[paws]

Hi Ok, check that the disc is good, try it on a known working machine, see if you can get to the menu.... if not then you will need to make a new one.( try burning it at a slower speed and make sure that the computer is doing nothing else whilst you are making the disc.

Post back and let us know if you can now get to the menu

Regards

paws

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It does work on another machine. Ironically my brothers computer stopped working with bsod the same day (but for a different reason) and the disk worked on his, allowing him to access the repair menu.

[pababic]

It does work on another machine. Ironically my brothers computer stopped working with bsod the same day (but for a different reason) and the disk worked on his, allowing him to access the repair menu.

[paws]

Hi pababic

 

 As we said before this is not looking good,

 

I an not convinced that your hardware is good.... so before going back to post 12 can you download a copy of Linux Puppy burn the CD as an image (note a copy won't do, it needs to be burnt as an image)

Make sure your BIOS is set to boot from CD/DVD as priority 1 with hard drive0 as priority 2 save the changes and exit with the Puppy CD  in the tray.

 

See if you can boot the machine this way...

 if you need a step by step on this take a look here:

post 5 by Phillpower2 in this topic here:

http://www.geekstogo...89-cant-log-in/

 

If you can get Puppy to run then test your machine, open a few photos etc....You should be able to access the Internet using Ethernet ( wi fi may give Puppy indigestion so it may be best to stick to Ethernet !

Let us know how you get on

Regards

paws

[pababic]

Ok, I will hopefully be able to try it this weekend.

[paws]

[pababic]

I tried and it worked! I didnt have an ethernet cable, but I was able to boot using Puppy Linux and access my files. I presume that means my hard drive is okay, but Im not sure how to get it to boot normally.

[paws]

That is good news!

Well done!

 

It looks like your RAM must be OK and your other "bits" including your motherboard OK, otherwise you wouldn't have had the success you had with Puppy.

 

I think that the time has now come for you to restore your computer to its "Factory state" if we can achieve this, it will make your computer just as it was when your first brought it home from the factory or store you bought it from. It should run fast and sweet and boot up easily

 

There are lots of advantages to performing a Factory restore, but there are some disadvantages.....

If you installed any applications after you purchased it then you will need to install them again (if you want to use them) you will also need to do rather a lot of Windows updates (keep doing them and updating with a restart in between until it tells you that there are no more updates to do. You will of course need to install an anti virus product and update it and don't go onto the Internet for ANYTHING (other than updating) or use email UNTIL there are no more updates to do and your anti virus is up and running fully and your firewall fully operational.

A good free anti virus is available from Microsoft, its called Microsoft Security Essentials but as always it your call on what you install. Its important that you only have one Anti virus product running resident in memory at the same time( otherwise they can fight and reduce your protection and cause all sorts of strife.... so check to see if the factory restore installs a trial version of an anti virus (often a 60 day trial that you then need to pay for) if using the Microsoft Security Essentials then you will need tofirst uninstall the trial and then restart your computer.

 

NOTE: The factory restore will erase all your files, repeat all of them, photos, settings, docs, music, everything!... that's why I was so concerned that you had everything important to you.... backed up and on Removable media (not kept on your hard drive!) before proceeding.

 

post back if you need directions on using the HP Recovery partition..... if you are offered a choice as to a complete or partial restore then I would be inclined to select the complete restore that deals with the whole of the hard drive and all your partitions.

 

I am making house calls ( field visits) all day today but should be through by around 19.00 hrs (Zulu) today  (I'm in the UK hence the timezone) so post again if you need anything.

Good luck!

paws

[pababic]

No worries. 

 

Of my files to back up to removable media, the only thing I couldn't find was my music folder.  I couldn't find a search tool to locate some of them. I think I have all of them backed up elsewhere, but just wanted to do a second back up to another device to make sure. Is there a way to search for files? Some of the folders I thought had files in them were empty.

 

As for the problem at hand, I think this whole thing started because I did a few updates without restarting and they conflicted (windows updates and driver updates).

 

I wondered if I could rollback some of these updates/drivers to an older restore point (but not factory reset older). These were saved somewhere, but I cant find a search tool like windows search in puppy Linux, nor could I find some of the programs to rollback.

 

If not possible, I'm not sure how to do a factory restore. I imagine I would do it through Puppy Linux because my computer is almost completely useless trying to use the startup utilities.

 

Thanks!

[paws]

Ok

I would like you to try for an extra copy your music files if you can...

