Hard Drive Will Not Boot UP! :(

[quietstorm]

Hello,

I have a major problem and hope someone can help with it.

I was installing a 3rd party software called "ccleaner" and the install went good.
Then it asked if I want to reboot now or do it later..I chose to reboot now. The computer started to reboot! When it came up the screen to press f2 for setup, esc for boot menu, etc. it hung! I waited about 5 minutes and still no go!

I decided to power it down and have it restarted..that is when the problem started!
It got hung on the same black screen as I mentioned above. I press the esc key and it took about 5 minutes before any action. Did the same with the f2 key..again about 5 minutes before any action. Both the boot and setup looks ok and I tried to reboot again..nothing! Went in to change boot sequence to the CD. The boot took to the CD, but it not do nothing after it mentioned that do I want to reinstall windows, etc.
Closed that out and went to the C prompt..NO C drive!! Powered it down and when it tried to reboot it came up something like..cable is not connected or there is no fixed drives! I can not get either fdisk or format to work!
This computer is my wife's laptop and she has some important files on there and she does not have a backup!! :sa:
Only thing I can tell about the laptop it is:
HP Pavilion Entertainment PC
Vista Home Premium 32bit
13" wide screen monitor
2 gig of ram
140 gig HD
Dual core processor
That is all I know about it....sorry!

Can someone please help with this? I have not slept since this has happen and the wife needs this back up and running by Sunday night for work on Monday.

Any help would be greatly appreciative in this matter.

btw..
I saw some where about using the recdisc file..no luck there either!

Thanks again

 

[starchase]

If you have access to another PC you can download the latest Ubuntu iso, burn it to a CD, and boot the laptop from it. You should be able to get the files you need from it.

You haven't backed the laptop with something like Macrium Reflect free have you? It saved me a week ago when for no good reason my machine wouldn't boot or restore. But booting from the restore CD that Macrium can make, I was able to restore the Active partition completely, and it even kept new files like mail, etc., that was added in the couple days since the image was made.

 

[zigzag3143]

Hello,

I have a major problem and hope someone can help with it.

I was installing a 3rd party software called "ccleaner" and the install went good.
Then it asked if I want to reboot now or do it later..I chose to reboot now. The computer started to reboot! When it came up the screen to press f2 for setup, esc for boot menu, etc. it hung! I waited about 5 minutes and still no go!

I decided to power it down and have it restarted..that is when the problem started!
It got hung on the same black screen as I mentioned above. I press the esc key and it took about 5 minutes before any action. Did the same with the f2 key..again about 5 minutes before any action. Both the boot and setup looks ok and I tried to reboot again..nothing! Went in to change boot sequence to the CD. The boot took to the CD, but it not do nothing after it mentioned that do I want to reinstall windows, etc.
Closed that out and went to the C prompt..NO C drive!! Powered it down and when it tried to reboot it came up something like..cable is not connected or there is no fixed drives! I can not get either fdisk or format to work!
This computer is my wife's laptop and she has some important files on there and she does not have a backup!! :sa:
Only thing I can tell about the laptop it is:
HP Pavilion Entertainment PC
Vista Home Premium 32bit
13" wide screen monitor
2 gig of ram
140 gig HD
Dual core processor
That is all I know about it....sorry!

Can someone please help with this? I have not slept since this has happen and the wife needs this back up and running by Sunday night for work on Monday.

Any help would be greatly appreciative in this matter.

btw..
I saw some where about using the recdisc file..no luck there either!

Thanks again

Hi and I feel your pain

You cant do a normal boot, have you tried a safe boot (F8)? you have no recovery disk. Do you have a vista dvd? do you have a back up to restore from?

Limited options here

Ken J+

 

[quietstorm]

Hi and I feel your pain

You cant do a normal boot, have you tried a safe boot (F8)? you have no recovery disk. Do you have a vista dvd? do you have a back up to restore from?

