[Lissy1279]

I am trying to help my mother fix her laptop. Its a Dell Latitude C640, when you power it on it acts like its starting up Windows XP, but then a black screen appears that tells me Windows will not start possibly because of a hardware or software change. And that I can Choose Last Known Good Configuration or Start Windows Normally, and no matter which one I choose it always comes back to this same screen.
Anybody know what this means and/or what I need to do?
Thanks!

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Hi Lissy1279

I would try safe mode and then a system restore to a date before the problem.

To enter safe mode start tapping the F8 key while the computer is booting up.
This brings you to windows advanced options menu

Try the last known good configuration first.
If that does not work, then try safe mode.
Safe mode loads default drivers. The screens will look different and the screen resolution will be default also.

How To Restore back to a earlier date.

To do a System Restore follow these steps:

· Click Start and then to All Programs
· Scroll to Accessories and then System Tools
· Click on System Restore
· A Welcome screen will come up and you need to click on Restore My Computer To A Earlier Date
· Then click on Next
· Now you will see in the window Select A Restore Point. From here select a date a couple of days before the problem started.
· Then click Next
· On the Confirm Restore Point Selection window verify the Restore Point you chose is correct.
· Close all open programs and click Next
· The computer will now automatically shut down and reboot. When it restarts you will see ”Restoration Complete or "Unable to Restore"” page and then click OK
Hopefully you will get a Restore Complete.
· Once you have made sure that everything is now running correctly then please reply back with the results.

123runner

[123Runner]

Hi Lissy1279

I would try safe mode and then a system restore to a date before the problem.

To enter safe mode start tapping the F8 key while the computer is booting up.
This brings you to windows advanced options menu

Try the last known good configuration first.
If that does not work, then try safe mode.
Safe mode loads default drivers. The screens will look different and the screen resolution will be default also.

How To Restore back to a earlier date.

To do a System Restore follow these steps:

· Click Start and then to All Programs
· Scroll to Accessories and then System Tools
· Click on System Restore
· A Welcome screen will come up and you need to click on Restore My Computer To A Earlier Date
· Then click on Next
· Now you will see in the window Select A Restore Point. From here select a date a couple of days before the problem started.
· Then click Next
· On the Confirm Restore Point Selection window verify the Restore Point you chose is correct.
· Close all open programs and click Next
· The computer will now automatically shut down and reboot. When it restarts you will see ”Restoration Complete or "Unable to Restore"” page and then click OK
Hopefully you will get a Restore Complete.
· Once you have made sure that everything is now running correctly then please reply back with the results.

123runner

[Lissy1279]

Thank you for your help...unfortunately I tried the first suggestion you gave me and neither worked, as Windows XP is trying to boot the monitor says F2 setup; F12 boot menu....and then it goes back to the black screen with the same message that I explained before.
I don't even have the option to click on my Start menu to try and do a System Restore???

[123Runner]

Did you continue to tap F8 while it was booting? about 1 time a second.

[Lissy1279]

Yes, and it brought up the window advanced options, and i selected last known good configuration but that didn't work, the i selected safe mode ad that didn't work.