vista wont boot

Have and Hp 6400 with vista home premium. the pc will not boot at all. gets a blue screen with no messages. F8-safe mode or any of those options have no effect. start up repair just hangs. F11 will run the tests, showing a hdd fail. the repair option on the install cd, goes to start up repair, and again hangs. did get to cmd prompt once, chkdsk wont run stating it is write protected, and the bootrec options have no effect. a buddy tested the hdd on his test equipment, says the info on the drive is still there like the OS is still in tact, and personal data still there. he was able to recover the personal data, but cannot access the hdd recovery partition. based on this, it would seem if the hdd's recovery partition could be accessed and corrected, then the OS could be restored. I'm wondering a bout the boot file system being corrupted, missing or damaged. How about a replacement or fix of the boot files? if so, how can this be achieved when the machine is not bootable? Needing some ideas and feedback please! I would really like to restore the OS to avoid losing info.

You had a BSOD, we need this information to help you
http://www.vistax64.com/crashes-debugging/282419-blue-screen-death-bsod-posting-instructions.html
Try to boot so you can get the information

If you create a recovery DVD, you may be able to boot to recovery options
Create Recovery DVD

The Vista recovery disk is used to boot Vista when it won't boot - to run Startup Repair, System Restore, access a Command Line, Recover using a Vista Backup Image, etc.
System Recovery Options

If Vista will not start now, boot the Recovery CD to run Startup Repair which automates System Restore as well as numerous other tests including System File Checker which can repair system files which are not corrupted beyond repair.

If Vista still will not start, try booting into Safe Mode to run sfc /scannow to repair System files.
Special Thanks Given to Seven Forums.


Below is a bulletin distributed by MS to explain the start up procedure when Windows will not boot.

• Startup Repair. Startup Repair is a Windows recovery tool that can fix certain problems, such as missing or damaged system files, that might prevent Windows from starting. Startup Repair is located on the System Recovery Options menu, which is on the Windows Vista installation disc. If your computer has preinstalled recovery options, it might also be stored on your computer's hard disk. For more information, see Startup Repair: frequently asked questions and What are the system recovery options in Windows Vista? If your computer does not include Startup Repair, your computer manufacturer might have customized or replaced the tool. Check the information that came with your computer or go to the manufacturer's website.
• Change restart settings in safe mode. If your computer is stuck in a loop where Windows fails, attempts to restart, and then fails again repeatedly, restart your computer in safe mode and select the Disable automatic restart on system failure checkbox. For more information, see Advanced startup options (including safe mode).
• Reinstall. If no other options have solved the problem, and you are sure that your computer's hardware is functioning normally, you might need to reinstall Windows. A custom (clean) installation of Windows will permanently delete all of the files on your computer and reinstall Windows, so only use this option if all other recovery options have been unsuccessful. After the installation, you will need to reinstall your programs and restore your files from backup copies. For more information, see Installing and reinstalling Windows**.

Thanks for your response. I will carry out the task with the BSOD Dump and System File Collection app if it's possible on the crippled pc as you suggested. As I stated, I have tried to run the dvd that came with the machine. 'Press any key to boot from the cd/dvd'. I do, then instead of going to the options menu, it automatically starts 'start up repair', which has no effect. It runs continually, for hours, just hanging. Is there another type of cd/dvd I should be using? And so far, forget safe mode. Safe mode, nor any of the other options listed will work. Thanks for the response.

This is the OS that was pre-installed, never been re-installed. Vista Home Premium 32 bit.

Try your best, ask questions and the Forum will try their best to help

Just to be clear on the BSOD instructions. It suggests downloading to documents, running, zip up and post. The machine will not boot let alone get online to download anything. Download to a cd from another pc, then insert and try to run on the broken pc?