A little background. Was dual booting Ubuntu for a few days, didn't like it so I removed the Ubuntu partition (against others best advice) manually from within Vista (mistake #1). Vista continued to work normally until I shut down PC. On restart, got the grub error and nothing would load. Used a linux LiveCD to try and manually repair the MBR from inside linux terminal, but ended up a cidentally deleting it (mistake #2). So instead of reinstalling a linux OS like I should have, I deleted my mbr and couldn't load Vista at all.
At this point I tried to use my factory backup discs I'd recently used to resintall Vista (with great success I might add) that Id made from Acer eRecovery (I have an Extensa 5420). Naturally the Acer restore discs only do one thing - restore Vista. No option to repair Vista (which should have allowed me to fix my mbr). Long story short, I tried reinstalling Vista as I have in the past, but it continued to not boot (grub error remained).
Now, mistake #4, I boot and nuked my harddrive. Done this in the past with XP systems, so I had the software handy. Now, after much tinkering (reestablishing harddrive partitions and whatnot), I can get Vista to install as it should, only it won't boot. The OS is there - if I use a GParted LIveCD, it shows me that the harddrive is partitioned ans formatted as it has been in the three years Ive owned this laptop (150g harddrive in two large partitions, each with smaller system partitions - the first is an 8+g system partition and the second is a 3+g partition). Like I said, all the partitions are exactly where they were in the past, and the same size and Vista is installed where it needs to be.....
But when I start my laptop, it goes past the BIOS load screen (my BIOS is setup correctly, btw) and then goes to a black screen with a blinking "_" at the top left corner of the screen and just sits there, blinking, forever.
To reiterate, the Vista OS is installed, the harddrive is working as it should, the BIOS is set up as it should be, yet it won't load.
At this point I tried to use my factory backup discs I'd recently used to resintall Vista (with great success I might add) that Id made from Acer eRecovery (I have an Extensa 5420). Naturally the Acer restore discs only do one thing - restore Vista. No option to repair Vista (which should have allowed me to fix my mbr). Long story short, I tried reinstalling Vista as I have in the past, but it continued to not boot (grub error remained).
Now, mistake #4, I boot and nuked my harddrive. Done this in the past with XP systems, so I had the software handy. Now, after much tinkering (reestablishing harddrive partitions and whatnot), I can get Vista to install as it should, only it won't boot. The OS is there - if I use a GParted LIveCD, it shows me that the harddrive is partitioned ans formatted as it has been in the three years Ive owned this laptop (150g harddrive in two large partitions, each with smaller system partitions - the first is an 8+g system partition and the second is a 3+g partition). Like I said, all the partitions are exactly where they were in the past, and the same size and Vista is installed where it needs to be.....
But when I start my laptop, it goes past the BIOS load screen (my BIOS is setup correctly, btw) and then goes to a black screen with a blinking "_" at the top left corner of the screen and just sits there, blinking, forever.
To reiterate, the Vista OS is installed, the harddrive is working as it should, the BIOS is set up as it should be, yet it won't load.
