Laptop with windows XP won't start up. Need help for fix/save.

[John Davis]

Hello:

First, the batery indicator light and the two adjacent lights (one for
power, the other, the processor) were flashing on and off.

Then, my computer cut off while I was using it. The screen didn't go black;
rather, I heard a whistle noise of sorts, whereupon a blue screen came up (a
screen that looked something like the screen you see when you start Windows
in safe mode, but not exactly that screen). I think I just shut down at that
point by holding the power button down. Next, I tried to turn the computer
on without its being plugged in. Absolutely no power from the battery. So I
removed the battery. Then I started it again, plugged in of course. This
time it worked for a while. I put it in hibernate mode, which I frequently
do. Yet, the next time I started it, I got a black screen with a message
like "HDD error."

Now, still unable to get Windows, I'm getting the following message: "No
bootable devices, strike F1 to retry boot. When I do this, it says "No boot
sector on internal hard drive."

Obviously, I'd like to know what I can do in order to reslove this problem.
At a minimum, I'd like to be able to transfer the files in the MyPictures
and the MyDocuments folders to another device.

I'll quote some tips I got from an article by Bill Husted. I do have the
Windows installation CD. Do you think his tips would work for me?

"Here's what happened: I was happily killing hydras as I played my favorite
computer game. Next thing you know, I was staring at the dreaded blue screen
of death — a suitable name for any video game disaster. But this was no
game. It was a warning from Windows of a dangerous error that brought my PC
to a dead stop.
At first I didn't worry. Stuff happens, even stuff this drastic. Even the
text of the error message notes that by saying to just restart the PC if the
error isn't one that is frequently encountered. It wasn't a frequent
problem, so I did restart. Or tried to. The blue screen of death greeted me
again.

Now, here's what you should do if that happens to you. In most cases, it'll
fix the problem:

Use the Windows installation CD to restart the computer. You'll eventually
get to a screen that offers the opportunity to press the "r" key to get to
the Windows Recovery console. Once there, you can type this command:
chkdsk/p

I've used this technique before with great success. Errors on the hard disk
are located and fixed and you're up and running again.

Not this time.

The new error message, paraphrased, was that I had one or more unrecoverable
errors on my hard disk. I had an unmountable boot disk. That sounds like a
medical condition, but it just means Windows can't use the hard disk to
start the machine."

Thank you for your assistance.

John

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hello:

First, the batery indicator light and the two adjacent lights (one for
power, the other, the processor) were flashing on and off.

Then, my computer cut off while I was using it. The screen didn't go
black; rather, I heard a whistle noise of sorts, whereupon a blue screen
came up (a screen that looked something like the screen you see when you
start Windows in safe mode, but not exactly that screen). I think I just
shut down at that point by holding the power button down. Next, I tried to
turn the computer on without its being plugged in. Absolutely no power
from the battery. So I removed the battery. Then I started it again,
plugged in of course. This time it worked for a while. I put it in
hibernate mode, which I frequently do. Yet, the next time I started it, I
got a black screen with a message like "HDD error."

Now, still unable to get Windows, I'm getting the following message: "No
bootable devices, strike F1 to retry boot. When I do this, it says "No
boot sector on internal hard drive."

Obviously, I'd like to know what I can do in order to reslove this
problem. At a minimum, I'd like to be able to transfer the files in the
MyPictures and the MyDocuments folders to another device.

I'll quote some tips I got from an article by Bill Husted. I do have the
Windows installation CD. Do you think his tips would work for me?

"Here's what happened: I was happily killing hydras as I played my
favorite computer game. Next thing you know, I was staring at the dreaded
blue screen of death - a suitable name for any video game disaster. But
this was no game. It was a warning from Windows of a dangerous error that
brought my PC to a dead stop.
At first I didn't worry. Stuff happens, even stuff this drastic. Even the
text of the error message notes that by saying to just restart the PC if
the error isn't one that is frequently encountered. It wasn't a frequent
problem, so I did restart. Or tried to. The blue screen of death greeted
me again.

