COMPAQ Running XP PRO

 

Hi guys, whilst doing some cambelt photo`s on my lap top at work today the battery suddenly let go, has done this before and usually just plug in the ac cord re-boot and away we go.

But not today, now caught in some kind of loop where a message comes up saying

 

"sorry but windows did not start correctly how do you want to proceed"

 

The opions are three kinds of safe mode and start with known last good set up or reboot, have tried everyone know and keep coming back to the same screen, the Windows XP spalsh screen comes on and then a very, very quick flash of blue screen of death that you cannot read because its too quick and then back to the options screen, again and again, etc. Why would the battery fail do this! have removed the cmos and main battery left for a while and put back and booted but always the same.

 

Done a disc check and it did a successful quick test but a failed to read on the intensive test after 20 minutes

 

Help

 

Jeff

Edited November 23, 201015 yr by JeffTT

Have just found the quick restore discs 1 and 2 that came with the laptop is this worth a go?

 

Jeff TT

Hold down F8 on boot and select "safe mode"

Hold down F8 on boot and select "safe mode"

 

Thanks but I have tried that, gets me to another multi option screen that every option tried gets me back to the first one again!! its flipping nuts!

 

Jeff

Safe mode, shutdown and restart Dont restore with discs as you will lose all your saved items and it will go back to the restore settings you had when you made the restore disc.

Unless you have too!

 

Allan

Edited November 23, 201015 yr by gruntpa64

Jeff, you have a pm matey

Do you mean the restore discs will loose my photo`s or files then?

 

Jeff

Restore disc will wipe out anything that is not been put on the disc when you made the restore disc, I think! I have never had to use one as I always back up and then totaly rebuild the pc, as I have all the software discs for all my PCs

Jeff, dont use the restore discs unless you are happy to lose everything on the laptop, they will more than likely reset the computer back to an 'as new' state.

before you do anything rash there are various things you can try.

 

(*) can you get to a command prompt? you may be able to back up the data from here....

 

(*) do you have another laptop to which you can install the possibly kerfooked drive into?

 

(*) you can, if you have time to wait buy a caddie http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-5-EXTERNAL-IDE-HARD-DISK-DRIVE-CASE-ENCLOSURE-USB2-0-/300420394271?pt=UK_Collectables_HardDriveEnclosures_RL&hash=item45f2736d1f#ht_5690wt_911 to put the drive in and you should be able to retrieve your data by plugging it into another computer.

 

the question is how important is the data on there? as this will govern how much effort you are willing to put in to retrieving it lol

You might need to re load just your boot file from your discs Jeff, see here

 

http://www.techsupportforum.com/microsoft-support/windows-xp-support/353197-reload-windows-xp-boot-files.html

 

I did this once when my laptop from start up was just in a loop and not coming on as it should - worked a treat and I was so pleased with myself :thumbup1:

im no computer geek by any stretch of the imagination but it sounds like your hard drive has gone tits up . if this is the case you have lost all your data any how . there is a place near to us in bordesley green that are very good at sorting these probs . very reasonable prices aswell . search for computer warehouse on the net . sorry i cant lay my hands on the number for you . normally its a while you wait service .

To be honest as its windows xp, there shouldn't be any data loss, BSOD on start up is usually a result of a corrupt file due to the sudden loss of power. it would be far easier to fix and a lot better for data recovery, if you just change the start up drive in BIOS to CD rom. reset it with a windows xp disk in the drive. and do a repair install, this will move all important folders into a new section and reinstall windows xp, leaving the normal file system intact. you will keep all data on the hard drive. it would take about 1 hour to complete. the only thing you would have to do is reinstall drivers for the laptop and possibly some programs as it deletes the main Windows folder that holds all the driver files. but the Program files folder will still be there with all your program data in. and also the main section would be the User named folder that contains the usual important folders like, my pictures. my documents and the like.

 

Jeff i have no problem with doing this for you as i did this as a daily job when starting my business up.

Edited November 24, 201015 yr by vodkashots

I've seen this same problem before. you should be able to use your restore discs to restore the computer to a previous date, i.e when it was working. It wont wipe any data doing this, just change any settings you may have ajusted after the date you select. If the restore discs dont give you this option, they wont start 'resetting' the computer with you telling it to, so would be safe to put them in to check.

 

If you still need help by the weekend, i'd be happy to come over to Zedworld saturday and have a look at if for you. I trained as a computer technician for 2 years so i know a fair amount (well, as much as i can remember, it was 3 years ago now)

Jeff use conzult on it and check for error codes ..........lol if you keep booting in safe mode before the start just after the windows xp icon press F8 repeatedly start in safe mode , scrol onto it and enter. make sure you have no discs in any of the drives including pen drives etc ...make sure the battery is fully charged before you do this

 

hope you get it going my Pics are hanging in the balance here .............i cant stand the wait any longer aarrrrggghhhhhhhhhhhhh

yeah windows start up files have gone tits up, easiest way to fix it is plug the hard drive into another system and then fix it that way, aslong as the laptop is pretty new and has a sata hardrive otherwise its a bit of a pain u'll need a 2.5 laptop hd converter. you can also back up all the files you want onto that system at the same time cos if it dosnt work you can then just do a reinistall

Ok with more help and advise I am now out of the loop situation, used Windows console to repair via checkdisc now boots to splash screen and then windows is starting but then hangs, however the Windows recovery console can now detect my version of windows after the repair ( could not see any before) and all I need now is to run boot repair however damn thing is requesting admin password that I do not have!!!! waiting on a mate who has a locksmith disc to find and change the admin to a known one............jeez even booted up my old pc last night on WIN98 to access the forum...slow...slow ...really slow.

 

Jeff

Ok with more help and advise I am now out of the loop situation, used Windows console to repair via checkdisc now boots to splash screen and then windows is starting but then hangs, however the Windows recovery console can now detect my version of windows after the repair ( could not see any before) and all I need now is to run boot repair however damn thing is requesting admin password that I do not have!!!! waiting on a mate who has a locksmith disc to find and change the admin to a known one............jeez even booted up my old pc last night on WIN98 to access the forum...slow...slow ...really slow.

 

Jeff

 

Jeff, if you had just ran a repair install of windows xp, you would of sorted this out by now and still had all your files.