Help. Netbook not working after running Samsung Recovery

krishna

Some time ago I decided to experiment with Ubuntu to see if my netbook would work better with that than the Win 7 Starter it came with. To do so, I created a partition on which to install Ubuntu. Didn't make much difference and the computer got slower and slower so decided to try to restore it to factory settings. Ran the Samsung Recovery Solutions programme and it did what i assumed was a full restore, but now I just get a black screen with flashing cursor. I'm wondering if the partitioning I did to try out Ubuntu has caused a problem for the reset.

Any advice on what I can do to get things back to where they were? No personal data I need on there, just need a clean install of Win 7, but computer didn't come with any DVDs and doesn't have a DVD drive.

I do have a licensed copy of Win 7 Pro but that is for my desktop PC. I have the product key for the netbook's copy of Win 7 starter on a label on the back of the case.

Uxb

Samsung netbooks have a special MBR (Master boot record) on the disk to enable the transfer of the boot up proceedure into the special system recovery factory restore disk partition and program.

Installing a linux OS overwites the MBR (?with the linux booter grub?) and destroys this access....so your fked....as you suspected.
(The partition is still [probably] there - but inaccessible now)
There were lots of posts on the NC10/N140 forums of people doing this and then wanting to do as per you are and finding out they could no longer access the restore program and partition.
(I have a N140 and no disks were provided and none are offered after-sales)

No idea what if any the solution is....sorry other than a Samsung service centre.
(Well the lesson for the future is to make/keep disc images of computer in its original pristine state with something like Macrium reflect)

Hopefully someone will along to help

krishna

I know someone with an NC10. Mine is N250Plus which seems to have almost identical specs but different keyboard. (I only ever saw it for sale in John Lewis). Could I use macrium or some such to make a copy of their MBR and then copy that onto mine somehow? Thing is getting it to boot up!

Knarf44

This link seems to achieved what the OP now needs to do:

Click here

As the recovery partition is now useless best to reformat the whole disk and do a clean install following the instructions in the link.

onzey

Would the advice from Alfihar in this thread be of any help (unfortunately the OP of the thread never reported back if it worked)

http://www.sammynetbook.com/forum/threads/9724-Cornered-by-Recovery-Solution-III

krishna

Knarf44 wrote: »

This link seems to achieved what the OP now needs to do:

Click here

As the recovery partition is now useless best to reformat the whole disk and do a clean install following the instructions in the link.

Spot on Knarf44. Following those instructions, plus some help from the Sevenforums, I got things working again.

Amazing that you can download free ISOs of any version of Windows 7 from a legal source! You still need your license key of course, but that was not a problem for me. You can't download Starter edition, but you can get it to work with a little fiddle.

I had a little difficulty with the method identified in Knarf44's link because I still could not get the screen allowing me to choose a Starter version (or indeed any version) of Windows, which I needed as that is what the license key I have is for. But it worked in the end.

In case someone else tries to do this, I will just add that I ended up doing four additional things, one of which made the difference between a workable solution and one that didn't work (i.e. one that gave me the option to choose Starter edition).

1. Downloaded the Win 7 Ultimate ISO (rather than Win 7 Home Pro, which I couldn't get to give me Starter option)

2. Unpacked the ISO with 7Zip, deleted ei.cfg and repacked with ImgBurn (there was no sign of ei.cfg on the USB stick after using the eicfg removal tool mentioned in the original instructions, so I don't think this made the difference, but who knows).

3. Removed the Samsung partition on the laptop and reformatted the system partition (i.e. started with a single clean partition)

4. Removed the U3 launcher software from the Sandisk Cruzer USB key I was using.

I suspect 1 and 3 were the most likely to have made the difference, but can't be sure.

Knarf44

Krishna - thanks, happy you got it sorted. Well done.

NiftyDigits

krishna wrote: »

Spot on Knarf44. Following those instructions, plus some help from the Sevenforums, I got things working again.

Amazing that you can download free ISOs of any version of Windows 7 from a legal source! You still need your license key of course, but that was not a problem for me. You can't download Starter edition, but you can get it to work with a little fiddle.

I had a little difficulty with the method identified in Knarf44's link because I still could not get the screen allowing me to choose a Starter version (or indeed any version) of Windows, which I needed as that is what the license key I have is for. But it worked in the end.

In case someone else tries to do this, I will just add that I ended up doing four additional things, one of which made the difference between a workable solution and one that didn't work (i.e. one that gave me the option to choose Starter edition).

1. Downloaded the Win 7 Ultimate ISO (rather than Win 7 Home Pro, which I couldn't get to give me Starter option)

2. Unpacked the ISO with 7Zip, deleted ei.cfg and repacked with ImgBurn (there was no sign of ei.cfg on the USB stick after using the eicfg removal tool mentioned in the original instructions, so I don't think this made the difference, but who knows).

3. Removed the Samsung partition on the laptop and reformatted the system partition (i.e. started with a single clean partition)

4. Removed the U3 launcher software from the Sandisk Cruzer USB key I was using.

I suspect 1 and 3 were the most likely to have made the difference, but can't be sure.

Saw your thread a little late in the day, but yes it was possible to restore access to your Recovery partition by using the corresponding SRS Admin Tool.
Apart from that you can restore activation status without needing to resort to calling Microsoft and using the key on the COA.

Anyway, it's done now and working to your satisfaction.