Get blue screen but can't read it.

[Brian]

Recently for some reason when I tried to start my computer
it would not boot up. It would say something like "We are
sorry for the inconvience but blah blah blah" and it would
give me options to start up in safe mode, safe mode with
networking, safe mode with command prompt, last known
working configuration, and start windows normally (thats
roughly what it said). All options bring me back to the
same menu over and over. What happens is it will go the
windows xp start up screen and then after its done flash
the blue screen of death for like a millisecond and then
repeat over again with the menu thing. I did manage to
read that it said something like "UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME"
but I don't think its a stop error because I don't
remember seeing that. I was also able to get to the
advanced start up menu by pressing F8 many times when the
compaq logo shows, but all of those options don't do
anything either...

I have a compaq presario 2700t notebook computer running
windows xp home edition. I don't have the windows cd
because it came preinstalled on the computer. I have
another computer in the house running xp and I think I can
make a boot disk from it, but then what? I really just
want to get some important documents off the computer. So
if I could either get it working normally that would be
great. If not is there some program I can buy to get files
or something? Thanks!


BTW: I found someone with the same problem but they posted
in other forums and no one has responded.

 

[Quaoar]

Recently for some reason when I tried to start my computer
it would not boot up. It would say something like "We are
sorry for the inconvience but blah blah blah" and it would
give me options to start up in safe mode, safe mode with
networking, safe mode with command prompt, last known
working configuration, and start windows normally (thats
roughly what it said). All options bring me back to the
same menu over and over. What happens is it will go the
windows xp start up screen and then after its done flash
the blue screen of death for like a millisecond and then
repeat over again with the menu thing. I did manage to
read that it said something like "UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME"
but I don't think its a stop error because I don't
remember seeing that. I was also able to get to the
advanced start up menu by pressing F8 many times when the
compaq logo shows, but all of those options don't do
anything either...

I have a compaq presario 2700t notebook computer running
windows xp home edition. I don't have the windows cd
because it came preinstalled on the computer. I have
another computer in the house running xp and I think I can
make a boot disk from it, but then what? I really just
want to get some important documents off the computer. So
if I could either get it working normally that would be
great. If not is there some program I can buy to get files
or something? Thanks!


BTW: I found someone with the same problem but they posted
in other forums and no one has responded.

Well, it's probably the same thing a physician goes through when a
patient must be told he has only hours to live. It is my *opinion* that
your HD has failed. If this is the case, it will be difficult if not
impossible to recover files at all.

However, you might try getting into BIOS setup, F2 or DEL or ESC
repeatedly at power on. If you can get into setup, and if it has any
user settings available (and Compaqs tend not to have much) there might
be a setting to autotype the HD, not that there is more than a remote
chance that that will have anything to do with the problem.

Next, if you cannot even get to a command prompt then you can try some
of the boot disks from www.bootdisk.com. Review what they have. You
will want something minimal that runs from floppy that will allow you to
try to rebuild the master boot record from the floppy, if that is the
problem source. They have a wealth of assistance on that site. What
you will want is to be able to copy files off the drive, if that is
possible. One alternative is to remove the drive and try mounting is as
a slave on a desktop PC and perhaps recover files. There is advice on
comp.sys.laptops and Google Groups archives for doing this sort of
thing. As a last resort, if the files are really important, Ontrack
(and others) have commercial recovery services.

Good Luck. Q

 

[Dave Douglas]

Q: UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_DEVICE? Help! What do I do?

Well, before you panic, you can repair this.

Boot your system with the Windows XP Install CD, let the system boot
into the Setup. Once in the Setup, choose to run the Recovery Console.

You will now be presented with a screen similar to good old DOS.

At the prompt, type the following command: chkdsk C: /f

Replace C: with the letter of your system drive.

This will go into the File System and repair the damage that caused the
BSOD.

Once it is complete, reboot your system as normal and it should come
back to life.

If you need to do a deeper scan, such as looking for bad clusters,
replace the /f with a /r. This way it reads as chkdsk C: /r .

 

[Guest]

See the problem is that I don't have the windows xp
install disk because it came installed with the computer.
ill try a book disk thanks