Gateway M-6881
Anybody have any ideas...
a. The FACTORY recovery DVDs (2) that I have will not boot. Usually they just run until a window pops up to insert a blank CD, but you can do that forever--and it just cycles through repeatedly. A couple of times it did proceed to a second window indicating the restore was proceeding, but the bar did not advance, and after a minute or so, it too failed (sorry, don't remember the exact indications).
b. Trying to start recovery using the hidden partition... does not work either.
When you use Programs>Gateway>Gateway Recovery Management>Restore tab and command it...it simply proceeds to a shutdown and reboots right back into Vista. Second way-- the manufacturer enter-recovery-during-boot process (Left Alt-F10 while "Gateway" is onsceen, also simply proceeds to boot thru into Vista.
Some things I have determined:
-A different bootable DVD will boot the machine, so DVD drive is working--at least READ.
-ASIDE: Using the internal utility at Programs>Gateway>Gateway Recovery Management to try to burn either a full recovery set (2 DVDs) or a "Drivers and Applications" set both fail--do not do it.
-File folder structure on the two factory recovery DVDs can be viewed
-chkdsk C: /r has been run and found a few seemingly insignificant things, which were 'fixed'
-The F8 menu does NOT contain "Repair your computer' entry.
Quite frustrated to have three ways to do it and none works.
Anybody have any ideas...
a. The FACTORY recovery DVDs (2) that I have will not boot. Usually they just run until a window pops up to insert a blank CD, but you can do that forever--and it just cycles through repeatedly. A couple of times it did proceed to a second window indicating the restore was proceeding, but the bar did not advance, and after a minute or so, it too failed (sorry, don't remember the exact indications).
b. Trying to start recovery using the hidden partition... does not work either.
When you use Programs>Gateway>Gateway Recovery Management>Restore tab and command it...it simply proceeds to a shutdown and reboots right back into Vista. Second way-- the manufacturer enter-recovery-during-boot process (Left Alt-F10 while "Gateway" is onsceen, also simply proceeds to boot thru into Vista.
Some things I have determined:
-A different bootable DVD will boot the machine, so DVD drive is working--at least READ.
-ASIDE: Using the internal utility at Programs>Gateway>Gateway Recovery Management to try to burn either a full recovery set (2 DVDs) or a "Drivers and Applications" set both fail--do not do it.
-File folder structure on the two factory recovery DVDs can be viewed
-chkdsk C: /r has been run and found a few seemingly insignificant things, which were 'fixed'
-The F8 menu does NOT contain "Repair your computer' entry.
Quite frustrated to have three ways to do it and none works.