winload.exe is missing/corrupt

[emptypockets62426]

Hi all.  I’ve posted this problem on another forum and thought I’d pick you guys’ brains with it too.   I need some help with a Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop. I'm trying to do a System Recovery with image disks created with the included Dell DataSafe Local Backup 2.0 cuz it had a virus and I don't know if it got it for sure, but after Windows is thru loading files I get a message in the Windows Boot Manager:

\windows\system32\boot\winload.exe
The selected entry could not be loaded because the app. is missing or corrupt.

This laptop did not come with ANY disks when bought new. The only disks available are the 2 I made with DataSafe. I've tried several suggestions I found on the net, but, so far, none have worked:

Booted from a Windows 7 Repair Disk>cmd prompt and:
1. typed bootrec.exe /fixmbr = success
2. bootrec.exe /fixboor = success
3. bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd = success
4.  chkdsk c: /r = fixed 1 file
5.  chkdsk d: /r = OK
6. sfc /SCANNOW /OFFBOOTDIR=c:\ /OFFWINDIR=c:\windows
  Rec'd this msg. with the above command:
     Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to
      fix some of them. Details are included in the CBS.Log windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log.
I extracted this file and saved it to a thumb drive for later use if need be. (It was 18MB of gibberish to me)
7. Renamed winload.exe to winload.old and replaced it with a known good winload.exe                   file from my pc.
8. Ran an Avast Free AV boot-time scan = nothing found
9.  bcdedit in Windows Boot Loader section indicates:
     identifier <default>
     device partition=c:
     path \windows\system32\winload.exe
     description Windows 7
      (windows\system3\boot\windload.exe does not show anywhere in BCD, although
       the Boot folder and file appear in Windows Explorer).  Winload.exe also shows in
      Windows\System32 folder as well
10.  Rebooted into F8>Repair your computer, but does nothing except load into
Windows normally.

So, basically what happens is that Windows is working, but I need to do a factory image
recovery, put the 1st recovery disk in, Windows loads files along the bottom of the sceen,
then gives me the error msg. about winload.exe is missing or corrupt.

I'd be obliged if someone could shed some light on this. Please use terms, instructions, etc. that I can follow because I’m no pc guru. Hope I haven't forgotten anything, but, who knows? Done so many things I can't remember 'em all.

Thanks for any help.

Dell Inspiron 1545
Pentium Dual-Core 2.20GHz
4GB RAM
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64 bit
Avast Free AV

[DaveLembke]

Restore media has an issue ( corrupt ), so I would look at borrowing a Windows 7 OEM disc from a friend and activate it with your key and not theirs. You will then have to install all necessary drivers for this computer as for it will be a clean install vs installation from system restore image etc.

OR Contact Dell and order a System Restore DVD for this model. Haven't had to order one yet for Dell, but HP was able to send me one for $35 for a laptop a customer of mine had that they crashed a drive on and didnt have restore media available that could have been burned to DVD's.

[emptypockets62426]

Thanks for replying Dave.  I completely understand what you're telling me because I've done what you've suggested many times in the past, but I want to know how to fix this issue because I work on pc's for folks.  I had just never ran across this before and want to learn how/if there's a fix for it.  Is winload.exe on the recovery disk also or, is it an issue within Windows (which I believe it is) is what I'm really trying to determine. 

 

[DaveLembke]

\windows\system32\boot\winload.exe
The selected entry could not be loaded because the app. is missing or corrupt.

Locate this file on a healthy Windows 7 system and copy it to thumb drive, and copy this known healthy winload.exe over top of the suspected corrupt winload.exe on this laptop is all I can suggest. You could also be looking at bad DLL's that this winload.exe call out too as well, but injecting a known good winload.exe overtop of the original suspected corrupt is my suggestion for now. Good Luck!

[emptypockets62426]

Step 7 in my original post.  Is that what u mean Dave?

[patio]

Only time i've seen that error is on a bootleg copy of Windows.

