What's a good bootable dianostic tool?

[ohnoyoudidnt]

I'm having some trouble with a laptop and I do not have the installation CD. It's running Windows 7 and when it boots up it goes into startup recovery where it hangs and does nothing. I let it sit there for about 5 hours before canceling. It gives me a few other options, but won't boot into Windows at all. The other options are restoring, but when I try it won't let me do that, using the installation disks which I do not have, there is also a Toshiba recovery wizard, that runs up to 70 percent and runs into errors. I tried MEMTEST86 and Drive Fitness Test. When on CDs, the computer sits for a while and then gives me the option to start in safe mode. When I tried each program from a USB, it said not bootable. I did have the boot sequence set to start from the CD and USB when I tried to run each program from those devices.

I'm wondering if there's a better diagnostic tool I can try booting from with a CD or USB. Any ideas would be appreciated.

[Renew Deal]

1. Can you get your hands on any Windows 7 Installation CD?

I don't think it has to be the original. Anyone should do.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

3. I just tried using a copy of windows 7

it was from an iso I extracted to a cd all the comments suggested the copy was good. I get the original toshiba screen at startup and the option to go into setup utility or boot manager at the bottom then the screen goes dark and stays that way. This also happens now if I start without the cd. I recently to remove some malicious software which can account for corrupting windows bit this is starting to feel like a hardware issue

[Renew Deal]

4. Did you change any AHCI controllers or SATA modes?

That might explain it. You would have changed it in the BIOS.

You should be able to boot into the CD. Bring up the boot manager if necessary.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

5. It was set a AHCI. I also tried resetting bios defaults

and booting windows from USB. I guess it's possible that copy is bad I can borrow a good copy from a friend in a few days and and use they key that came with my laptop

[ohnoyoudidnt]

7. It looks like it was the HD

I switched it with another HD from a laptop with a bad MB and it loaded up fine and can read DVDs. Now I just have to get the right drivers. Ty for the help

[BootinUp]

2. BartPE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BartPE

Boots windows from a cd or flash drive, allows testing/configuring with no installed windows on hardrives. This is what the IT guys are using unless they have the one from Microsoft.

[eppur_se_muova]

6. Thanks, that sounds great! nt

[sir pball]

8. Yeah BUT

Unless you want to pirate it, you need a legal copy of Windows and more importantly a working computer to build the disc on! It IS a great tool, and I always have a copy on a cheap flash drive, but most of the time by the time you need it, it's too late to get it..

[Panasonic]

10. Meh. I pirate all the Windows installs

Too easy to do.

Just ask - I'll help. It takes a windows loader.

I don't intend to give a dime to M$.

[sir pball]

11. I'm not too corp-friendly either

I do technically have legal XP on my netbook but that's about it. The real issue is making the boot media without a functional computer..

[Panasonic]

9. Echoing the same...

BartPE is a damn good diagnostic tool.

Free too.

[Mnpaul]

12. Hiren's boot CD 15.2

Tools galore, Mini Xp mode works well
http://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd