rickyhill

My neighbours laptop starts up but when it gets to the windows welcome screen the screen goes blank and the hard drive stops. The power stays on but nothing happens. Any ideas. I only have a intermediate knowledge of computers so please give details.

System : Packard bell, Intel Celeron 1.4, 512mb ram.
O.S : Windows XP with no updates

vladimirb

Hello...

Check what make/model is HDD.
Visit manufacturer's Web Site, download diagnostic tools and test your HDD for possible bad sectors.

Or

Download MHDD 4.6 from here:

http://hddguru.com/content/en/software/2005.10.02-MHDD/

You might have bad sectors on HDD on which are system files.
Also, if you have Operating system installation CD, you could run CHKDSK /R
in Recovery Console but lets first test HDD :D

Keep us posted...

rickyhill

I cant get into dos boot because i havn't got a disk. any ideas were i could download one?

vladimirb

Well, you can download from the Internet, just google it.
You can use any CD on which resides operating system which you are using on laptop.
But, it must be same service pack. For example, if you are using XP SP2 you must use CD with SP2 on it...

Did you test HDD with diagnostic tools???

Keep us posted...

AustrAlien

When the screen goes "blank", I am assuming it is black. I would be interested to know whether the mouse is still active at this time (can you see the mouse pointer and move it about, but nothing else at all functions, including the keyboard), as it is a very common situation.

If you google "xp black screen mouse", you will get a large number of results, with many and various solutions to the problem (actually to many and varied problems). I would suggest you try one of the links below (in my order of preference), if none of the following suggestions seem to lead anywhere.

*Remove everything that may be attached to the laptop .... including all usb devices. Try starting XP.
*See whether you can start Windows in Safe Mode, or does the same thing happen?
*Do you have an XP installation disk, that will boot up and get you to the Recovery Console; that will determine whether some of the suggested options are available to you.
*Consider what happened before the problem started, that may have caused it: Did you update Windows/update drivers? Did you have malware and run scans and remove malware? .... if you have an idea of what may have caused the problem, it may lead to employing the right fix to start with. Did you do a System Restore? Was your XP system misbehaving prior to the problem?

If you believe that no changes have been made recently that may have caused the problem, proceed in this order:
Check remove all external devices > check/repair HDD > repair/replace system files, with links below:

HBCD
UBCD4Win
aitechsolutions
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314503
support.microsoft.com

rickyhill

The mouse does not work when the screen goes black.

I will have a look through your links thanks.

just a little bit more info I am trying to do this without deleting the data on the hard drive because there are photos on there that have not been backed up (silly neighbours).

also this machine has never been update and no software added for a while.

AustrAlien

Links one and two will provide the means to retrieve the data, should the worst case scenario eventuate, but you may wish to do that anyway before risking a "repair".

Edit: Safe Mode, and Last known good configuration (a number of times ?10) must be ruled out as possible options before proceeding any further.

rickyhill

Those are very cool sites thanks for posting them.
Quick question. How do I get into the safe mode?

And what should I do if that works?

AustrAlien

Packard Bell .... not sure.
The usual way is using F8, but if that does not work, try F2, F10, F12
Press the ON button, and tap the key repeatedly, and keep tapping ..... if all goes well you will be presented with a screen "Windows Advanced Menu Options". Use the arrow keys up/down .... start with Safe Mode ...

rickyhill

Right I've got it working in safe mode and it's telling me that it has service pack three installed. What do I do now to get it to work in normal mode?

AustrAlien

TOO GOOD ! How easy was that !

Have to have a think about that now ... wasn't expecting it to be so easy.

AustrAlien

What to do first?
1. Please have a look in System Restore .... and check that it was in fact enabled and that there are restore points to be used if you wish to go that way. Do NOT perform a System Restore just yet.
2. Run "Check Disk" on C: drive with both options ticked ..... and run again (if necessary) until it reports that there is no problem.
3. Then maybe a System Restore ... depending on what you find in #1

AustrAlien

Just in case you have to ask:
Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore
Select Restore My Computer > Next > and have a look at the dates (bold)/select them to see details and see whether there are actually some restore points available to try and use (that is not to say that any of them will actually work!).

Check Disk ..... open My Computer and right-click on C: drive > Properties > Tools > Error Checking > Check Now & select both boxes, and do it ...

rickyhill

That would not start don't know why.

Using CHKDSK /p to check the disk and repair any problems

AustrAlien

NO .... /P is only used in Recovery Console, outside Windows.

