[monimoe]

Hi! I saw this post in the forum but never found an answer.

When I attempt to start my PC, I get a black screen that says that Windows will not start successfully--"A recent hardware or software change may have caused this." (There is none, that I know of.) Then I get several options, Safe Mode, Safe Mode With Command Prompt, Last Known Successful Configuration, Normal . . . none of them work.

The Windows Startup screen appears, then (so briefly I can't see it) a blue screen before the PC restarts, I get my HP screen and it begins all over again.

Can anyone help me? My computer didn't come with an XP disk.

Thanks in advance!
Monica

BTW, I can get to my BIOS screen but don't know what to do there . . .

Edited by monimoe, 30 September 2005 - 07:10 AM.

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Hi monimoe...Welcome to G2G!

Try tapping the F10 key during bootup and see what options (if any) you are offered. Don't do anything with the options, just post them here. Some HP machines have a non destructive recovery option buried in a hidden partition on the hard drive.

Also, I would suggest giving HP a call and tell them you want a disk for your machine. They recently lost a class action suit that requires them to provide you with at least a recovery cd.

wannabe1

[wannabe1]

Hi monimoe...Welcome to G2G!

Try tapping the F10 key during bootup and see what options (if any) you are offered. Don't do anything with the options, just post them here. Some HP machines have a non destructive recovery option buried in a hidden partition on the hard drive.

Also, I would suggest giving HP a call and tell them you want a disk for your machine. They recently lost a class action suit that requires them to provide you with at least a recovery cd.

wannabe1

[monimoe]

Thanks so much for your reply! (I'm in a bit of a panic . . .)

Okay, when I press the F10 key I have a choice of "Yes" or "No." It looks like Yes will send me into Windows XP Repair features, and No will start HP System recovery. I also have some options on the left hand side of the screen, but don't know if I can get to them until I answer the question.

Thanks!

[wannabe1]

Choose "Yes" and list your options here for me.

wannabe1

[monimoe]

Choosing "Yes" looks like it started System Recovery (Windows?)--but it clearly said clicking "No" would start System Recovery. It's going through a long process of something . . .

The panic worsens. . .

[wannabe1]

If this is the non destructive recovery (I believe it is), the process will take a while...be patient. When it is finished, please post back with the results...

wannabe1

[monimoe]

Will do!!!

[monimoe]

I'm still out here . . . the Recovery finished, and I clicked Restart. It is running the CHKDSK now and deleting "corrupt attributes with type code 128" and orphan files. It's taking forever!

[wannabe1]

monimoe...

Hang in there...chkdsk takes a long time, particularly the last step as it does a very thorough check of the hard drive's overall condition.

wannabe1

[monimoe]

I don't know what's happened--it ran me through an initial setup of the machine, and after several tries, finally opened Windows. All I can get to is the desktop, which looks like it contains my files, but the icons have changed (.doc files are now .txt files, my picture files are different as well. Some icons that I removed long ago are back on the desktop--programs that HP installs on setup, maybe?)

So far, everything is moving so slowly, I can't get anything to open. I'm at the point that I really just want to get my photos and document files off of my computer. (No, I didn't back them up!)

Anything else? I'm going back to check it now . . .

[wannabe1]

monimoe...

You are back to the desktop, though...this is good...now we have more options. Let's look at the Windows System Restore and see if the previous process removed your restore points.

Click Start and point to All Programs then to Accessories then to System Tools and click System Restore

On the Welcome to System Restore page, select "Restore my computer to an earlier time" (it should be selected by default), and then click "Next"...on the next screen there should be a calendar on the left. Are there any bold dates on it?

wannabe1

[monimoe]

So far I can't get the System Restore to open--I'm trying to be patient, but each click takes several minutes before I get a response.

In the past, I've never been able to get this computer to restore to an earlier point--during virus scares, etc.--even when I've had dates in bold.

At any rate, I'm still waiting . . .

Thanks so much!

[monimoe]

Finally . . . well, no dates in bold. I can't go back to previous months--it looks like today is the beginning of time.

[wannabe1]

monimoe...

What I'd really like to do is run a repair to Windows, but that requires a disk. Do you perchance know someone with a retail XP cd? We could run a repair with that using your product key. (Call HP...they may overnight a disk to you)

The slowness you are experiencing is bothersome...even a non destructive recovery should have made things better, not just....different. I just ran the same recovery on an HP machine I have here (test box) and it went flawlessly...the machine is running just as it should.

I think it's time for a second opinion...

wannabe1

[monimoe]

Well, I actually got back online with this computer now, and it's not so slow anymore. It looks like my files are intact--so I'll be backing those up today. Many of the programs I had installed are gone (Word, Excel, etc.) but I'm not panicking about that.

I'll call HP and get them to send me the CD. I don't know if anyone has the retail XP CD--my dad, I believe, only has the upgrade.

Anyway, inexplicably I can at least navigate the system now. I'm sure I haven't found all that has been lost yet, but I have settled down. Hmmm. . .I've been at this for six hours now, it's 2:00 in the afternoon--maybe I'll try to eat now!

Thanks so much for your help! Any other info. you have would be great, but I seriously feel much better already . . .

Monica