# [SOLVED] &quot;BOOTMGR image is corrupt. System cannot boot.&quot; + More



## Axist (Nov 30, 2014)

I've been given a laptop to have a look at because it wasn't working.
The Laptop is Toshiba Satellite a500. It is running Windows Vista and is fairly old (3+ years).

I could press the 'on' button and the laptop would light up and the fans/HDD turned on but nothing was coming up on the screen. I tried plugging into an external monitor but still nothing. I googled the problem and found that this might have something to do with the RAM. So I removed one stick of RAM and the problem appeared to be solved as now the laptop would turn on and the screen turned on too.

I tested both sticks of RAM (in a different computer as well) and it was clear that one stick of RAM had stopped working for some reason. Whereas the stick that still remained in the laptop was fully functional.

Despite this, when booting the laptop, after going past the Toshiba logo it comes up with "BOOTMGR image is corrupt. System cannot boot.".
I played with some bios settings but wasn't getting anywhere.

So I pulled out a Windows 7 install USB stick I have (that works on other computers) and tried to boot from that. The laptop comes up with the usual "Press any key to boot from USB" but when I press a key it pauses for a moment and then gives me the "BOOTMGR image is corrupt. System cannot boot." message.

I also tried a Windows Vista repair disc (on a USB stick) and the error persisted.

I thought that perhaps the problem was with the HDD. So I removed it and then tried to boot from the USB stick again. The error stayed.

I have tried all this to isolate the issue and I'm starting to think it might be a hardware problem, maybe with the motherboard? But I really can't seem to work it out as it seems coincidental that one stick of RAM and the motherboard would pack it in at the same time.

Any advice?


----------



## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: "BOOTMGR image is corrupt. System cannot boot." + More*

Hi and Welcome to TSF!

What OS is the machine running?

When booting the PC without a hard drive does the BOOTMGR error appear?

Do you have a secure boot option inside the BIOS?


----------



## Axist (Nov 30, 2014)

*Re: "BOOTMGR image is corrupt. System cannot boot." + More*



Masterchiefxx17 said:


> Hi and Welcome to TSF!
> 
> What OS is the machine running?
> 
> ...


Thanks for the response.

The machine is running Windows Vista.

The BOOTMGR error appeared even when booting without the HDD. With the USB plugged in.

I can't seem to fin any secure boot option in the BIOS.


----------



## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: "BOOTMGR image is corrupt. System cannot boot." + More*

What about booting without a hard drive or USB?

Have you tried clearing the CMOS?

Remove the battery and power cable. Press and hold the power button for 45 seconds. Then put the battery and power cable back


----------



## Axist (Nov 30, 2014)

*Re: "BOOTMGR image is corrupt. System cannot boot." + More*



Masterchiefxx17 said:


> What about booting without a hard drive or USB?
> 
> Have you tried clearing the CMOS?
> 
> Remove the battery and power cable. Press and hold the power button for 45 seconds. Then put the battery and power cable back


When booting without HDD or USB it has a black screen with white text:

"Intel UNDI. PXE-2.1 [...]

This product is covered by [...]

For Realtek RTL8111B Giga Ethernet Controller [...]

PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-N0F: Exiting PXE ROM."

Then it repeats all that text again. I think it is trying to boot an OS from a network?

It doesn't give the "BOOTMGR is corrupt" error.

I have tried setting bios to factory default but it is having no effect. I did this manually in the BIOS (which I am able to access), I also used your method of holding down the power button for 45 seconds.


----------



## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: "BOOTMGR image is corrupt. System cannot boot." + More*

Are you physically changing the boot order to boot to your USB or just using the one time boot method?


----------



## Axist (Nov 30, 2014)

*Re: "BOOTMGR image is corrupt. System cannot boot." + More*

I have tried both and it has the same result.


----------



## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: "BOOTMGR image is corrupt. System cannot boot." + More*

You could try to do a BIOS update to see if that fixes it. That is...if Toshiba supports a BIOS flash over USB.


----------



## Axist (Nov 30, 2014)

*Re: "BOOTMGR image is corrupt. System cannot boot." + More*



Masterchiefxx17 said:


> You could try to do a BIOS update to see if that fixes it. That is...if Toshiba supports a BIOS flash over USB.


I did this and the problem persisted.

I then decided it would be a good idea to create a vista repair DISC instead of USB. This got past the "press any key to continue", didn't give me the "BOOTMGR" disc error but once it loaded the disc it told me that "Hal.dll" or something was missing.

I then decided to try and check every single component again. What I found after running memorytest86 was that the stick of RAM that was in the PC, (the only one that allowed the PC to at least turn on), was dead.

I got a stick of RAM from an old netbook I had lying around and put that in laptop instead. It now appears to be fully functional and it appears that the issue was merely 2 sticks of bad RAM. 

I'll tell my GF to buy some more if she needs it. In reality, I think she needs a new laptop altogether!!! This one is slowly dying.

Thanks so much for the help


----------



## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: "BOOTMGR image is corrupt. System cannot boot." + More*

Glad to hear the issue was solved!


----------

