Solved tried to reset notebook, said hard drive locked ?

[JimJoe]

Got all files copied. Put the hdd back. Found the flash bios for my model laptop and downloaded.

Got it installed.

Tried to do a refresh and the error said it was unable to do so as my hdd is locked.

How could it have gotten locked ? And how do I unlock it so I can refresh with a new Win 8.0 install ?

Thanks !

 

[metzen01]

I'm curious what program you used to copy all the files? More than likely some files were write protected. Depending on the brand of laptop you will want to make a recovery disc/thumb drive. Most vendors have a function key when starting up that you press to access this hidden partition.

 

[JimJoe]

I just used Windows explorer to copy the files from one hard drive to an external USB hard drive.

I don't know of a key to get to the recovery partition. The 'reset notebook' is supposed to pull that up and use it.

 

[metzen01]

Jim you are right the recovery system is brought up the way you did it. Since you said that you have your files backed up please try to choose a restore without keep ing your files. I wonder if it will allow you to continue. Try choosing make a recovery thumb drive within the options of windows to see if it will let you restore the system to factory defaults. This is usually within your program settings. What brand is your computer? You can get this working. ;-)

 

[JimJoe]

Its an Asus X551MA. It claims no restore points available. The only thing I've been able to do is redo the flash from a thumb drive and copy all of my files. It very obsinately refuses to do anything else. I have thought of going to a nearby bookstore, buying a linux magazine, and wiping the hard drive of the laptop and putting Mint linux on it. I still have an Acer Vista Desktop and a weird Acer Win 10 desktop that uses a laptop adapter to power it. So I'm not bereft of computers. But I would like to get my Win 8.1 notebook working again the way it was.

My system specs on this forum is the laptop I have.

 

[metzen01]

Please don't install Linux Mint just yet. Your particular model brings up the restore model by pressing and holding F9. Once you see the options choose troubleshoot and then reset your PC.

You can choose then to remove files and restore back to factory condition.

I'm including a link:
https://youtu.be/Du94-K-EY_I

It shows the process. Please post back. with your results.

 

[JimJoe]

It says the hard drive is locked. How do I unlock it.

Thanks.,

 

[metzen01]

Jim I appreciate you being patient in this whole process. Please boot up pressing f9 and this time choose the troubleshoot option. You will then choose advanced. Try the startup repair and let's see what happens here.

If that still does not help then please choose command prompt and type :
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=d:\windows

I hope this does the trick for you.

 

[JimJoe]

Jim I appreciate you being patient in this whole process. Please boot up pressing f9 and this time choose the troubleshoot option. You will then choose advanced. Try the startup repair and let's see what happens here.

No startup repair available. It says: Automatic Repair, and that doesn't work.

If that still does not help then please choose command prompt and type :
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=d:\windows

I hope this does the trick for you.

message on computer: 'Resource Protection could not start the repair service'.

 

[metzen01]

Type "net start trustedinstaller" and then the previous command listed above. Let's see where this goes and do post back your results. [emoji106][emoji41][emoji106]

 

[JimJoe]

lists what it does then:

sfc /scannow
sfc /veryifyfile=c:\windows\system32\kernel32.dll
sfc /scannfile=d:\windows\system32\kernel32.dll /offbootdir=d:\ /offwindir=d:\windows
sfc /verifyonly

if I cd to C:, the net start works, but not scannow.

I tried it a second time, and got the message above about the kernel32.dll

edit:

I have to go offline for a few hours.

 

[metzen01]

Ok please try bcdboot c:\windows /s c:

There are many other command line options you can try.

Please have a look here:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744347(v=ws.10).aspx

Hope this gets you on the right path. I'm going to try and make a recovery thumb drive from an Asus win 8.1 tablet that I have as well for you. It is win 32 bit but at least it will hopefully get your system up and running with 8.1 and that's the first step. It will more than likely want to activate on your laptop. There are ways of looking up your Win 8.1 Product key within the BIOS once it is in windows. My model is an Asus Vivo Tab Smart ME400C. Once you have the product key you can then download the 64bit 8.1 update

 

[JimJoe]

A bit of research has shown me that someone out there decided that locking the hard drive, when the owner makes backups of their files, is a security fix.

Unfortunately this is one of those feel good pieces of nonsense that doesn't accomplish anything but upset the owner. I doubt the criminals are stopped by this.

 

[JimJoe]

I think that due to this 'security' idiocy I'm goig to convert this laptop over to something else. Its too small for an aquarium, but I'll think of something. Thanks for trying metzen01.

 

[JimJoe]

Ok please try bcdboot c:\windows /s c:

There are many other command line options you can try.

Please have a look here:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744347(v=ws.10).aspx

Hope this gets you on the right path. I'm going to try and make a recovery thumb drive from an Asus win 8.1 tablet that I have as well for you. It is win 32 bit but at least it will hopefully get your system up and running with 8.1 and that's the first step. It will more than likely want to activate on your laptop. There are ways of looking up your Win 8.1 Product key within the BIOS once it is in windows. My model is an Asus Vivo Tab Smart ME400C. Once you have the product key you can then download the 64bit 8.1 update

I'll have to look through a drawer, I'm sure I have a blasnk thumb drive somewhere.

The command line said files copied sucessfully, but its still wont go into Win 8.1. Automatic Repair says cannot fix it.

Restore and lose personal files says the same as usual 'Unable to reset your PC. A required drive partition ism issing'.

Rest, and keep my files, winds back up in Automatic Repair.

 

[JimJoe]

Well, bust my bustle and call me a prairie schooner ! I dug around and found out how to get the notebook into safe mode.

Restarting to see if it will go to Normal...

 

[JimJoe]

Its alive ! Ayup, I glared at and did some typing. Works from time to time. Back up and running. Don't worry, I have another minimal PC out in a storage shed, in a box, that has linux on it. I use it to threaten my Windows computers with. Now if I could just get my, needs major work, Amiga computers to working, I would have a plethora of home computers.

No, I don't owe anyone a new keyboard. I talk like this all the time, just not so much of it here.

 

[metzen01]

Glad to hear it's up and running Jim! You have a great night. [emoji106][emoji41][emoji106]

 

[JimJoe]

You as well.