Now, here's what you should do if that happens to you. In most cases,
it'll fix the problem:

Use the Windows installation CD to restart the computer. You'll eventually
get to a screen that offers the opportunity to press the "r" key to get to
the Windows Recovery console. Once there, you can type this command:
chkdsk/p

I've used this technique before with great success. Errors on the hard
disk are located and fixed and you're up and running again.

Not this time.

The new error message, paraphrased, was that I had one or more
unrecoverable errors on my hard disk. I had an unmountable boot disk. That
sounds like a medical condition, but it just means Windows can't use the
hard disk to start the machine."

Thank you for your assistance.

John

It sounds as if your hard disk has bitten the dust. If so then your only
chance of recovering your files is from your backup. If you haven't
got any backups then this disaster may be the tuition fee you have to
pay for learning that all important files must reside on at least two
independent media.

To see if your hard disk is still useable, remove it from the laptop and
install it in an external 2.5" USB case. You can now connect this case
to any Windows XP PC to check your files. Later on you can use the
same case plus a 2.5" hard disk as your backup device. You'll be
surprised how little it costs and how effective it is.

Removing a hard disk from a laptop is child's play with some
laptops and fiendishly difficult with others. Ask your friendly
computer dealer if you get stuck.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Hello:

First, the batery indicator light and the two adjacent lights (one for
power, the other, the processor) were flashing on and off.

Then, my computer cut off while I was using it. The screen didn't go
black; rather, I heard a whistle noise of sorts, whereupon a blue screen
came up (a screen that looked something like the screen you see when you
start Windows in safe mode, but not exactly that screen). I think I just
shut down at that point by holding the power button down. Next, I tried to
turn the computer on without its being plugged in. Absolutely no power
from the battery. So I removed the battery. Then I started it again,
plugged in of course. This time it worked for a while. I put it in
hibernate mode, which I frequently do. Yet, the next time I started it, I
got a black screen with a message like "HDD error."

Now, still unable to get Windows, I'm getting the following message: "No
bootable devices, strike F1 to retry boot. When I do this, it says "No
boot sector on internal hard drive."

Obviously, I'd like to know what I can do in order to reslove this
problem. At a minimum, I'd like to be able to transfer the files in the
MyPictures and the MyDocuments folders to another device.

I'll quote some tips I got from an article by Bill Husted. I do have the
Windows installation CD. Do you think his tips would work for me?

"Here's what happened: I was happily killing hydras as I played my
favorite computer game. Next thing you know, I was staring at the dreaded
blue screen of death - a suitable name for any video game disaster. But
this was no game. It was a warning from Windows of a dangerous error that
brought my PC to a dead stop.
At first I didn't worry. Stuff happens, even stuff this drastic. Even the
text of the error message notes that by saying to just restart the PC if
the error isn't one that is frequently encountered. It wasn't a frequent
problem, so I did restart. Or tried to. The blue screen of death greeted
me again.

Now, here's what you should do if that happens to you. In most cases,
it'll fix the problem:

Use the Windows installation CD to restart the computer. You'll eventually
get to a screen that offers the opportunity to press the "r" key to get to
the Windows Recovery console. Once there, you can type this command:
chkdsk/p

I've used this technique before with great success. Errors on the hard
disk are located and fixed and you're up and running again.

Not this time.

The new error message, paraphrased, was that I had one or more
unrecoverable errors on my hard disk. I had an unmountable boot disk. That
sounds like a medical condition, but it just means Windows can't use the
hard disk to start the machine."

Thank you for your assistance.

John

This is hardware failure, not a Windows problem. You should attach the
drive to another system and try to scrape the data off, but it's very likely
that you need at least a new hard disk.

HTH
-pk

 

[John Davis]

Dear Pegasus:

Thank you for your reply. How do I find information on removing the hard
drive from my laptop? I have a Dell Inspiron 6000, if that would be of any
assistance.

John

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Dear Pegasus:

Thank you for your reply. How do I find information on removing the hard
drive from my laptop? I have a Dell Inspiron 6000, if that would be of any
assistance.

