# Windows 8 Reinstall Problem



## oxleg (Feb 5, 2011)

Greetings. I'm working on a Gateway NE56R41U All In One computer for a customer. It is only about one year old. It was purchased new with Windows 8 on it. Windows will not load. It posts fine, and tries to load Windows 8, and the circle spins around, like it's trying load Windows 8, and then the screen goes blank and stays blank. I tried to boot it in safe mode f8, shift f8, and neither way worked. I tried all function keys when resetting, hoping to do a factory restore, but none of the function keys do anything. Windows 8 always tries to load, but keeps locking up. I tried booting from several good Windows 8 & Windows 7 install disks, and when I change the boot order to boot vd/dvd first, it bypasses the cd drive. I thought the cd/dvd drive might be bad, so I bought an external usb cd/dvd drive and set the biit order to boot from "Remobable Device". But it still only boots from the hard drive. No option in bios setup to boot from usb device. I need this client's computer fixed. I need to know how to reinstall windows, if it wont boot from a cd or usb device. I looked online and others have the same problem, only with this model gateway all in one. Help!! Any ideas how I can either get in safe mode, or get windows reinstalled? Help!! Thanks! Ox


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Since the PC is under a year old, clam warranty on it.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Boot the computer hold down the *FN *key and *F10* or *Alt* and *F10 *this should bring up the Recovery options to restore to Factory Defaults. Gateway Support - Answers, E-Mail, Chat - Using Recovery Management outside of Windows
If that didn't work, If you have a USB flash drive with Windows 8 ISO burned on it, then put that in the computers USB port and restart and boot into the Bios. Under *HDD order,* you should see the USB Flash drive as one of the Drives, select that and move it to First Boot Device be sure to _Save and Exit. _


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## oxleg (Feb 5, 2011)

Thank you, Spunk. I will give it a shot tomorrow (Tues) and will post the results! Thanks Spunk!!


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## oxleg (Feb 5, 2011)

Also, thank u Master! I will try the other option posted by Spunk first, since I'm trying to get paid to fix it (lol) but if I cant get it to work, I will inform the client to do just that.

Thanks Master and Spunk! Results to follow!!


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## oxleg (Feb 5, 2011)

Ok guys, I tried alt f10 and ctrl f10 at bootup and it still tries to load windows 8 on the hard drive. Does anyone have any other ideas before I turn the client loose? Their warranty is up, so that's no longer an option...

Help!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

You're statement that the warranty has expired is strange as no laptop on the plant that I know of would come with less than a one year warranty.

Lets stick with getting Windows 8 back on the machine. Where did you get your Windows 8 install CD from? Put the CD into the laptop's tray and enter the BIOS.

Change the first and second options to the CD drive. Also within the BIOS make sure that legacy devices are enabled.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

> I tried alt f10 and ctrl f10


No one said anything about CTRL + F10. 
Hold down the* FN* key+*F10* at bootup. 
If that doesn't work, boot into *Setup* (Bios) Usually by pressing* F2.* Here go to *Boot Priority*, using your Enter and arrow keys move the CD/DVD rom drive to* First Boot Device*. _Save and Exit_. You also can press *F12 *at bootup to move the CD/DVD rom drive for a one time boot. 
With the Windows DVD in the drive restart the computer and you should see the message *Press Any Key To Boot From CD/DVD*. If not, the disc you have is not bootable, try it on another computer, if it doesn't boot that computer, it is not a bootable disc. If it does boot, then the CD/DVD drive is not reading the disc.


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## oxleg (Feb 5, 2011)

I I think im going to take the hard drive out of it and put it in another gateway desktop. Install win 8...then put it back in the all in one and hope it works! Lol it should do some driver changes but im hoping it works. 

Ive tried doing that with a different manufacturer on a similar situation and it didnt work. Im hoping if its from one gateway to another, maybe it will work.

Im doing it thursday evening and will post the results


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

The only way that will work is if the Gateways, Model #'s are the same with the same hardware, chipset etc. 
When Windows is installed on a computer, it takes a snapshot of the hardware, chipset and motherboard. It then loads drivers specific to that hardware. 
If you remove the HDD and place it in a different model # computer with different motherboard etc, when it boots it will look for that other hardware and not find it and then BSOD.


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## oxleg (Feb 5, 2011)

Hello. Here is the latest update:

I have tried putting the CD/DVD drive as the first boot device, and using several good Windows 8 and Windows 7 CD's, that I know are good and I tested on other machines... it will spin the cd drive, and then start trying to boot off of the C Drive and try to load windows. I thought the CD/DVD drive might be bad, so I bought an external usb cd/dvd drive. Set the boot order to boot that first...and it scans the CD/DVD, but then goes right to the c: drive and tries to load Windows.

For some reason, it will NOT boot from any CD/DVD drive. And I know it sounds like my Windows Install CD's must be bad, but I assure you 100% my cds are good... I tried them on another machine and they load fine and boot fine right from the CD when I turn the computer on. So I know my disks are good...

I tried doing every combination of Function and F keys when I reboot the laptop...and every combination of Alt and F keys, and every combination of Ctrl and F keys, and I cannot get it to go into any kind of recovery mode...

There is no way to get to recovery because Windows won't boot (so I cant get to it from inside Windows 8), and I cannot get to it with any of the keys (in combination with the Function keys)... and none of my good working CDs will boot from the internal CD drive, or an external CD drive that I purchased...

HELP HELP HELP!!! Customer is getting upset! And I need the money! LOL

Any other ideas?????

Thanks!!!

Ox


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

In the BIOS is there an option for a BIOS update? Have you tried a USB boot instead of CD?

Where did you get your Windows installation CDs from?



> HELP HELP HELP!!! Customer is getting upset! And I need the money! LOL


What do we get out of this? :ermm:


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## Panther063 (Jul 13, 2009)

I'd suggest saving any important data on the drive then formatting it for a clean install.


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## oxleg (Feb 5, 2011)

I'm still working on this issue. Will update later this week. Thanks everyone!


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## gearhead63 (Oct 20, 2014)

Not sure if you found your answer, but I had to go into bios and set UEFI to Legacy (if I remember correctly). Otherwise it will not boot from anything except the internal HD. BUT, after setting to legacy, it won't recognize the HD as being bootable. I used third party partition software to boot from cd-rom and repartitioned and reformatted HD so I could install Windows 7. Also, once you install your OS, don't change that setting back to UEFI or it will not boot.I'm guessing that the OS is preinstalled on the factory HD before it is put into the laptop.


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## Wizmo (Apr 3, 2011)

Found this on a blog post recently, but can't find the original source. Maybe it will help:

This tip was not in my Gateway starter guide. What they had written for getting the Recovery Manager was not correct. 

*After* the initial boot screen (with "<F10> for boot menu" at the bottem) disappeared I pressed* Alt-F10 and after a minute got a "Gateway Recovery Management" screen with a "Restore from factory default" option.* This loaded the system partition (C from the recovery partition (hidden). It does wipe every thing out on the C: drive to be like it was when new. (Just to be safe I had made Ghost images of the all hard drive partitions before hand so I could restore them to their sickly state if needed.) Fortunately I had created an extra partition on the hard drive when I first got the machine and put all my work on the non-OS partition (D: drive), and none of that partition was affected during the restore operation. Of course I had to re-install my applications on C:, but everything is running right again.

Wishing you luck.


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