Acer laptop recovery problems

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mypcproblems

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Nov 18, 2011
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Hi all,

I tried to reset my acer aspire 5536 to factory settings after facing an irreparable problem. D2D was active.First time when I tried Alt +F10 it said it was doing something and also said it might take long time. but, I haven't seen any progress bar moving or anything at all. It has always said 0%. So, I think, I have restarted(means held the power button on until it restarted, hard booting if I'm correct) and after that I tried Alt+F10 again and it comes

Edit windows boot options for Windows setup path :\windows\system32\boot\winload.exe
[DETECTHAL /MININTREDIRECT/ RDIMAGEOFFSET=8192 RDIMAGELENGTH=3161088 R DPATH=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\sources\boot.wim

after a long time acer recovery screen comes up
I select restore to factory defaults and after a while again it comes up with message

"FAIL to format Disk 0 partition2"

What can i do now? Is there anyway I could make it proceed with it's wok?

Any help pls!

kl
 
What can i do now? Is there anyway I could make it proceed with it's wok?

Any help pls!


Have you ever installed any other OS other than the factory OS? If you have then you have overwritten acer's special master boot record (MBR) that allows alt+f10 to work.
However if you haven't installed any other OS and just want to re-install windows using the image on the hard drive hidden partition then you have to press alt+f10 at the post screen (first screen that says "acer") when you turn the notebook on.
 
Thanks for your reply ksiemb! I think this is exactly what I'm doing. No. I have not installed any OS ever.

Recovery management console goes into eRecovery Management v7.0.5.6. I looks as if it is working on it for few mins and afterwards it gives me error "FAIL to format Disk 0 Partition 2". Wonder what could be thereason?
 



What was your irreparable error to begin with to cause you to want to restore ? If you cannot boot normally, nor have a bootable CD, or get into safe mode, then you will need a rescue CD.

Here is another Tom's Post with almost your identical problem, except it cannot format partition3, not 2 as in your case. The rescue CD instructions are there in the link. If the boot member was not changed, and you did not install any other OS, then I have to believe you have a hard drive failure, will have to use Rescue CD to save what you can and reinstall
 


Thanks for the reply. But, the original problem, which has probably started after an update has now evolved. B'se originally it was allowing me to input user name and password though it wasn't showing me the desktop, nor task manager, nor start menu neither let me open explorer or cmd window etc..




Yes I don't have a rescue CD(B'se it hasn't come with one, except for the ,seemingly useless to me, PQSERVICE. Cannot boot neither normally, nor safe mode. Right now, moment I switch it on after Acer logo it goes to recovery management console, even though it can't do anything successfully. I did have lots of restore points saved, but very helpfully, even the restore utility couldn't restore from any of the restore points. :non:


Well, I have saved what I can using Ubuntu. Which is what makes me wonder propably there is nothing wrong with the hard drive, please correct me if I'm wrong.

I have downloaded about 120mb vista recovery disk (may be from neo tools or some thing like that long back for a different problem), but that disk is not letting me to install Vista. It is asking for no., but doesn't want to accept my OEM no stuck at the back of the laptop. I'm completely clueless. 🙁

The PQservice seems to be intact. As I have read in some web sites, do i have to make this partition bootable? How do i do that? I have downloaded Ultimate boot CD (hoping that might help me), which has only increased my dilemmas and confusions.
At the moment it is doing memory test(RAM, no errors yet)


How can i make either bootable disk or a rescue disk or OS disk from PQSERVICE, so kindly provided by acer right in the hard drive?





 
I have come across the following solution on a different website, which is actually for XP.





Can I do the same with Vista? I'm hesitating so as not to create any more problems.
 


Do Not use any XP solutions to Fix this Problem.
Print the following as it is a bit verbose, but does have a couple of other alternatives to the ALT F10 not working problem.

Method1 deals with last known good config & factory restore, using different keys.
Method2 Deals with Identifying the Pqservice to get recovery going again.
I would try this method 1st.
Here we Go and Good Luck.
Method 1
While Starting the computer
Press CTL ALT F8 at the same time keep holding it down till the notebook takes you to a prompt menu
It will give you multiple options one of them will be Reset to last good known configurartion
Try this one first
If it doesnt work
Restart computer again
Repeat the CTL ALT F8 and choose the RESTORE to factory defaults Feature from the menu which will wipe out any info you have on your computer
Make sure that the battery is in your computer
It will start restoring it to the factory settings
So try to save anything you have first before trying to reboot it on an external memory stick or to a virtual storage space
It does take a long time between 30 to 45 minutes to restore
We had that happen before
------------------------------------------------------------------
Method 2
How to access hidden PQService!!
This guide is made based on an Acer Aspire 7720

This is for everyone who has got problems unhiding and accessing the hidden rescue partition, and have tried all the methods with d2d disabling and changing partition type, perhaps with partedit32 or ptedit32, only to find out that nothing has happened after rebooting.

Download and install "Diskpart" from Microsoft, a small but powerful textbased utility, the link below is a direct download:
http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...part_setup.exe
Also u will find this file at the pqservice partition 🙂)

PLEASE DO NOT FORGET , PARTITION NUMBER, TYPE, VOLUME NUMBER, TYPE CAN BE DIFFERENT, WHEN CHANGING THIS NOTE THEM ALL...
Here's the step by step to succeed...

