Skip to main content

Major Issue

Thread needs solution

Major Issue
I got a couple of BSODs so I thought I'd restore an image from an earlier date using Acronis True Image 2011. I booted from the CD and restored the image however when I tried to boot into windows the cursor was flashing at 'boot from CD' and windows would not start. All my files and windows installation from the restored image are there when the drive is connected to another computer so it looks like the drive is OK but I replaced the hard drive and tried again same thing happened. I then tried to install windows from the Windows DVD and got the following error ' Set up was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition'

I have tried replacing the PSU, hard drive and removing some of the Memory modules & different combinations of the memory modules. Issue persists.

Any ideas on where I go from here

Computer is as follows:
CPU
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550S @ 2.83GHz 33 °C
Yorkfield 45nm Technology
RAM
8.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR2 @ 400MHz (5-5-5-18)
Motherboard
Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. P35-DS3R (Socket 775) 34 °C
Graphics
SyncMaster (1600x1200@60Hz)
512MB GeForce 8600 GT (ASUStek Computer Inc) 51 °C
Hard Drives
932GB Western Digital WDC WD10EARS-22Y5B1 ATA Device (SATA) 32 °C
1397GB Western Digital WDC WD15EARS-00MVWB0 ATA Device (SATA) 30 °C
Optical Drives
Optiarc DVD RW AD-7261S ATA Device
PLEXTOR DVDR PX-L890SA ATA Device

0 Users found this helpful

I had a customer recently that has similar BSOD on his system (as well as Windows startup issues) and thought the hard disk was going bad. He replaced the hard disk, and restored a 650GB backup made with Acronis. After tweaking the startup items, he though the problem was solved. Three days later the system refused to boot, only going to the BIOS spash screen and hanging there. He then unplugged the system, discharged the system using the power button, and then plugged the system back in. Never worked again, the system board was bad. Not saying your is, but the circumstances are similar.
Basic troubleshooting is normally done on a system by disconnecting everything from the system board that is not critcal for testing, for example To test your system, only attach a keyboard and mouse, remove any add in cards you may have installed. If your system has on-board video and you have added a discreet graphics card, remove it and enable the onboard video instead. Unplug the data and power cables from any device in your system, except one hard drive and one CD/DVD drive. Remove all the system board memory, and re-install only the minimum number of memory modulues your system needs to be able to boot. Turn on the the system, immediately going into the BIOS setup, and restore the default settings, (making a note of your settings first for later use). If you can get this far, set the system to boot from the CD/DVD drive first. Insert your Windows installation disk and boot to it. If you can sucessfully boot to your Windows installation media, you could start Windows system memory diags to check for memory issues. After checking for memory issues with just the minimum number of RAM modules, swap out the installed modules with any remaining modules you have (keeping the minimum number of modules installed) and retest until you have tested all of your memory. If all of the memory tests okay using the minimum number of modules each time, install all of your memory and test again. If you find that your memory tests okay, you would need to test for hard disk controller issues next. The best way to do this is to download the installed hard disk drive manfacturers bootable media and boot the system up using it and run disk diagnostics. If it passes, move the drive data connection to each of the additional system board connectors and repeat until you have tested every drive data connector on the system board.
If you get this far, you are problably in pretty good shape, but these are only basic diags. Check to see if Gigabyte has a bootable diag program for their system boards, and if so run it to check the system board components for problems. If not, there are several third party diags programs you can use.
I would use the above steps and see if you can identify any problems.
I do this kind of work for a living, and the problems you are descibing could be in almost any hardware component you have installed or connected. Only by the process of elimination, will you be able to track down the issue. Even a faulty keyboard, mouse, CD/DVD drive, etc., can cause issues with a system. Since you have swapped power supplies, you should be able to rule that component out.

James

Additionally, the backup files you used to restore from may not have been a complete backup of your entire disk. Were the backups created using the same hardware as you were restoring to?