[RKinner]

Run System Restore from the Command Prompt if Windows won't boot. You can run the System Restore tool from the Command Prompt if something has gone wrong and you can't start Windows normally.

Reboot your computer and hold the F8 key. This will open the Advanced Boot Options menu.

Select "Safe Mode with Command Prompt" from the Advanced Boot Options menu. Windows will load essential files and then take you to the Command Prompt.

Type rstrui.exe and press Enter. This will start the System Restore utility. Follow the instructions in the section above to restore your computer. When performing a system restore from Safe Mode, you won't be able to undo it.

 

 

Not sure what you did.  Services.exe is usually a windows files and it should not cause your system not to boot.  Perhaps the above will help.  If not see steps 1 & 2 on

http://www.geekstogo...ystem-tutorial/

 

 

 

 

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I clicked f8 and restarted the computer, this popped up: http://www.sevenforums.com/attachments/tutorials/59589d1268119054-safe-mode-advanced_boot_options.jpg 

Then I clicked "Safe Mode with Command prompt" and this popped up: https://i.ytimg.com/...xresdefault.jpg

Then it began loading windows files (like this: http://f.tqn.com/y/p...ws-vista-3.jpg)

and then this popped up: http://i.imgur.com/bAUeJvA.jpg(but without the "file" section. Just "status" and "info" at the bottom) And when I clicked enter=continue it didn't work for about 3 minutes. Then it went right back to the first windows error recovery message:  https://i.ytimg.com/...xresdefault.jpg

But, there was no option for me to type rstrui.exe at any time.

 

 

I'm now looking at the tutorial link. I will get back to you on this ASAP.

Again thank you so much for your help and patience. I really appreciate it. I apologize for the complications. 

Edited by vraskin, 18 September 2016 - 06:03 PM.

[vraskin]

I clicked f8 and restarted the computer, this popped up: http://www.sevenforums.com/attachments/tutorials/59589d1268119054-safe-mode-advanced_boot_options.jpg 

Then I clicked "Safe Mode with Command prompt" and this popped up: https://i.ytimg.com/...xresdefault.jpg

Then it began loading windows files (like this: http://f.tqn.com/y/p...ws-vista-3.jpg)

and then this popped up: http://i.imgur.com/bAUeJvA.jpg(but without the "file" section. Just "status" and "info" at the bottom) And when I clicked enter=continue it didn't work for about 3 minutes. Then it went right back to the first windows error recovery message:  https://i.ytimg.com/...xresdefault.jpg

But, there was no option for me to type rstrui.exe at any time.

 

 

I'm now looking at the tutorial link. I will get back to you on this ASAP.

Again thank you so much for your help and patience. I really appreciate it. I apologize for the complications. 

Edited by vraskin, 18 September 2016 - 06:03 PM.

[RKinner]

Did you try Last Known Good Configuration 

or

Repair Your Computer 

or

Launch Startup Repair

[vraskin]

I've tried Launch Startup Repair many times and I believe I tried Last Known Good Configuration once (I tried so many things I can't remember if that's exactly what the it was called, but the option said that it would bring my computer's settings back to a time when it was functioning properly), but nothing changed (for both options)... It appeared as if it was loading and working, but then the screen blacked out and went back to the initial Windows Error Recovery Message. 

At the moment, my computer looks like this (because I clicked Launch Startup Repair again): http://www.howtogeek....k-guze9mrA.png

This is the first time after many attempts that the Launch Startup Repair hasn't yet blacked out and gone to the first windows error recovery message. And it may be occurring because I put the AVG anti-virus CD into the computer. 

The thing is that I put it into my computer after rebooting it, then I restarted it with the CD inside (just like it said in the instructions), but my computer didn't seem to recognize that there's a CD in it. I've checked if the CD was properly burned on another computer, and it was. My computer has been like this: http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/552x429ximage20.png.pagespeed.gp+jp+jw+pj+js+rj+rp+rw+ri+cp+md.ic.k-guze9mrA.png  for about 20 minutes (even though it says the process might take several minutes) and it looks like it's going to be "attempting repairs..." for a while. The AVG Anti-Virus CD is still inside, but I'm pretty sure it's not doing anything right now.  

Edited by vraskin, 19 September 2016 - 03:44 AM.

[RKinner]

You usually have to go into the BIOS setup to change the boot order so that it looks at the cd/dvd drive before the hard drive.

 

The Startup Repair is probably running a Disk Check.  This can take a few hours.

