Half installed OS and a web of broken boot files.

[criscoh88]

I just got a Corsair Vengeance 8gig DDR3 memory stick. I traded out from two Nvidia PC3 14400 2gig sticks.

Im not sure the RAM took properly as my CPU began to run at 100% and my Video Driver Kept reporting errors. No programs were running at this point.

I decided to shut down and place back in my old memory sticks until i figured out why this was happening. This is when my boot files became missing or corrupt.

I have tried to fix the error myself but i cannot figure out what is going on here. I have been documenting my process:

----------
Original HardDisk still accessible via Windows 7 Disk. I was told a boot file was corrupt. During installation the following error occurs.

Event Name: StartupRepairOffline
Signature 1: 6.1.7600.16385
Signature 2: 6.1.7600.16385
Signature 3: unknown
Signature 4: 2359
Signature 5: External Media
Signature 6: 1
Signature 7: FailureDuringSetup
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.1
Local ID: 1033

I ran bootrec.exe functions to repair this.
/FixMbr
/FixBoot
/scanOs
/RebuildBcd
...and...
bootsect.exe/nt60 all /force

Upon Reboot I now receive the following error.

File: \windows\system32\drivers\arcsas.sys
Status: 0Xc0000221
Info: File Missing or Corrupt

Attempted to run sfc /ScanNow

"There is a system repair pending which requires reboot to complete. Restart Windows and run sfc again."

Ran dism.exe /image:c:\ /cleanup-image /RevertPendingActions

"The scratch directory size might be insufficient..."
Error: 0x8000ffff
----------

Assuming it may be something wrong with my hard drive I bought a new one to start fresh. Results are the same.

Any advice here? Im close to giving up and taking my baby to the shop.

 

[BikerEcho]

I was thinking the harddrive until you said you swapped it.
You said you saw some errors during the installation.
I good guess would be that the install media is to blame.
Are you using a DVD disk?

 

[criscoh88]

Yes i am using a windows 7 64bit installation disk. 6.1 build i believe.

 

[BikerEcho]

Any scratches on that disk?

 

[criscoh88]

I cant believe i didn't think of that. I looked up to see if Microsoft had a legal download of windows 7 iso. Much to my surprise they are perfectly willing to allow me to download a previous operating system. (Half the reason bought windows 7 is because at the time my options were vista or 7. I wanted to just install my XP disk but that one was scratched also and i could find no legal XP iso.) I was scared this would end up in me having to get 10. Im not ready for that yet, too new, too much could go wrong.

Ill download the iso tomorrow and let you know how it all goes. Thanks for the idea.

 

[criscoh88]

I got access to a friends PC today. Downloaded my ISO file from windows. Formatted my 4gig USB Drive to NTFS using DiskPart following directions i found online. Failed at creating boot sector step.



When i type "cd boot" cmd tells me this function is not found.

My USB Drive is by default F:, So DVD Installer Drive is G:? I don't even know what the DVD Installer Drive is, but its certainly not here. Couldn't even find it in Disk Manager.

 

[BikerEcho]

I personally use this tool. WinSetupFromUSB.
Downloads | WinSetupFromUSB

What's great about this, is that it's easy to add more bootable toys later on without having to formate the drive.

Try it.

 

[BikerEcho]

As a side note.
When you want to add for an example a testing tool later on and you don't know what to put it under.

Put it under Linux OS/ other Grub4dos campatible ISO. That usually works just fine.
In your case you will need to choose windows vista / 7/ 8... etc.
But if you want to add a testing tool like Ultimate boot. (a very nice package of tools) you should choose Linux OS/ other Grub4dos campatible ISO. (That is if you are lost on where to put it)

 

[criscoh88]

Sorry for the late response. I had to wait until i could access a friends PC again. I just ran the program to make my thumb drive bootable. So when i get home im going to try and use it on my PC. Hopefully ill be able to respond with my results from my PC at home.

Thanks
(and that tool is pretty sweet, thanks BikerEcho)

 

[BikerEcho]

Any time