Boot into Puppy and navigate to your Windows hard drive it will probably be called sda1 and you should see the folder structure there...... your music files should normally be  at  C:\Users\User\Music......(often your computer will be set up to show your name in the last bit rather than user so it could be something like;

 

C: User\peter\Music...... or the name may be something like, valuable client or main user....

 

see if you can get to your Music folder this way, and copy it off to a memory stick/flash drive or external hard drive. let me know if this works for you....

 

if you can't get it to work then maybe we can try and rebuild some of the areas on your hard drive that have been damaged and that are preventing windows from starting, before we do the restore to factory. However before we could do that we would need you to locate a Win 7 64 bit installation or repair disc,( to be able to boot into the Windows recovery environment) so have a final scout around just in case you can find someone who will lend it to you for a few minutes... if you can borrow the Win 7 disc then we can probably get to a command prompt that may allow us to fix things. Also here are the instructions:

 

https://support.micr...en-us/kb/927392

 

on using bootrec to repair damaged items that may be stopping your computer from starting up. So it is worth while phoning around to see what you can dig up...... As an alternative HP will often sell you a disc for around $30 or less, so that may be well worth considering  The phone number for the USA is:

800-407-4005 and here's the link:

 

http://www8.hp.com/u...one-assist.html

.

Here's another link for ordering the disc online:

 

http://support.hp.co...ument/bph07143/

 

If you still can't lay your hands on one then we shall have to go direct to try the factory restore....

 

Here's how:

I do not have a data sheet for your particular model of HP computer but a lot of HP machines have a special HP menu accessible when you first start the machine... often its tapping the Esc key once per second ( Immediately on pressing the power on button) on your laptop with the Puppy disc removed from the computer and placed in a safe place in its paper or plastic case for protection against scratches etc.

 

Edit by paws: the key to enter the recovery menu is F11, tap it once per second immediately after pressing the power on button from a cold start (Puppy disc removed etc)

 

Hopefully this will take you to a short menu with just a few items, look for something like restore to factory and use that....

Regards

paws

[pababic]

I looked in those locations on the computer but the folders (named music) were empty. Im pretty sure I have the music elsewhere or am only missing less than 10 that I can redownload for free.

 

I made and tried the windows repair disc previously but it didn't work for my machine at that time (but did on another).

 

I have entered both the special hp menu and the recovery menu via f11 (without the cd inserted), but neither worked to do the factory reset. It would either hang or give a blue screen.

 

Ideas?

[paws]

Hi Ok all understood,
we are fast running out of options.
What we have left to try is:

1 Buy the discs from Dell
2 Remove the hard drive place it in a USB caddy connect it to a working computer and try and repair it first using chkdsk ? /r running from a command prompt with elevated privileges
Note the question mark should be replaced by the drive letter allocated to the suspect hard drive by Windows on the working computer.

3 Ascertain the make of Hard drive and then try and run the appropriate tool
available from this site:
http://www.tacktech....ay.cfm?ttid=287
Note the Seagate tool often works on other drives... run first the short test and if Ok then the long test (you can skip the acoustic test) You run the tool from a cold start on your machine whilst the hard drive is back installed in it.

4 final solution take it to a local competent repair shop who can test the drive for you (fit a new one if necessary) and reinstall Windows (they will have the correct discs for this) but you will need to make sure that you have the Microsoft Windows product serial key found on the COA usually on the underneath of the laptop or underneath the battery ( you may need to remove it to check it)
Make sure you get a quotation for this work before you ask them to start.
Regards
paws

[pababic]

Is there a way to factory reset from within puppy Linux?

 

Or to run any of the tests above through it?

 

I can try #3 tonight, and I wouldn't know how to do #2.

 

thanks!

[paws]

H....i No I don't think that using Puppy to repair your Windows installation is something that I think is possible at long range on a forum   or to try the factory restore from within it...  

Sorry!

Lets hope the tacktech tools will help or you can find a Windows 7 disc..... or Dell come up trumps!

Regards

paws

[pababic]

I tried to run the tool (downloaded to a flash drive) but couldnt figure out how to run it on puppy linux.

 

I'll have to find an ethernet cable to try in a couple days.

[paws]

Hi Peter,

You don't boot into puppy to run the tacktech downloaded hard drive testing/repair utility

 

You need to boot from the disc you created and burnt as an image that contains the hard drive testing/repair utility.(that means the disc is bootable)

 

try it and see how you get on... for the moment forget booting into or using the Puppy disc for the repair

 

If you want to use Puppy for your "ordinary computer usage" and for connecting to the Internet then the Ethernet cable is a good idea.

Regards

paws