Limited options here

Ken J+

I have even tried to do a safe boot and nothing happened.
Only Vista Cd I have is the upgrade one that came with the laptop.
I have tried other OS from Win98 SE and XP S2 and they do not work!!
NO backup..sorry about not be complete!
I am VERY frustrated about all this!
If you or someone else has any options, please let me know and how to do it
step by step!

Thanks again

 

[kword88]

restart and tap "F8". when you get the menu, select "last known good configuration"
if that doesnt work, repeat the first steps, but select "repair your computer" this time. (you will need a windows cd)

 

[quietstorm]

restart and tap "F8". when you get the menu, select "last known good configuration"
if that doesnt work, repeat the first steps, but select "repair your computer" this time. (you will need a windows cd)

Before I do this..
When the laptop "tries" to boot up it come to that black/blank screen prompting me
to press the esc or F2 key.
Can I still press the F8 key and do what is mentioned above or what?

Every ones help again is WELL appreciative here!
I just need to get this up and running before I go and sleep in the "dog house" plus catch "holy hell" from the wife!:D

 

[kword88]

"F2" is probably to get in to the BIOS. press "F8" after that.

 

[SIW2]

That's very starnge.

Ccleaner does not require a restart to install.

The meassage you get asks to check cables.

It appears Bios can't see the HD.

Suggest you check the HD is properly attached.


If you don't have an install dvd , d/l the Windows 7 repair disc - get the same bit version as the Vista you have installed.

Works superbly on Vista as well as 7.

Download Windows 7 System Recovery Discs — The NeoSmart Files

 

[quietstorm]

That's very starnge.

Ccleaner does not require a restart to install.

The meassage you get asks to check cables.

It appears Bios can't see the HD.

Suggest you check the HD is properly attached.


If you don't have an install dvd , d/l the Windows 7 repair disc - get the same bit version as the Vista you have installed.

Works superbly on Vista as well as 7.

Download Windows 7 System Recovery Discs — The NeoSmart Files

PLEASE..tell me step by step on what all do I have to do!!
Following disk
Windows 98 SE startup

Following CD's
Windows 98SE
Windows XP
Windows Home Premium Upgrade
When I try to format..it tells me C drive is not supported
When I try to use fdisk..tells me no fixes drives are present

How do I use the Windows 7 disk?

I am not that computer savy..please tell what/how to do all this
I will stay here until someone can get me up and running again..so I am here
until that time!!

Thanks

 

[SIW2]

First , take the side off the pc and unplug then replug both ends of the cable from the HD to the motherboard.

See if that helps.

If not, then d/l and burn to cd a bootable .iso and check if that sees the HD.

Partition Wizard is a good free one:

Partition Wizard Bootable CD allows user to boot computer directly to manage partition.

View attachment isoburner.zip

When you get to the screen asking to select screen resolution make sure NUM LOCK is on , then press 1 , then press Enter.

See what it says.

In any event, I strongly advise you also get the Download Windows 7 System Recovery Discs — The NeoSmart Files .iso and burn to cd - you may need it in the future.

 

[quietstorm]

I am in the process of burning the Windows 7 ISO to a CD!!
I have looked in for the HD, but HP has a some kind of shield over it and
it is soldered it in place

I am about to pull my hair out, which I do not have much to pull!

I hope this will solve the problem(s) and I can get some sleep.
Been up for 26 hours now, trying to get this up and running!

Thanks for every ones help in this...so far!!

 

[quietstorm]

"F2" is probably to get in to the BIOS. press "F8" after that.

It takes about 3 minutes to get to any of screen!!
When do I press the F*??

 

[Taz Rose]

Before windows starts to load, just after the bios passes control of the computer over to your operating system. If you miss it, just restart again.

p.s cccleaner can be problematic with some systems so you might want to leave it off if you manage to sort this out

 

[quietstorm]

Before windows starts to load, just after the bios passes control of the computer over to your operating system. If you miss it, just restart again.

p.s cccleaner can be problematic with some systems so you might want to leave it off if you manage to sort this out

Hello..
In the past posts..I must forgot to mention or did I!!
It will not boot up at all. Windows will not start either.

ONLY screen is the black/blank screen prompting me to either press the esc
key or the F10 key. That is it.