John

I would check the Dell home page, looking for "Support". Some laptop
manufacturers (e.g. IBM) include complete manuals for disassembly.
If unsuccessful, start a new thread and put the words "How to remove
the hard disk from a Dell Inspiron 6000" into the Subject line.

I suppose you've checked the manual that came with your laptop?

 

[Daave]

Dear Pegasus:

Thank you for your reply. How do I find information on removing the
hard drive from my laptop? I have a Dell Inspiron 6000, if that would
be of any assistance.

Look here:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins6000/en/sm/hdd0.htm#wp1130375

 

[John Davis]

Thanks so much, gentlemen.

Now, where do I find instructions for installing the hard drive in the 2.5"
USB case?

Also, is there any particular reason that you didn't recommend for me to
follow columnist Bill Husted's advice? I'll post it again, just for good
measure:

I was staring at the dreaded blue screen
of death - a suitable name for any video game disaster. But this was no
game. It was a warning from Windows of a dangerous error that brought my PC
to a dead stop.
At first I didn't worry. Stuff happens, even stuff this drastic. Even the
text of the error message notes that by saying to just restart the PC if the
error isn't one that is frequently encountered. It wasn't a frequent
problem, so I did restart. Or tried to. The blue screen of death greeted me
again.

Now, here's what you should do if that happens to you. In most cases, it'll
fix the problem:

Use the Windows installation CD to restart the computer. You'll eventually
get to a screen that offers the opportunity to press the "r" key to get to
the Windows Recovery console. Once there, you can type this command:
chkdsk/p

 

[John Davis]

Gentlemen:

I started a new thread. You no longer should respond to this topic. Thank
you.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Thanks so much, gentlemen.

Now, where do I find instructions for installing the hard drive in the
2.5" USB case?

Also, is there any particular reason that you didn't recommend for me to
follow columnist Bill Husted's advice? I'll post it again, just for good
measure:

I was staring at the dreaded blue screen
of death - a suitable name for any video game disaster. But this was no
game. It was a warning from Windows of a dangerous error that brought my
PC
to a dead stop.
At first I didn't worry. Stuff happens, even stuff this drastic. Even the
text of the error message notes that by saying to just restart the PC if
the
error isn't one that is frequently encountered. It wasn't a frequent
problem, so I did restart. Or tried to. The blue screen of death greeted
me
again.

Now, here's what you should do if that happens to you. In most cases,
it'll
fix the problem:

Use the Windows installation CD to restart the computer. You'll eventually
get to a screen that offers the opportunity to press the "r" key to get to
the Windows Recovery console. Once there, you can type this command:
chkdsk/p

There is an excellent reason why you should not follow Bill's advice.
Since you do not appear to have a backup of your data, you must
avoid at all costs making a bad situation worse. Any manipulation of
your disk could cause a total loss of all data. Bill's advice may be
fine when trying to repair a Windows installation but it is inappropriate
when dealing with data that is not backed up. Until you have a good,
solid back-up, you must play it safe. Try Bill's advice later on if you
wish.

 

[John Davis]

OK, I'll try yours first.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Thanks so much, gentlemen.

Now, where do I find instructions for installing the hard drive in the
2.5" USB case?

Very few are needed. They plug together, then you use a small phillips
screwdriver.

Get the case that matches your drive, by which I mean IDE or SATA.

Laptop dive cases come with a three-headed cable as the power draw of a hard
disk can be an amp, and a single USB port draws half that. Plug the
larger ends into two separate ports, then attach the drive.

That's pretty much all you need to know.

Also, is there any particular reason that you didn't recommend for me to
follow columnist Bill Husted's advice? I'll post it again, just for good
measure:

The reason is that IIRC you reported error messages that indicate drive
damage or failure. You generally can't fix that, and I have sometimes
found that in these situations chkdsk does more damage that good.

In any case, if the drive is developing errors, it has become unreliable and
should be replaced.

You really need to connect the drive to something else and try to get the
data off before you do anything else.

Once you have the data safely off, you can try whatever you want. But you
probably can't rely on the drive, so why waste your time?

HTH
-pk