[vraskin]

when the laptop starts I see the following message (see photo #1)

then in few seconds I see the Boot Menu (see photo #2)

and it goes nowhere.

When I do hard restart and hold the F8 , i get into AVG Rescue CD.

It start running and then i get to Disclaimer page.

I click the Agree button and then a message pops up:

"Warning: No volume found!"

I click the Continue button and then another message comes up;

"Cannot connect to AVG Update server.

Do you want to configure internet connection?"

I click Yes and then this message pops up (see photo #3)

I click Select then get next message (see photo #4)

I click Select then get next message (see photo #5)

then for 2 seconds another message stays (see photo #6) and Error message pops up right away (see photo #7)

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Edited by vraskin, 22 September 2016 - 03:08 AM.

[vraskin]

and then when i click Continue the Network Configuration message returns

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[RKinner]

What do the + marks mean on your boot menu in the second picture?  The first picture is what you get if it tries to boot from the network which is never going to work since you don't have a network boot server.  (Only large companies use that method).   It should never get to the PXE network boot option if you have a good harddrive unless the + marks indicate  the only options to try to boot from.  The others are trying to connect from a wired connection. It acts like it may not be connected.  f you use wireless you will have to  select the second option in picture 4 and tell it the encryption password for your wireless network.

 

Go in to your setup and verify that it sees the hard drive.

 

If you can't get AVG to work.   

 

Hiren's boot CD.

 

http://www.hirensboo...BootCD.15.2.zip

 

Download, save and then right click on it and Extract All.  Click on BurnToCD.cmd and follow the instructions to burn the CD.  Then move the CD to the sick PC and boot off the CD. (You may need to change the boot order so the CD drive comes before the hard drive.  See: http://www.hirensboo...-order-in-bios/ )

Boot into MiniXP.  Does it get this far?  If it does and you are able to see your files your hard drive is still alive.  Hiren's has some very powerful programs so do not run anything else until I tell you.

[vraskin]

The sticker at the bottom of the laptop with the Product Key has worn out and 2 characters are completely gone. So I phoned Dell to see if they have the Product Key number that was supplied with my laptop. Instead of that Dell sold me the Recovery media USB stick. Received it today. Inserted in to USB port and  started the laptop. The Windows 7 recovery window came up and then there were options to use various utilities to recover. Tried all of them and each time the message popped up saying that action can not be done because it can not recognize which Windows is on the laptop.

 

 

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[vraskin]

Gave up on recovery idea and  decided to take the hard drive out then save my documents and after that reinstall Windows 7.

Took out the hard drive , connected via external HD enclosure to another laptop. To my luck the HD can not be accessed due to I/O issues.

Any idea how to retrieve the information form such HD?

Also while took apart the laptop , found 2 plastic pieces dangling free inside and can not seems to be able find the spot to where these 2 parts belong to. Does anyone have any clue what are these 2 pieces?

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[RKinner]

No idea what the plastic bits are.  Don't see them in the service manual: http://www.qvc.com/f...3319_Manual.pdf

 

If the hard drive has died there is not much we can do.  There are services which will recover data on defective hard drives but I believe they are rather expensive.

 

When connected via the external adapter does it appear in Disk Management?  If it does it might have a defective MBR which we could fix with gparted.  

[vraskin]

The plastic pieces were the back-plates of the headphone and microphone jacks.

The hard drive appears in Disk Management. See attached screenshot.

But is is inaccessible.

Tried to recover with Stellar Phoenix File Recovery Software, no luck. See second screenshot.

I can't believe that by moving one file from system folder can completely destroy a hard drive.

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[RKinner]

We used to see something similar with Zero Access.  It would modify the MBR and even put in a hidden partition.  It had its own services.exe file so I'm wondering if you somehow found a Z-A infected services.exe. 

 

Run mbrcheck and post the log.  It should show whether the mbr on the disk has been changed.

 

Download

 

http://ad13.geekstogo.com/MBRCheck.exe

 

Save it and run it.  It will produce a log MBRCheck(date).txt on your desktop.  Copy and paste it into a reply.

[vraskin]

I removed the old (malfunctioning) hard drive from my laptop and replaced it with a brand new hard drive. Reinstalled all with Dell Recovery Media USB stick. Now I have a virgin laptop.

But I have allot of valuable information on my old hard drive that I would like to retrieve.

Can I run mbrcheck to scan this old disk as an external drive? 

Edited by vraskin, 04 October 2016 - 04:05 AM.

[RKinner]

Yes mbrcheck should report the mbr on all drives.