Use CHKDSK /R

Start > Run > and type "cmd" and hit Enter.
Type chkdsk /r and hit Enter.
---------------------------
/F Fixes errors on the disk.

/R Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information
(implies /F).
---------------
Anyway, I must hit the sack now ....
Good luck.

rickyhill

I've tried everything you've suggested but nothing worked. On a whim i ran a virus scan in safe mode and it came up with nothing but it did say it could not read the partition table would that be the problem?

AustrAlien

That reply just doesn't cut it!
You have not investigated &/or reported on whether it is possible to use System Restore or not.
You have not explained exactly the details of "That would not start don't know why" What did you do? What happened to give you the impression that it would not start?
You have not let me know whether or not you have run chkdisk /r and if so what happened.
You have not answered the question:
*Do you have an XP installation disk, that will boot up and get you to the Recovery Console; that will determine whether some of the suggested options are available to you.
You have not given full details in answer to the questions:
*Consider what happened before the problem started, that may have caused it: Did you update Windows/update drivers? Did you have malware and run scans and remove malware? .... if you have an idea of what may have caused the problem, it may lead to employing the right fix to start with. Did you do a System Restore? Was your XP system misbehaving prior to the problem?
Have you done the following:
*Remove everything that may be attached to the laptop .... including all usb devices. Try starting XP.

AND .... you have not made any comment as to whether or not you have attempted to do anything suggested by vladimirb

Please report in full detail on what you have done/how you did it and on what happened/what you saw each step of the way: That is the only way you are going to get any meaningful assistance. I have no intention of playing guessing games, if you refuse to make any effort to supply requested information.

rickyhill

No system restore available.
I think the quote tells you what would not start (Check disk)
Check disk /r ran but came up with nothing, no problems found and in that case nothing to repair.
I have no XP installation disk to work with. But I can get to the recovery console.
I was told that nothing happened to the computer before the problems started apart from a little water being spilt and that was mopped up quickly.
Nothing was connected to the computer when I started working on it.
As for vladimirb I did all he suggested and it's very much like what you suggested and the results were the same the diagnostic tools came up with nothing.

AND I THINK IF YOU ARE WILLING TO HELP PEOPLE YOU SHOULD HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE PATIENCE AND UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERYONE HAS USED FORUMS BEFORE.

I appreciate your help but if you need more information just ask. getting shirty about it helps no one.

vladimirb

Hello :D
We should all calm down and try to narrow this problem a bit :)

First thing you have to find Windows XP CD.
Next thing is to download Service Pack 3 from Microsoft Web Site:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

With Windows XP CD and downloaded Service Pack 3 you need to slipstream XP:

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/how..._and_vista_sp1


Now with all these done, you can try repairing the system.

YOU CAN REPAIR SYSTEM ONLY WITH CD-KEY WHICH IS EMBEDED WITH CURRENT OPERATING SYSTEM, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE ANY SERIAL KEY EXCEPT THE ORIGINAL SERIAL KEY WHICH YOU CAN FIND ON THE BOTTOM OF THE LAPTOP.

If you don't have serial key on the bottom of the laptop, than you need original discs which came with laptop, or anything above is useless...


So, you need to run 'Repair' of the system...

1. Insert your Windows installation CD to your CD/DVD-Rom station and restart computer.
2. When the computer starts before loading Windows it gives you the option Press any key to boot from CD.... Press a key. If you don't press the key on time it goes on booting Windows and you have to restart to press the key on time.

Note: some computer are set up to boot from CD/DVD-Rom. If you don't get the option Press any key to boot from CD you have to change the boot-order or the boot-sequence in the BIOS set up. In Dell computer pressing F2 or F12 after restarting the computer brings you to BIOS set up. There you should set the option Boot from CD/DVD-Rom at number one. Save the setting and exit.
3. The next screen will be the Windows set up. It gives you three options. Press Enter to proceed...

4. It will list you the partition on which operating system resides.
Hit the 'R' button and repairing of the system will start.

It is similar to installing of the operating system, but you didn't format the partition and you will not lose any of the data which resides on partition.

So, after a while you will be prompted to enter serial key.
As I said before, none of this will work if you don't have a original serial key which resides on the bottom of the laptop.
Anything else would be illegal.


I hope this will work, be patient and keep us posted...

rickyhill

Thanks Vladimirb :)

My neighbours could not find the disc but i will get them to have a good look for it when they get back on Monday. So hopefully they can find it and I will give your suggestion a go.
Can I give you a direct message when I'm done trying it?