Laptop again! what have I done? ?

[jenmargs]

I was loading in my graphics tablet (that I got for Christmas) and it got to the stage of 're-start the computer'. .
so I re-started it. Unfortunately I had not removed the disc. woe is me. so all I got then is the windows start-up screen with the moving bars below the 'windows' text. .As in when you first turn it on

Nothing else.

I have taken it to my friend who is pretty good with pcs.and he says it is 'kn....ed'. Can this be true? Is there no way of getting my lappy back to life? I know I may have cleaned the hard drive, but why won't it re-boot with the discs that came with it?

[Snowdrops in Bloom]

Have you tried starting it in safe mode (usually F8)?

[jenmargs]

Wouldn't start in any of them. Just kept giving me that start-up screen with the moving bars below the logo.

[Snowdrops in Bloom]

Sorry - don't have a clue.

I always switch things off at this point and walk away, in the hope that when I come back to it in the morning it will have righted itself and I can carry on where I left off.

Hope you can get it sorted.

[littlemoo]

Do you know if your PC friend went into the BIOS of the laptop ? When you need to reload
operating systems you need to set your PC to boot up from CD drive
and not the hard drive as they are normally set to.

Here's an example of this:-

How to get into your… - Cyberwalker.com

Clare

[jenmargs]

Yes. It won't boot from either.

[littlemoo]

Is the CD still in the drive ? Also seeing as you got the laptop for Xmas
it should be under warranty. So ... can it be taken back ?

Clare

[jenmargs]

No removed the cd. Laptop is a few years old. Graphics tablet (which I got for Christmas) is the new thing.

[Lyn A]

Hi Jen,
I have just been talking to my lad about this and he says that you need to download a "Boot Disk" from the Windows site. He said that he uses a Win 98 boot Disk on anything from 98 to XP, so doesn't know if there are newer versions.

Once you have downloaded that and saved it to CD, then use it to start your computer. Once it boots, you will need to get into BIOS and change the boot sequence as shown in Clare's post. Then insert your system disk and follow the prompts. (Easy-peasy, he says! LOL!!)

Good luck.

[Lyn A]

Oh...and once you have done that, don't forget to change your boot sequence back before you switch off.

[Snowdrops in Bloom]

Jen - do you have another computer which will allow you access to the site suggested for the boot disc?

If not, perhaps one of your friends could download it and put it onto cd for you?

[jenmargs]

Thanks for all this. Lyn what your lad says sounds really encouraging. I feel sure it must be able to be restored.

Haven't yet picked the d*m* thing back up yet. I have another pc which is used by g'children, which I have requisitioned. It took me hours to clean off all the viruses and threats (well I think it's clean) and I can use that.

Will get back and let you know. But thanks all.

[Lyn A]

Fingers crossed.

[jenmargs]

Just been looking at sites for the ''boot disc' your lad mentions Lyn, but there seem to be variations of 'boot discs' .

This is what my chap emailed me

It's b******d Jen. I can't get it to boot from the cd drive to enable me to repair the hard drive. Only option is to disassemble it, take out the hard drive and fit it into another machine as a slave drive to effect a repair. I can't do that as I don't have a 2.5" drive adaptor cable for a laptop drive. You may have to take it to Pc World or similar and see what they can do, sorry....

This baffled me I have to say. But what your lad says seems to make sense. although why leaving the graphics pad disc in should have caused it to go is odd. Not all was lost I think, for the start-up screen to appear (but then that's all there was).

[jenmargs]

Well thank you all so much. It's a tremendous support. But........i think I have managed to get it back. HooRAY. I have my screen, family tree, everything seems to be there. Can't say how relieved I am. thanks to everyone.