Win7 won't start

I had a corrected post before your last. You want to do the cd boot and then dir to see if BCD is listed.

 

It says at the top of the list 20,480 BCD

 

Try these commands
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /RebuildBcd

Does the Rebuild find any OS installations?

 

I did the first command and it just left me at C:\Boot
Then I did the next one you said and it says Successfully scanned Windows Installations.
Total identified Windows installations: 1
[1] C:\Windows
Add installation to boot list? Yes no all

 

Type Yes. And let me know the next questions but basically you just want to let it do its thing.

 

It said Yes (Y) so I typed Y and hit enter. It says The operation completed successfully. And that's it.

 

Type
bootrec /fixboot
Then restart without the CD and see what happens.

 

It's showing me supported commands.

 

The command should be bootrec(space)/fixboot
Make sure you have the space in the proper place.

If it doesn't run that is OK still try booting without the CD.

 

Used \ the first time :-o

Says it completed successfully. Trying without cd.

 

Windows boot manager came up.

 

I'm not sure what that means? Does it say anything else?

 

It says A recent hardware or software change might have installed a file that is signed incorrectly or damaged, or that might be malicious software from an unknown source.

If you have an installation disc, insert the disc and restart. Click repair your computer and then choose a recovery tool.

Press enter to display the boot menu, f8 for advanced boot options and select last known good. If you understand why the digital signature cannot be verified and want to start windows without this file, temporarily disable driver signature enforcement.

File \Windows\System32\winload.exe
Status: 0xc0000428
Info: Windows cannot verify the digital signature for this file.

 

I doubt this will work but try rebooting and when the boot manager screen comes up hit F8 and see if you get the Advanced boot options. Then try Last Know Good Configuration.

I have people over for a couple of hours. I'm sorry to leave but I will check back in later.

winload.exe does sound a lot like the OS loader that was the original error message.

 

It says to hit enter to continue and then hit f8 for advanced boot options, but when I hit f8 it takes me back to the same boot manager screen.

 

Yes, your F8 options don't seem to be working.

Try rebooting and F8 towards the end of the Toshiba screen and before Windows starts. If it comes up try the last know good configuration.

If it doesn't the try booting from the CD. Have you tried System Restore from the CD yet? If not choose it from the list of options and see if you can go back to before this all began. That would hopefully fix the winload problem and it would only be a matter of fixing the BCD problem again. I'm unsure System Restore will run but it is worth a try.

 

It said it successfully restored to an earlier point but when it restarted I got the same boot manager screen with the winload.exe that is corrupted or damaged.

 

Let's try this one more time. I'm hoping the problem is with the boot files and not with winload.

Boot to the CD. Go to command prompt. Let me know if you can execute these commands.
C:
rename boot bootold

Then do a dir boot and a dir bootold and verify that only the dir bootold finds one file and dir boot finds no files.

 

I typed C: then hit enter
then typed rename boot bootold and hit enter and it said the system cannot find file specified.

 

Yes, I just tested it.
You are at the C: prompt so try these commands:

attrib -h -s -r boot
rename boot bootold
dir bootold (should give a list of files--they don't matter just want to make sure it does give a list)
diskpart
select disk 0
select partition 2
detail partition (just make sure it is still active)
exit

Restart with the CD and let it do the automatic repair. Then reboot again from the Cd and if it doesn't do the automatic repair go to the list of 5 options and select Startup Repair. Then reboot without the CD.

EDITED the last line to boot from CD a second time.

 

I restarted with the cd and let it do the repair when it asked. And I let it restart without the cd and it's giving me system recovery options which has the 5 normal options and then also toshiba recovery wizard... first time seeing that throughout this whole thing.

 

Oh crap... I just saw your edit now. The cd is in, but I just let it start up without it.

 

It is good that the 5 options show without CD. Try the Startup Repair from the list and then try a reboot again without CD.

 

I clicked on startup repair and it quickly said startup repair could not detect a problem. If you recently attached a device to the computer such as a camera or music player, remove it and restart your computer.

Restarting now.

 

Went right to startup repair. Ugh.

