Aspire ERecovery Management cannot format the object drive, how do I recover?

JohnSpence
JohnSpence Member Posts: 9 New User
in 2013 Archives

The machine (Acer Aspire T180) boots to the ERecovery Management Software, but neither the Restore to Factory Defaults nor the restore from disk image works - both fail when they start with the error message "cannot format the object drive".  I have recovery disks that exhibit the same problem if I try to boot to them.  I therefore cannot boot the machine in any way.  Any suggestion on how I can fix this problem and allow the Acer eRecovery Management software to restore the machine to factory defaults?

Answers

  • tom85
    tom85 Member Posts: 257 Mr. Fixit WiFi Icon

    How to recovery your system from bootup

    1. Locate the Alt key, to the left of the space bar, and F10, on the top row of keys.
    2. Power the system on.
    3. When the system is powered on, tap the Alt and F10 keys together at the same time when the Acer splash screen appears.
      It should state "Please wait a moment..." with the Acer logo in the upper left hand corner.
    4. At the eRecovery Management menu it will ask you how to restore.
    5. Click on the restore option you would like to use.
  • JohnSpence
    JohnSpence Member Posts: 9 New User

    Hi Tom,

     

    The problem is not getting INTO the ERecovery Management System, the problem is that I cannot get anything to work within that system!  It boots automatically into the ERecovery Management System every time I turn it on, but every option that it allows for restoration fails with the same error message "Cannot Format the object drive".  I therefore cannot do any sort of recover, nor can I boot into Windows because the machine always boots into the Recovery program.

     

    John

  • tom85
    tom85 Member Posts: 257 Mr. Fixit WiFi Icon

    Go to BIOS and Load Default Settings, and than trye use erecovery again.

    You have EFI Bios?

  • JohnSpence
    JohnSpence Member Posts: 9 New User

    Hi Tom,

     

    As you suggested, I went to the BIOS and did "Load Default Settings".  Nothing changed - the machine still automatically boots into the eRecovery Manager and every option there fails with the message "Cannot Format the object drive."

     

    For what it's worth, the BIOS is Phoenix Award Worstation Bios, version 6.00 PG, Release Date September 14, 2006.  I don't know what you mean by EF1 Bios.

     

    I poked around the drive using Partition Magic 8 (this is an old machine after all) and it seems to be complaining that the Partition Table contains an overlap and is invalid.  PM8 can "fix" this by reformatting the entire drive, but if I did that, I would not have further access to Acer utilities to install Windows from the "recovery" disks I have, right?

     

    Bye,

     

    John

  • tom85
    tom85 Member Posts: 257 Mr. Fixit WiFi Icon

    ok we can trye different.

    Have you got Windows 7 on DVD or USB Drive?

    If not go to your m8 whou have windwos 7(or use your 2nd one if you have, i think yesSmiley Happy) and do this one http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Create-a-system-repair-disc

    than you need to

     

    Fixing the Master Boot Record (MBR)

    Step one: Turn your computer on, booting from either your Windows 7 Installation DVD or Windows 7 System Recovery Disc.  Remember, you may need to change the boot order inside your BIOS to have the your DVD drive boot first.

    Step two: After the installation or recovery disc loads, if prompted, select your language settings and then continue.  If you are using the installation DVD, when prompted by the following screen select Repair your computer.

    ZoomStep three: The computer will take a moment now to scan itself for any Windows installations, after which you will likely be given a choice to select which installation you wish to repair.  Select the appropriate Windows installation from the list and then continue. If by chance a problem is detected in one of your Windows installations at this initial stage, the system may also ask you if it can try to repair the problem automatically. It is up to you if you wish to let the system try to repair itself, but otherwise just select No. 

    Step four: Once you have reached the System Recovery Options screen, as shown below, you will be faced with a list of choices that can aid you in repairing a damaged Windows 7 operating system.  If you wish to try the Startup Repair option first, it is often successful in automatically fixing many different start up issues, but in this article we will be using the Command Prompt option to resolve our problems manually. So, click Command Prompt to continue. 

    ZoomStep five: Now sitting at the command prompt, enter the following command and then press enter:

             bootrec.exe /FixMbr

    If successful, you should be greeted with the message The operation completed successfully.  That's it!  Your Master Boot Record has been repaired.

    While the above command does fix the MBR, and sometimes that is enough, there still might be an error with the system partition's boot sector and Boot Configuration Data (BCD). This might occur if you have tried to install another operating system alongside Windows 7, such as Windows XP.  To write a new boot sector, try the following command:

            bootrec.exe /FixBoot

    If you are still faced with your Windows 7 installation not being detected during start up, or if you wish to include more than one operating system choice to your system's boot list, you can try the following command to rebuild your BCD:
           
            bootrec.exe /RebuildBcd

     
    P.S. in Step Four you can trye use also "Startup Repair" sometimes its help straight without command prompt.
    My last pc have same problem like your one, when i trye use Recovery partition, after this solution work againSmiley Happy
    So good luck m8 and give a note if its work.
  • JohnSpence
    JohnSpence Member Posts: 9 New User

    Hi Tom,

     

    The machine is running Windows XP, and all I have with it are the Acer Restoration Disks I made back when the system was working per the Acer instructions.  I can get a Windows 7 disk if you think that would repair the system, but I can't put Windows 7 legally on the system since it is only licensed for Windows XP.  By the way, the machine is not mine but belongs to a client of mine.  I'm trying to fix her broken computer with what she gave me.  She does not have a Windows 7 disk in any case, nor does she have a Windows XP disk - just the Acer Recovery Disks.

