7 Home Basic

If that is true, it is not a crime to borrow a restore image made from another Sony Vaio that has the exact same Windows 7 OS. The Sony has a COA that gives the owner the right to use that OEM version of Windows 7. The COA does NOT extend to other versions.

My recommendation is to look around locally for somebody who has done a backup of the original OEM install on that Sony model. Worth a try.Ask at  the local college .Many youngsters have Sony laptops.