Hi,

My dying laptop now refuses to boot up – after the windows (xp) logo appears it defaults to a blue screen and comes up with a message across the top of the screen saying something about a fatal error and a code for it (can dig out the exact message if needs be).

I can go into setup with either f2 or f12 but nothing in there appears (to me!) to be of much help and no matter how many times I turn it off by holding down the power button and restart the same thing happens.

As I inherited the laptop I have no recovery disc etc… for it so am a bit stuck.

The laptop needs replacing anyway but there’s quite a bit of new stuff on it since I last backed up which would be nice to retrieve.

Therefore is there anything I can do such as somehow start in safe mode, buy a restore CD or extract the data from the hard drive?

Any advice gratefully received,

Many thanks in advance.

use a Ubuntu ‘Live-cd’, boot it up with that, and try to copy the data onto an external USB drive.

it sounds like the HDD might be failing so it might struggle to copy the data off

Can you boot into safe mode?

I’d do what dawson suggests first though.

If you have another PC, or after you buy a replacement, you can take the dodgy drive out and put it in a caddy and read it then, so don’t go zapping it or reformatting it as an attempt to fix it.

All good advice above.

Google the code you are getting. That will give you some pointers to consider (but don’t take what you read as gospel, use it as a supplement to wha you already know).

When it happened to me, the code was displayed for less than a second, so I had to video the display when the BSOD occurred.

I had BSOD after messing about with the BIOS. I set the BIOS to defaults in an attempt to resolve another issue (details which I can’t now remember). The user manual suggested that the machine should be set to defaults and I hadn’t ever changed the BIOS prior to this, but there is a quirk with Vista relating to the HDD. After so many boots, Vista changes a setting (written on the HDD). I’ll have a look at my BIOS next time I reboot so I can give you usful information on what to look for.

Your problem could be entirely different however. The clue is in the event code. Google it.

Good luck!

What’s Ubuntu – an alternative operating system to windows?

I’ve got an XP pro cd but can’t find my recovery cd, I have an older windows pro recovery cd but its 2000 and from an old evesham laptop, as I’m local to you guessing from your name, your welcome to give them a go.

Hi,

Many thanks for the offer but unfortunately i’m down South – username comes from a street I used to live on ages ago (not even near colwyn bay…!).

+1 for what Spongebob said

fwiw I had a similar problem with a machine many moons ago. Turned out not to be HDD but the memory cards that needed taking out and putting in again. Found it through the error codes

Will it boot in Safe Mode?

What’s the error it’s giving?

Hi,
Will dig out the error code tmw – how do I boot it in safe mode?

Press F8 just before the Windows loading screen appears – might take a couple of attempts to time it right (or just mash the key repeatedly after you switch it on). It should stop the boot-up and give you a menu. Safe Mode is an option on there.

I had to repair a laptop for a friend recently and it sounds like the same problem that you have. I suspected it was hard drive failure. It boots into BIOS which runs from the motherboard but not into windows because that runs from the hard drive.

I was able to check that this the cause by using a portable version of windows that boots from a CD. That came with lots of bits of software for checking hardware. If you can’t get hold of portable windows then as Dawson suggested, definitely try Ubuntu – it’s a Linux operating system, an alternative to windows.
It’s free – you download Live CD, burn it disc, put it into the laptop and it runs off the disc with software to check the laptop’s hardware.

I replaced a 120Gb drive with a 300Gb one (ebuyer) and it cost £35 including postage. Five minutes to install.

If you want to try the ubuntu method, find a usb pen that has nothing on it (a couple of Gb in size is ideal). Then get on another computer and go to:
ubuntu download
Step 1: Download an iso file for ubuntu desktop. Save it on the conputer (not your usb pen!).
Step 2: use universal USB installer to make a bootable usb pen – just follow the instructions on the webpage above – it should be fine.
Step 3: put usb pen in your laptop and boot up – you will need to make sure you can boot from usb – either by going into bios or there may be a boot selection option as you switch on the laptop (I press F12 at startup and then select boot from usb for example). Then, when the appropriate menu comes up, press the run ubuntu from usb option (rather than the install option – which you dont want)…

Hey presto – you will have a whole new operating system where you should be able to get access to your other drives to get all the data off…

Amazing – will have a go and report back.
Many thanks!