     

    Bye,

     

    John

  • tom85
    tom85 Member Posts: 257 Mr. Fixit WiFi Icon

    OMG im sorry m8, my mistake. I should usk you first what windows you haveSmiley Happy

     

    use this one (you can trye with acer recovery disk, but i dont know if its workink, never done with disk like that)

    but you can use any windows xp disk to do this, even download from somewhere because you dont will be install it, just fix MBR

     

    So how can you repair your damaged MBR? Here are the steps to follow:

    1. First, restart your computer with the Windows XP setup disk in the CD drive. If you don’t have your original disk, borrow one or download a ISO image from a ***** site.

    2. When prompted, boot from the CD drive by pressing any key. If Windows loads automatically, you will first have to enter the BIOS setup and change the order of the boot devices to start with the CD drive.

    change boot order

    3. Once the setup loads, you will see the option to press R to repair a Windows installation.

    repair windows

    4. Once the Recovery Console loads up, you will have to type in a number that corresponds to your Windows installation. This is normally just 1. Press Enter and then type in the Administrator password.

    recovery console

    5. Now at the prompt, type in fixmbr. Your damaged MBR will now be replaced with a new master boot record and your computer should now be able to boot properly. Note that you may also want to run the fixboot command to repair the boot sector with a new one.

    Also, make sure you only use these commands on a system with one operating system installed. If you have more than one operating system installed, fixmbr and fixboot could mess up everything.

  • JohnSpence
    JohnSpence Member Posts: 9 New User

    Hi Tom,

     

    This all sounds good. I'll try it out when I find a Windows XP disk.  The Acer Recovery Disks won't work - all they do is launch the eRovery Software!  Since that seems to be broken, their disks are useless!  I guess you get what you pay for!  I'll try out what you offered soon and let you know the results.

     

    Bye,

     

    John

     

  • JohnSpence
    JohnSpence Member Posts: 9 New User

    Hello,

     

    I found a Windows XP disk and am trying to do the procedure suggested above, however, I am unable to get into the Windows Administrator account because I don't know the password.  I believe this machine has been previously restored using the Acer Recovery Disks, and as my client is not knowledgeable enough about computers, my guess would be that the Windows Administrator Account password is whatever Acer set it to originally.  Does anybody have a clue what that might be?

     

    Bye,

     

    John

  • JohnSpence
    JohnSpence Member Posts: 9 New User

    Hello Tom,

     

    Well, it took me all weekend and Monday, but I was able to download programs to find out that the Admin password was empty and therefore there was nothing I could enter to get past the prompt, and then I found a program that allowed me to turn off the Administrator Password check, and that got me into the Recovery Console.  Then, I did as you suggested for Windows XP a few posts ago, and both the FixMBR and Fixboot commands ran successfully.  The problem persists, though, and doing all of this made no difference - the machine still boots directly into the eReovery Manager Software, and all of the possible actions in that program fail with the message "Cannot Format the object drive"

     

    Any more suggestions?

  • tom85
    tom85 Member Posts: 257 Mr. Fixit WiFi Icon

    You are going to need a boot up partition manager like on the Ultimate Boot CD . Boot to it, go into the partition program, then set the active partition back.

  • JohnSpence
    JohnSpence Member Posts: 9 New User

    Hi Tom,

     

    Sorry for the long delay - alot going on.

     

    I downloaded the Ultimate Boot CD and burned it to a CD and have tried to boot the problem computer to it.  The computer won't boot complaining that the CD "initial Menu has no LABEL entries".  What I downloaded was simply a CD image that I burned onto a CD, so there is no "configuration" I could do.  I am not familiar with this CD, but it sounds like you might be.  Could you please give me a link where you get the version of the Ultimate Boot CD you were referring to?

     

    Thanks,

     

    John

  • JohnSpence
    JohnSpence Member Posts: 9 New User

    Hi Tom,

     

    Well, it turned out that the ISO image of Ultimate Boot CD that I first downloaded was bad, and I was able to download a proper copy from somewhere else. 

     

    I ran the Boot CD (v5.1.1) and ran the default Partition program called Parted Magic.  It took some figuring out, but I see that there is a small FAT32 partition at the start of the drive, and the remaining drive is split into two equal partitions - the middle one is NTFS and the last one is FAT32.  I'm not sure why there is a FAT32 partition after the "main" partition and of the same size, but I was able to use the program to set the NTFS partition to "bootable" and now the machine comes up properly (into Windows XP, not the eRecovery Manager software (which is what it was originally set to be bootable). 

     

    Can you tell me if the big FAT32 partition is a Restore Image or something?  Also, is the first small FAT32 partition the Acer eRecovery Manager software?

     

    I don't know if this machine can be restored in the future, but my client is happy that the machine seems to be working well and is happy for now.  I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate the help you gave me and, for now, this issue seems to be fixed!

     

    Bye,

     

    John

  • simonzr76
    simonzr76 Member Posts: 1 New User

    Hello Tom,

     

    I have done the procedure 1 through 5 described below which consists of Alt and F10 combination, but my computer still does not load Windows 7. Instead, the screen is dark, and displays "Setup is starting services" that never goes away. Would you please help me? Thank you!

This discussion has been closed.

Categories