Solved! Toshiba satellite c55 will not boot after hard drive replacement

[jc109]

Toshiba satellite c55-a5120 not under warranty. Hard drive died, so I bought a new one. Installed new drive, along with Windows7 cd, changed bios to look to ODD first for booting, powered system up. It will not boot. I get the Toshiba screen for a minute, followed by "checking media-failed" (twice), followed by "no bootable device--please restart system". Tried to power up with Win7 recovery disk and also with WinXP installation disk, but get same results. What am I doing wrong, and what is the solution? No Toshiba recovery disk is available.

update:
I should also add that the original HD had Win8, which I DO NOT want back on the computer.

 

[tman1]

Did it come with Windows 8?

 

[jc109]

Yes, the laptop originally had Windows 8. I don't have a Windows 8 installation disk, and wouldn't want to install it, even if I did. The other installation disks will not do anything, even though I have selected the optical disk drive as the primary boot location/media.

 

[tman1]

You have to disable secure boot and enable legacy boot options in the BOIS.

 

[jc109]

Hi, Tman,

Thanks for the help. Got your reply and saw some from Joan Delgado and Sean Fontenot that helped also. Got things changed in the BIOS so I could install Windows XP. Went through the install up to "Setup will complete in approximately: 39 minutes." After that, the install plugs along until the Blue Screen of Death. The error message is "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL". I have tried to restart from that point, but it continues to stop and give the same message. Tried to install XP with the Recover function, but to no avail. Also did a clean install of XP, by reformatting the drive. Still the same result. The options then are to check the hardware and software installation. The new hard drive is installed the only way it can be, and I have removed and reinstalled it, to check connections. There is no software, other than XP. There doesn't seem to be any BIOS memory options to change, as suggested by the error page. I'm beginning to wonder if this is a drive failure. Any way to determine that for sure?

 

[tman1]

Same result with Windows 7 install?

 

[jc109]

Same result with Windows 7 install?

I tried to use my Win7 installation CD, but the existing XP will not allow it. When I try the Win7 CD, I get a box that says I have to insert the XP CD to proceed. Nothing I have tried can get past the point where about half of the Windows files are loaded and about "35 minutes remain" on the install screen. Every time it gets to that point, I get the Blue Screen Of Death. I've gone back into the BIOS and changed settings I previously had to modify in order to get the system to even boot, but going back only prevents the unit from booting again, so I have to return them to what I had previously used. I'm stumped and stalled out. Got a message that the original thread was deleted, so I'm posting a new one.

 

[tman1]

Something isn't right - the existing XP installation should have nothing to do with you trying to install Windows 7. If you boot from the Windows 7 disc, it should load into the Windows 7 installer, with no regard to anything currently on the hard drive.

 

[Charlie Dominici]

Yes, the laptop originally had Windows 8. I don't have a Windows 8 installation disk, and wouldn't want to install it, even if I did. The other installation disks will not do anything, even though I have selected the optical disk drive as the primary boot location/media.

Same result with Windows 7 install?

I tried to use my Win7 installation CD, but the existing XP will not allow it. When I try the Win7 CD, I get a box that says I have to insert the XP CD to proceed. Nothing I have tried can get past the point where about half of the Windows files are loaded and about "35 minutes remain" on the install screen. Every time it gets to that point, I get the Blue Screen Of Death. I've gone back into the BIOS and changed settings I previously had to modify in order to get the system to even boot, but going back only prevents the unit from booting again, so I have to return them to what I had previously used. I'm stumped and stalled out. Got a message that the original thread was deleted, so I'm posting a new one.

tman1 is right about changing the bios to legacy and disabling secure boot. The other problems you mention indicate a machine that may have more serious problems. Sounds to me like it may not even be fixable (or worth fixing-anything is fixable if you throw enough money at it). Try removing the cmos battery long enough to clear the bios and revert to the original version. While the battery is out,before you put in a new one (not the old one) with no power plugged in and no battery power- (no power at all) press and hold the start button for 30 -45 seconds. Then instal the cmos battery, plug in the adapter power (NOT the battery.Boot up and if the os starts up insert the battery.Then update the bios. If you still have those quirky strange problems then you either have a bad processor or evn possible bad memory but I doubt it;'s memory. Use the known protocols for testing everything. Try some of the programs on Hiren's boot CD.

Let me know if this helps.

Charlie Dominici / owner
Netlifeguards Computer Services
Worldwide remote repairs,installations,upgrades and I.T. services

 

[Lkerns903]

Yes, the laptop originally had Windows 8. I don't have a Windows 8 installation disk, and wouldn't want to install it, even if I did. The other installation disks will not do anything, even though I have selected the optical disk drive as the primary boot location/media.

Same result with Windows 7 install?

I tried to use my Win7 installation CD, but the existing XP will not allow it. When I try the Win7 CD, I get a box that says I have to insert the XP CD to proceed. Nothing I have tried can get past the point where about half of the Windows files are loaded and about "35 minutes remain" on the install screen. Every time it gets to that point, I get the Blue Screen Of Death. I've gone back into the BIOS and changed settings I previously had to modify in order to get the system to even boot, but going back only prevents the unit from booting again, so I have to return them to what I had previously used. I'm stumped and stalled out. Got a message that the original thread was deleted, so I'm posting a new one.

tman1 is right about changing the bios to legacy and disabling secure boot. The other problems you mention indicate a machine that may have more serious problems. Sounds to me like it may not even be fixable (or worth fixing-anything is fixable if you throw enough money at it). Try removing the cmos battery long enough to clear the bios and revert to the original version. While the battery is out,before you put in a new one (not the old one) with no power plugged in and no battery power- (no power at all) press and hold the start button for 30 -45 seconds. Then instal the cmos battery, plug in the adapter power (NOT the battery.Boot up and if the os starts up insert the battery.Then update the bios. If you still have those quirky strange problems then you either have a bad processor or evn possible bad memory but I doubt it;'s memory. Use the known protocols for testing everything. Try some of the programs on Hiren's boot CD.

Let me know if this helps.

Charlie Dominici / owner
Netlifeguards Computer Services
Worldwide remote repairs,installations,upgrades and I.T. services

Hi Charlie, I have a satellite C55-B series with windows 8.1. I cannot get past the bios password to even try and boot windows up. My question is that I was hoping you may know the location of the cmos/RTC battery on the motherboard? I am hoping to locate it and remove it to reset the bios so I can fix my laptop. Thank you for any help

 

[TamiGreene]

Hi Charlie, I have a satellite C55-B series with windows 8.1. I cannot get past the bios password to even try and boot windows up. My question is that I was hoping you may know the location of the cmos/RTC battery on the motherboard? I am hoping to locate it and remove it to reset the bios so I can fix my laptop. Thank you for any help[/quotemsg]

[/quotemsg]

My understanding is this computer does not have a CMOS battery - it has a flash memory for the UEFI, which is why trying to bypass the bios password is impossible.

Tami

 

[b.manning]

You have to disable secure boot and enable legacy boot options in the BOIS.

i have a c55-a5105 that hard drive died in and i cant get it to boot from cd or usb says no boot device please restart i turned off secure boot but my bios 1.10 has no boot mode under system config HELP!!