So after make changes in the bios and that screen goes off..I press the F8 key???

 

[quietstorm]

I wish I knew where I am at on this and do not know what I am doing!!

The forest is getting deeper and deeper!!

It is 6:00 a.m. here and I need to get some sleep!!

Maybe when I get up,, someone here might be kind again to help this poor soul
out..remember I am a newbie!!

TIA

:sleep::sleep:

 

[Taz Rose]

Hi quietstorm
That is correct. After the bios screen goes off, keep pressing F8.


Did you check to make sure your hardrive was connected properly as SIW2 pointed out? Even if it is, unplug it and plug it back in again.

Things will make more sense after a good nights sleep. let us know how you get on

 

[quietstorm]

Hi quietstorm
That is correct. After the bios screen goes off, keep pressing F8.


Did you check to make sure your hardrive was connected properly as SIW2 pointed out? Even if it is, unplug it and plug it back in again.

Things will make more sense after a good nights sleep. let us know how you get on

I can not tell if the HD is unplugged or not...it has a shield over it and it is soldered in place.

I still lost after pressing the F8 key!! What do I do next?
How do I use the Windows 7 recovery disk?

TIA

 

[SIW2]

Boot the 7 repair disc .

Windows loading files-select language and keyboard-Next- you get a screen saying "Install Now" - don't click that , the installation files are not on there.

At the bottom of the "Install Now" screen , click Repair My Computer.


If 7 repair cd is not able to load, then either there is a physical problem with the drive, or it's connection, OR there is a problem with the partition table.

Gparted should be able to find the HD even if the partition table is severely currpted , if so, we should be able to fix it.

D/L Gparted (free) .iso from here:

gparted-live-0.4.6-1.iso

Browse GParted Files on SourceForge.net

burn to cd and boot the cd on the ailing machine.

If Gparted can't see the drive, then it is almost certainly a physical problem.

BTW - whatever happened was not due to you or ccleaner. It just happened to be you using the pc at the time.

 

[quietstorm]

Boot the 7 repair disc .

Windows loading files-select language and keyboard-Next- you get a screen saying "Install Now" - don't click that , the installation files are not on there.

At the bottom of the "Install Now" screen , click Repair My Computer.


If 7 repair cd is not able to load, then either there is a physical problem with the drive, or it's connection, OR there is a problem with the partition table.

Gparted should be able to find the HD even if the partition table is severely currpted , if so, we should be able to fix it.

D/L Gparted (free) .iso from here:

gparted-live-0.4.6-1.iso

Browse GParted Files on SourceForge.net

burn to cd and boot the cd on the ailing machine.

If Gparted can't see the drive, then it is almost certainly a physical problem.

BTW - whatever happened was not due to you or ccleaner. It just happened to be you using the pc at the time.

OK...
I inserted the Windows 7 CD and it booted!! The HD lights up too
Next...I clicked through the keyboard, language, etc.
Next screen is prompting me to insert drivers NOT the that has 'install now"
I loaded the Gparted CD, and there I am LOST!!
I tried ALL the options and at the bottom at the "task bar" it tells me
no devices are loaded!
Does tell me I need to fdisk to partition a drive? If so, how do you do this?
REMEMBER..please I am not a computer expert and I do not know AGAIN..what I am doing!!
This is getting to be nerve racking and I have burned 7 CDs and still I do
not know what each one does. Everyone tells me to burn this or that!!
Is there a uniform program out there..I can boot to, partition the disk, format,
etc. using ONLY ONE CD?
If so, please tell me and how to do it step by step..please!!
Thanks again for all the help and it is well appreciative

 

[SIW2]

There isn't only one cd that will do everything.

When you boot Gparted , what does it show?

Does it see partitions? What does it say they are?

If Gparted doesn't see the drive - at the very least, it should show one large Unallocated drive, even if the partition table is a mess - then there is almost certainly a physical hardware problem.

If that is the case, you need to get someone to repair it. If the HD itself has failed - you will have a lot of trouble/expense getting data off it.