Press "win + r" to bring up the run window
Type: "cmd", to bring up the command window
Type: "diskpart", a new command window pops up with a "Diskpart >" prompt
Type: "rescan", a configuration check runs
Type: "list disk", a list of the availible disks appears
Type: "select disk 0", if your hidden partition resides on that disk of course
Type: "list partition", to find out with partition is your hidden one (probably about 10 gb and without name)
Type: "select partition 1", if that is your hidden partition
Type: "detail partition", here you will see the partition type, take a note of that so that you can reset it to the original if needed.
If your partition type = 27 you should enter id=07 in the step below, if type = 12 enter id=0B in the step below.
Type: "set id=07 override", where 07 is the number from the step above - to unhide your partition
Type: "select disk 0", to go back to the top of the disk again
Type: "list volume", you should be able to see the "pqservice" volume
Type: "select volume 0", if that is your pqservice partition
Type: "assign letter=f", where f should be your first free driveletter (listed in "list volume" command) remember the CD/DVD driveletter!!

When you have completed all the steps, the pqservice disk should autostart in windows (no reboot needed), if not press "win + e" to bring up explorer and find your new disk

All the contents are now yours for the taking!!

Close the command windows and you are done!!!

Make PQSERVICE ACTIVE Partition.
Just out of interest,for those who stumble across this thread who are trying to use "pqservice" without the ALT+F10 at boot function ( which is probably beacause of other partitions of the drive being formatted removing the mbr which allowed the ALT+F10 function to work)

After the above instructions do the following:
Open Start Menu
Right click on computer
Click Manage
Click disk management (under storage)
Set your pqservice as the active partition,or other recovery partition as the active partition( right click the partition click mark as active)
then reboot
the recovery partition will then start after POST and you will be able to put your computer back to Factory settings.
when factory restore is complete PQSERVICE will be hidden again
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Method 3 hide pqservice again if above does not hide it.
To roll back (if that is what you really want...) do the following steps

Press "win + r" to bring up the run window
Type: "cmd", to bring up the command window
Type: "diskpart", a new command window pops up with a "Diskpart >" prompt
Type: "rescan", a configuration check runs
Type: "select disk 0", if your hidden partition resided on that disk of course
Type: "select volume 0", if that is your pqservice partition
Type: "remove letter=f", where f is the letter you assigned to the volume
Type: "select disk 0", to go back to the top of the disk again
Type: "select partition 1", if that was your hidden partition
Type: "set id=27 override", where 27 is the number that you hopefully wrote down somewhere - to hide your partition again

And it should be hidden again! Perhaps a reboot is in order...

I hope this might help somebody! I
 



Thanks a lot ksiemb. that is a nice elaborate solution. But, I have already tried Last known good congiguration. But, b'se you have said so I shall try again. Another issue is how can i install "diskpart" if I am not able to go into windows. Sorry, I'm being a bit thick here. But, I'd rather ask than be a fool. Same how can I bring up Win+r and go into command prompt. But, I can go into command prompt using F8 while boot and selecting safe mode with command prompt and also Command prompt from Recovery services option, where I'm given an option to restore, do memory diagnostics etc... So, can i install from command prompt some how and run diskpart some how? If so in which directory should I be? Can i run them direct from c:\ or C:\Windows\System32 or any other option?


 


You may not even have to download diskpart. Boot F8 and select command prompt. Logon with Administrator. Then, When cmd prompt appears, type diskpart /? (This will show you all options for diskpart. You should then be good to go. ) ----- Otherwise,

When you boot into F8, select "safe mode with Networking" This will allow you Internet access to download diskpart and install it. After the install, If you cannot get a command prompt(start, run, type CMD in the dialogue box) then reboot again but this time select command prompt. When boot finished, use Administrator to logon.
When cmd prompt appears, type diskpart /? (This will show you all options for diskpart. You should then be good to go.
 
Hi just an update. I have Ultimate Boot CD downloaded (this is all CUI based like old DOS Editor, atleast as much as I have seen of it). I have made the PQSERVICE partition (9/10GB one) bootable and restarted the laptop. It seems to have restarted a few times then i realised, may be it hasn't set the C partion the active partition. So I went into the CUI of the ultimate boot CD(HDD>PARTITION MANAGEMENT>CUTE PARTITION MANAGER> and changed the boot flag and restarted the laptop. But it hasn't worked. It hasn't been set to factory default settings.

KL
 
I have pressed Ctr + Alt+ F8 while restarting which brought up,

Repair your computer

Safe mode

Safe mode with networking

Safe mode with command prompt

Enable boot logging


Enable low resolution Video(640 X 480)

Last known good configuration(Advanced)

Directory services Restore mode

Debugging mode

Disable automatic restart on system failure

Disable driver signature enforcement

Start windows normally.



But no Restore to factory defaults. Am I missing something here



 

Well, interjecting other solutions (Ultimate Boot CD) of which I have no knowledge, is just complicating your issue, so at this point, I really can't say if you are missing something or not. If that fixpart and auto restart procedure does not work, I have no other suggestions but to clean install from a windows CD.
 
Thanks ksiemb. I really appreciate your help and advise.

According to your guidelines, I have used Diskpart, as you have said Diskpart was already there, when I went into Command prompt. When entered into command prompt from System Recovery options menu, I saw X:Windows/system32 rather than C: or C:|Windows|System32. So I used Diskpart from X:...System32 and followed your instructions. But, nothing has changed. I had to restart the laptop myself and even after that the problem hasn't gone. So, at the moment I 'm running Disk part from C:\. Followed all the instructions till assign letter F. Even after that it hasn't restarted . After some exploration I found that PQSERVICE partition is not set to active. It is unhidden but still not active. What shall i do? Must it be active? if so how do i do it?


By the way Last known good configuration has not worked.

Thanks again
KL
 
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