Any Real PC Experts on here?
#1
08-28-2007, 09:29 PM
Any Real PC Experts on here?
I have a laptop that won't boot. Won't boot in safe mode or even to the previously last good boot settings. I get the dreaded blue screen each time telling me that installing new hardware caused some type of problem. I can't brake the sequence. If there is anyone who is awesome at this stuff who thinks they can help, send me a PM. I would love to try and chat with you.
#2
08-28-2007, 09:48 PM
time to find a copy of windows, and put the cd in...when it asks you if you want to boot from the cd hit any key (doesnt matter which one)...and go through the process of formatting and re-installing.
the blue screen means you lost something critical to windows, so your up the creek without a paddle.
the blue screen means you lost something critical to windows, so your up the creek without a paddle.
#4
08-28-2007, 10:34 PM
what did you install? you say hardware install and not software install...theres a big diff there...i dont wanna sound overly simple but did you try uninstalling it? sometimes a hardware component will overload the power supply and give that blue screen too....happened to me with my radeon once on a real old motherboard...what did you put on that laptop?
#5
08-28-2007, 10:48 PM
OK....here is the deal. The problem is hopefully my modem card (cellular). It has given me the blue screen in the past and causes the computer to shutdown when on battery power. It generally works fine whne it is plugged in.
When I have gotten the blue screen in the past, I just pull the card and reboot and it works. This time.......no luck. I really could care less about the machine. If the power supply is dicked, so be it. I just want my data.
I am going to put my HD in another machine tomorrow and hopefully it will boot.
When I have gotten the blue screen in the past, I just pull the card and reboot and it works. This time.......no luck. I really could care less about the machine. If the power supply is dicked, so be it. I just want my data.
I am going to put my HD in another machine tomorrow and hopefully it will boot.
#6
08-28-2007, 11:19 PM
If the hard drive boots on another computer, its fine, something on the computers hardware itself is screwed.
But I'm thinking you somehow screwed up a component in winblows, and well, if that happens, you're screwed.
Considering windows needs a place to save itself, and it uses your hard drive to save and since all your data is on windows...yea...see where i'm gonig with all this?
If it doesn't boot, you're best bet is to go to a computer place, but heres what they will probably say "its screwed up, reinstall windows."
And this folks, is why you back important data up on a disc.
But I'm thinking you somehow screwed up a component in winblows, and well, if that happens, you're screwed.
Considering windows needs a place to save itself, and it uses your hard drive to save and since all your data is on windows...yea...see where i'm gonig with all this?
If it doesn't boot, you're best bet is to go to a computer place, but heres what they will probably say "its screwed up, reinstall windows."
And this folks, is why you back important data up on a disc.
#7
08-28-2007, 11:23 PM
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Blake,
Go to CompUSA and pick up a 2.5" to 3.5" Hard Drive adapter. If you have an external Hard Drive case, it will help, if not it's not really any more difficult, but a bit more time consuming.
With the adapter, you can take out the laptop hard drive and plug it into any tower PC via the normal PCI slot. Once you gain access to the drive, you can copy all of the info that you need from it to your PC, then reinstall Windows on your laptop.
That is really the only way to gaurantee that you will be able to recover all of your lost data.
Go to CompUSA and pick up a 2.5" to 3.5" Hard Drive adapter. If you have an external Hard Drive case, it will help, if not it's not really any more difficult, but a bit more time consuming.
With the adapter, you can take out the laptop hard drive and plug it into any tower PC via the normal PCI slot. Once you gain access to the drive, you can copy all of the info that you need from it to your PC, then reinstall Windows on your laptop.
That is really the only way to gaurantee that you will be able to recover all of your lost data.
#8
08-29-2007, 12:13 AM
FINALLY a data guy that said to do the same thing i did. Extract your data from the old hard drive to another comp...re install windows, then put your data back on your comp. Thats exactly how we do it out here.
#9
08-29-2007, 12:29 AM
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All of the 'recovery' discs and the 'system restore' features that can be used with Windows based PC's are great as long as you already have all of your data in a safe location, such as a back-up hard drive or in another sector that you have allocated for backup (splitting a single drive into two seperate 'disks' like C: and E: ) but really, how many people really know how to format a single hard drive in that way? --Not many..
You have to remember that as soon as you pop that Windows CD into the drive and try to 'recover' 9 times out of 10 it will completely re-install all of the base components and you will lose any and all data that was recoverable.
Hindsight is 20/20, go out and buy an external hard drive, or even a large jump drive and start using it.. Especially if you have data that is very important to you.
#12
08-29-2007, 07:35 AM
Try hitting the F8 key repetedly while its booting. My sister just had this prob with her laptop. It took forever for me to find this out but, I got it fixed w/o reformating and reinstalling. The F8 key SHOULD make it boot up in DOS. Once in DOS you can access how you want windows to boot. It took a min of messing with it but it works fine now!
#13
08-29-2007, 12:59 PM
Once you have it up to the mode selection screen (safe, normal, safe + net, etc..) go into safe mode with step by step confirmation (this option is not in all versions). This takes a while but you can bypass any of the startup components that's b0rking it. I recommend not loading anything with a vendor name on it.
Now... I am an actual expert. Been doing this for 15 years. If it were my system, I'd do a repair installation over the top, if your version allows that... not all do. That will install into the same directory and leave the filesystem intact. You can also do a new installation on the same drive (basically install into a diff directory than C:\windows). Those ways will make sure you don't lose your data, you get a new copy of the OS and you can do it all on 1 system with no excess peripherals.
Now... I am an actual expert. Been doing this for 15 years. If it were my system, I'd do a repair installation over the top, if your version allows that... not all do. That will install into the same directory and leave the filesystem intact. You can also do a new installation on the same drive (basically install into a diff directory than C:\windows). Those ways will make sure you don't lose your data, you get a new copy of the OS and you can do it all on 1 system with no excess peripherals.
#15
08-29-2007, 02:34 PM
Put the XP cd in and boot off of it. Then choose the repair option. Log in with the local admin account and run the following:
c:>\ chkdsk /f
c:>\ chkdsk /f
#16
08-30-2007, 05:59 AM
You need to get a external enclosure and connect it to a Pc like suggested. You should be backing up data on a regular basis,here is what my wife uses to back up her laptop documents. Ive been in PC business for 15 years and I have back ups of back ups.
#17
08-30-2007, 08:27 PM
UPDATE:
The hard drive does not spin. I tried an enclosure to no avail. I left it with our PC support team at work and the last I checked, they were able to recover the data. They have some pretty advanced equipment. If that does nto work, then it is going to an outside data recovery company. Will cost about $2000 to get my files if we have to go that route.
The hard drive does not spin. I tried an enclosure to no avail. I left it with our PC support team at work and the last I checked, they were able to recover the data. They have some pretty advanced equipment. If that does nto work, then it is going to an outside data recovery company. Will cost about $2000 to get my files if we have to go that route.
#19
08-31-2007, 05:36 AM
There are always ways to recover your data, it all depends how much you are willing to pay for the recovery. I have all my videos and family photos on DVDs and Hdds. What most dont know is that the recordable dyed cds and dvds only last a certain amount of time as it will not last forever like an orginal master copy. Its best to always have 2 backups in different formats. In the future we will be using solid state drives that have no moving parts like memory cards. There are also companies that will store your backup for a monthly fee.
#20
08-31-2007, 09:18 AM
Unfortunately they are.....but at least it won't come out of my paycheck - lol
#21
09-03-2007, 06:57 PM
Good call. I've raised several OS's from the grave with this simple little cmd.
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