 

I don't get it. It just said 5 minutes ago that it didn't find a problem. The same report said it found no issues is now saying boot manager failed to find OS loader.

 

Does it show an OS in the Window?

Try F8 again at/towards the end of the Toshiba screen. (since it showed that Toshiba recovery option screen, I'm curious if F8 works now.)

***
I don't get what is going on here either. It is rebuilding the boot files and should be pointing to the the Windows partition and the proper winload.exe file. There are no errors in chkdsk on that drive so the winload.exe file is probably fine. It seems to me the problem is in the way the boot files are being created. And why does bootrec /rebuild BCD not work when the automatic repair works to rebuild that file? I'm missing something here but not sure what.

 

I didn't notice where it could show an OS.

And f8 didn't work.

 

Got another something new. It says Startup Repair cannot repair this computer automatically. And then it's asking me to send info to microsoft to help create solutions.

In the problem details, it says missing OS Loader.

 

I keep thinking it is pointing to the wrong place for the boot loader. I just don't know how that can be.

Try from the CD to see if it does any automatic repair and whether it shows an OS in the window.

 

It shows Windows 7 home premium.

 

Just shows the 5 options... did nothing automatic.

 

Does it offer any repair? Any details at the link below the window?

Try the startup repair at the 5 options and then go to command prompt and try these commands:
C:
cd windows
cd system32
dir winl*

Does it show winload.exe and winload.bak? Are they the same size and/or date?

 

Startup repair cannot repair this computer automatically. Here's what the problem details look like.

Trying those commands now.

 

It shows 3 files
02/05/11 9:10am 642,944 winload.efi
02/05/11 9:06am 605,552 winload.exe
11/20/10 5:25am 390,656 winlogon.exe

3 files 1,639,152 bytes
0 dir 258,031,542,272 bytes free

 

It is odd that both those files have a date of exactly one year ago and that there was a certificate warning which usually has to do with date. It is possible they were created exactly one year ago but that might be something to do with this.

I want to do one more thing which is set the original partition 1 active and see if we get the same thing.

Try at command prompt:
diskpart
list volume (does the 1.46gb volume have a drive letter?)

 

Hello, after you complete the above.

Please start your computer and tap F10 until the Edit Boot Menu comes up. Let me know what is listed between the brackets [... ]

 

1500mb? Volume 2 letter D

 

Run a chkdsk d: /r and let me know if there are any errors. It is a small partition so stage 4 will be only a couple of minutes.

@thisisu, if no errors I'm going to do a diskpart and set partition 1 to active to see if Leashy still gets the same error. Then she can do the F10 if that is Ok with you.

 

No problem

 

Type this at the diskpart prompt? Sorry to lose time by asking, but my brain is kinda mushy after all this, so I didn't know for sure. :-D

 

Sorry, type exit to quit diskpart and then do the chkdsk at the command prompt. I know the feeling this is getting frustrating. It should have been an easy fix. Even with shutting down unexpectedly, repairing the damage should not be this troublesome.

 

It's ok, I totally understand. I'm sure it's driving everyone helping a bit batty. Thanks for sticking with me here.

Running it now.

 

Says 0kb in bad sectors... is that the only thing you wanted to know from this?

 

Yes, That is fine.
Try these commands just to verify the filesystem is OK.
D:
attrib

Do you get a list of about 5 files?

 

No...

A SHR D:\bootmgr
SHR D:\WinREPartition.ini

 

I can't say if there should be something more. Go ahead and set that partition active.

diskpart
select disk 0
select partition 1
active
exit

Restart without the CD and see if you are just stuck at the recovery screen loop. Then boot to Cd and see if it offers automatic repair.

Oh and if you are offered details either way see if the error is still related to OS loader or winload.

 

It's going to the recovery options with the toshiba recovery wizard in the list... not the startup repair.

 

I'm fairly sure Toshiba Recovery only offers to reinstall the OS and wipe out all the files.

But choose it just to see if it offers something other than factory settings. Don't do any repairs jsut see what it offers.

 

I went on to the second part of your last post and booted with the cd to see if it offered automatic repair... and it doesn't. Just the 5 options.