Hi all,

yesterday all was fine, except for soem problems with hang ups during turnoffs.

no new h/w or s/w installed

today won't boot. cycles and keeps trying

WILL NOT boot to safe mode or into any options

WILL NOT boot to XP repair option

can get to COMPAQ recovery tool, but that will wipe my drive which I really, really don't want to do'

Do not have a boot disc that I can find.

Can any one helps?? Please?

TIA

Mark

Hi drgwspup...

Does the machine you are on now and the broken machine both have floppy drives?

wannabe1

negative on both machines

Does this include "Last known good configuration"?

Do you know someone with an XP cd of the same version (Home/Pro) that you could borrow?

Correct, even the "last known good config"doesn't work.

Don't have a disc cuz the computer shipped without one. "N. discs to lose" says the computer documentation" Now it appears to be a problem. Apparently the recovery tool/software is on a separation partion. Lesson learned.

I might be able to get one at the office tomorrow.

Could I make one from the laptop I am using, oh wait, this is XP professional I believe.

Am I in a hold pattern until I find an XP disc? Can I get something like that at CompUSA or MicroCenter?

Thanks for your help.

Mark

there are two ways to use the recovery console, i know both for i have a Compaq machine as well.

The first is to use it with out the recovery CDs
The second is to use it with the recovery CDs

If you use the second one then your machine will be reformatted and you'll loose everything.

If you use the first option, all your data on the owner account will be there but you'll have to install everything again and recreate the accounts on the machine, i repeat, your data will not be deleted.


-OCM770-

This post has been edited by -OCM770-: Nov 19 2006, 11:05 AM

thanks OCM. Exactly what i'm trying to do. problem I can't access the windows XP recovery console. Which is where I need to get to.

any ideas how to get there? tried the f8 option with no success

You've got two options to get to the recovery console, the first is to get an XP CD in this case it would probably have to be an OEM XP X and the second option is to be able to boot your machine and go to run>%windir%\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons if you get the message "could not locate C:\WINDOWS\i386" or something similar then that means that you don't have the i386 folder and ou can't do the second option.

*Were X is your version of xp (home or pro)

tell me your machine model number, for example my machine (Presario SR1020LA) came with the recovery console installed and it appears in the boot menu when i turn on my machine.


-OCM770-

This post has been edited by -OCM770-: Nov 19 2006, 11:32 AM

I have a Presario SR1350NX with Windows XP Home.

Yes, the recovery console is built in. Hence, no disc. When I try to use the Windows recovery console via F8, I get the blue screen with "unmountable_boot_volume."

the technical info at the bottom of the blue screen say:
0x000000ED, (0x863F728, 0xC0000006, 0x00000000, 0x00000000

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=297185 have you read this article?

Thanks OC. Yes I saw that last night and it seems like this will be on point, but again, I don't have the discs and that is what I'm trying to work around.

Mark

The machine being an OEM machine doesn't help at all.

Does your machine even get to the windows boot screen?
Are there any beeps when you turn on the machine?
Does it boot into any boot option, say safe mode with command promtp or so?


-OCM770-

no beeps, no windows boot screen, will not boot into any mode(safe, safe with command prompt, last good config) nothing.

mark

do you know anyone with an OEM XP Home CD?


P.S. wanabee1, i believe you can use an OEM CD for his machine, if not, stop me at anytime.


-OCM770-

Actually, it's this that got my attention.

Can you get to the BIOS screen or will it not even get that far?