HELP !! **** UPDATE 2 !!!!!******

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gazza2168

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Gareth
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Hi all, I am after some help, when I turn my laptop on it goes to a black screen and gives you 4 options, safe mode, safe mode with networking, safe mode with command prompt, and load windows normal, now no matter what I press it just keeps going back to that screen !! Any ideas please.
 
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Plugged in to the mains?
 
Just a long shot but your F8 key isn't stuck down is it? F8 is the key you'd press when you turn on a laptop or pc to get to those boot options. Unlikely I know but worth checking.
 
gazza2168 said:
Hi all, I am after some help, when I turn my laptop on it goes to a black screen and gives you 4 options, safe mode, safe mode with networking, safe mode with command prompt, and load windows normal, now no matter what I press it just keeps going back to that screen !! Any ideas please.
Click to expand...

There should be another option "Use last known good configuration" - Try that. If that doesn't work you'll need to make an emergency recovery cd from another PC.

If you have a 2.5" USB enclosure I would take out the HDD and backup any data from the laptop drive, this will also verify the drive is working (I suspect it's either failed or about to fail).
 
amjad175 said:
There should be another option "Use last known good configuration" - Try that. If that doesn't work you'll need to make an emergency recovery cd from another PC.

If you have a 2.5" USB enclosure I would take out the HDD and backup any data from the laptop drive, this will also verify the drive is working (I suspect it's either failed or about to fail).
Click to expand...

Yep - sounds like the drives either gone or close to - with luck you may be able to recover with an emergency recovery cd. If you can get it running get your saved info backed up before it goes again which it surely will:thumbsdown:
 
No reason to suspect the hard drive is about to fail. Windows not loading is not a symptom of HD failure. - It reaches the first stages off booting, indicating the problem is elsewhere.

What operating system are you using? We can't help you without knowing that.
 
someguy201 said:
No reason to suspect the hard drive is about to fail. Windows not loading is not a symptom of HD failure. - It reaches the first stages off booting, indicating the problem is elsewhere.

It depends on type of failure, if it's getting bad blocks then it could still load the boot loader and fail further on. I've just RMA'd a laptop drive with these exact symptoms. When I used a USB caddie Win7 wanted to format the drive but fortunately Recuva managed to read all the user data off. ESTOOL found a lot of bad blocks when it did a surface scan, in the original laptop it was still getting to the boot menu and then crashing.

There can be many other reasons for the symptoms (I'm not trying to leave myself wriggle room! :D), but getting a backup of the data should be a priority and the drive can be verified in the process. That's why I suggested an emergency type of CD to boot from so other components can be tested as well.
Click to expand...
 
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See it all the time.
Normally fixed by booting with the Windows CD and (with XP) choosing the R option to use the recovery console.
Once in there using the FIXBOOT command and sometimes also the FIXMBR option invariably breathes life into it.

If it occurs again soon then the hard drive could be on the way out but often once cured it is not seen again.
 
Thanks for your replys guys, unfortunately I don't have a recovery disc, and it's running vista home basic, is there an f key that could take you to the menu for a re-install? It's an acer machine.
 
Turn laptop on
Keep pressing f8
Choose option to disable automatic restart on failure
Laptop should present a blue screen.
Post error code here

(sorry I'm on my phone)
 
jamin100 said:
Turn laptop on
Keep pressing f8
Choose option to disable automatic restart on failure
Laptop should present a blue screen.
Post error code here

(sorry I'm on my phone)
Click to expand...

Going to bed now but will do tomorrow :thumbs:
 
jamin100 said:
Turn laptop on
Keep pressing f8
Choose option to disable automatic restart on failure
Laptop should present a blue screen.
Post error code here

(sorry I'm on my phone)
Click to expand...

this.

sounds like its blue screening and auto rebooting.

have you updated any device drivers recently? added/removed any hardware?
 
Almost_Invisible said:
See it all the time.
Normally fixed by booting with the Windows CD and (with XP) choosing the R option to use the recovery console.
Once in there using the FIXBOOT command and sometimes also the FIXMBR option invariably breathes life into it.

If it occurs again soon then the hard drive could be on the way out but often once cured it is not seen again.
Click to expand...

:agree:
 
its a big assumption though to suggest it might be the hard drive without knowing the contents of the blue screen.

could be dodgy driver, could be faulty memory... etc etc.
 
Oh god... please don't blindly fix the MBR...especially on laptops....
 
Almost_Invisible said:
See it all the time.
Normally fixed by booting with the Windows CD and (with XP) choosing the R option to use the recovery console.
Once in there using the FIXBOOT command and sometimes also the FIXMBR option invariably breathes life into it.

If it occurs again soon then the hard drive could be on the way out but often once cured it is not seen again.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I see it all the time in my job. Above works to fix it. If not a re-install of Windows on a new disk
 
Find the error code on the blue screen first, then suggest fixes.
 
Right, tried getting blue screen with error codes, but it just flashes up for a split second then goes to the page I originally described.
 
Did you disable the automatic restart on failure option?
 
Update :- right I have a windows xp disc, put this in told laptop to boot from cd, 5 minutes and the message " windows xp did not find any hard drives installed on this computer, press f3 to exit" so it is the hard drive then, damn no laptop :'(
 
Gareth if it's a sata HDD then it's not as easy as just bung in an XP disc and load it up. It would require a driver slipstreaming into the load so XP could find the drive.

What make and model is it m8
 
Hi chris, the hard drive is
Western digital
WD Scorpio
Serial ATA hard drive 160 gig.

Laptop is
Acer aspire 5315
Model no ICL50
 
Yup I've done loads of Acers, they usually need a sata driver slipstreamed. If you want to just reinstall XP from scratch go into the bios and change the SATA drivers settings to IDE emulate or summat similar. That way you will be able to reload XP but your origional files will be gone.

Does the PC have a floppy drive ?
 
Chris it has come on !!!, changed it like you said, now when it comes on it says downloading update 3 of 3, 0% then it restarts, and it keeps doing this over and over, how can I stop the updates?
 
Argh I fixed this a few weeks back.
Google vista update loop.

You'll find some instructions that tell you to boot from a Vista cd into the recovery console.

You then have to delete a pending. Xml file. I googled it and found the steps within the first couple of results.

I'll post the instructions tomorrow if you havnt found them by then
 
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It'll be the same for xp.
Just Google xp update loop
 
Lol I thought it was running Vista. I was just too lazy to back over the thread
 
Ok I am now ******* gutted, popped it round to a friend, explained what's happened and I only have an xp disc but can it be repaired from this?, he rings me 10 mins ago, " it's fixed" blooming great I think, nnnnnnooooooo!!!!! He has put windows xp on thinking that's what I meant !!! I need vista back , this is going from bad to worse, I am now at my wits end, can I get vista back? If not can I buy a new hard drive with vista on? Nothing works now can't even find wireless adapter, headache now and stressed
 
ChrisH said:
Bring it down to Manchester on Sunday I'll put 7 on it and set it all up for you :D
Click to expand...

I would love to chris but it's the only damn weekend I have not got works van, see what I mean, no luck whatsoever absolutely gutted
 
Long shot - but is there anyone in the Bradford area who can put vista on my laptop ASAP, cheers
 
Sorry chris it's just not feasible for me to travel there, wish I could and your offer is great, but I just can't do it mate
 
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