[emptypockets62426]

Thanks for the reply patio, but this installation of Win 7 is what was on the machine when he bought it NEW from Wal Mart and opened the box, so that should rule out it being a bootleg I would think.
 
If it was a refurbished pc, I'd suspect that also, because I worked on a pc last wk. that wanted to activate Win thru Dell--but it was an HP.  That immediately threw me a red flag and I ordered a recovery disk to "fix" it.

Like I explained to Dave, I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I've worked on these things since Win 3.1 and run across something new almost every time.  I'd just like to know a fix for it for the learning experience, and in case I run across it again.

Thanks for the insight patio.  I do appreciate it.

[patio]

No problem empty...
What if anything have you heard from Dell ? ?
Have you attempted a startup repair ? ?
To do so press F8 repeatedly at powerup...dont wait for the Winsplash screen...
Select the Advanced Boot Menu...
Startup Repair i believe is the last option on the list...run it
Do NOT interrupt it...even if it seems to hang...

[emptypockets62426]

patio, there isn't any Advanced Boot Menu, nor a Startup Repair

Repair your computer (when I choose this, it thinks about it for awhile then boots normally into
     Windows
Safe mode
Safe mode w/networking
Safe mode w/cmd prompt
Enable boot logging
Enable low resolution video
Last known good configuration
Directory services restore mode
Debugging mode
Disable driver signature enforcement
Start Windows normally

The pc works fine inside Windows--I just can't get a factory image recovery done with the recovery
disks because it'll boot from it, then go to the Win. Boot Mgr. screen that gives me the winload.exe missing/corrupt error

[DaveLembke]

Sorry for missing that step 7 in your post. Going to look to see if I can find DLL file dependency info on winload.exe as for like I stated before it could be a missing or corrupt DLL that is causing winload.exe to fail to function and the programmer(s) who added the error message used a generic error alert event that does not go into specifics. Sometimes you will get messages that point of DLL issues, but sometimes like might be the case here the EXE failing to operate without the proper DLL support might error out without specifying a DLL issue.

[DaveLembke]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/50355566/The-Windows-7-Boot-Process

Might be an issue with winload.exe's hand off to NTOSKRNL.EXE, HAL.DLL, etc

Try replacing NTOSKRNL.EXE with a known good copy, but first make a backup copy of this file to have the original just in case. Very much doubt you would need to do this, but I always save a copy of any system files elsewhere before stomping on top of their location with a new copy.

[emptypockets62426]

Sorry it took so long to post back Dave, but I took a couple of days off from this beast.

I did as u suggested and replaced ntoskrnl.exe with a known good one from my pc, but no luck.  Still receiving the winload.exe error.

I d'loaded a 90 day trial version of Win 7 Home Premium 64 .iso and burnt it to disk from softpedia.com a few days ago.  Do u think I could install that (since I don't have access to a Win 7 disk anywhere else), then try my recovery disk again?  Do u know if installing this trial would create a new bootloader so I can get this old pig out of my hair?  lol  It looks as tho this one has me beat unless u have the time/inclination to help me fix it.  I'm the type that likes to know what went wrong so I can fix it if I ever run across it again because I've worked these things since Win 3.1 for people.

I'd like for this one not to beat me if I can.  Thanks so much for your help thus far.

[DaveLembke]

When systems fight me as hard as this one is fighting you, I take the etch-a-sketch approach to hard drives after backing up important data to other media etc. I have fought many battles in the almost 30 years working on computers and I prefer clean builds to baseline a system back to normality or repair installations for highly configured systems vs trying to find that needle in the hay stack that is causing the issues which sometimes can be found, but many times your dealing with a pin cushion with many issues. I generally will put up to an hour into a system trying to feed it the files its complaining about missing or corrupt etc, and if I dont make any progress its time to wipe the drive clean and start fresh with etch-a-sketch approach as I call it, or repair installation if you have software that you lost the media and keys from etc and cant afford to perform a complete baseline to clean.

The trial ISO of 7 if it allows for repair installation, I'd try that vs clean build first. But you will not know exactly what was the cause, you will however have a headache taken care of though.