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Will not start up.


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#16
rshaffer61

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Something I noticed on your post 13 is that it is not listing a hard drive at all.
This system has a cdrom drive I hope?
If so please do the following and let me know if you can get to your data.

Use Puppy Linux Live CD to Recover Your Data:

===================
***Required Hardware***
CD Burner (CDRW) Drive,
Blank CD,
Extra Storage Device (USB Flash Drive, External Hard Drive)

===================

1. Save these files to your Desktop/Burn Your Live CD:
  • Download Latest Puppy Linux ISO (i.e.: lupu-520.iso)
    Download BurnCDCC ISO Burning Software

  • Open BurnCDCC with Windows Explorer
  • Extract All files to a location you can remember
  • Double Click Posted Image BurnCDCC
  • Click Browse Posted Image and navigate to the Puppy Linux ISO file you just downloaded
  • Open/Double Click that file
    IMPORTANT: Adjust the speed bar to CD: 4x DVD: 1x
  • Click Start Posted Image
  • Your CD Burner Tray will open automatically
  • Insert a blank CD and close the tray
  • Click OK
Puppy Linux Live CD will now be created
2. Set your boot priority in the BIOS to CD-ROM first, Hard Drive Second
  • Start the computer/press the power button
  • Immediately start tapping the appropriate key to enter the BIOS, aka "Setup"
    (Usually shown during the "Dell" screen, or "Gateway" Screen)
  • Once in the BIOS, under Advanced BIOS Options change boot priority to:
    CD-ROM 1st, Hard Drive 2nd
  • Open your ROM drive and insert the disk
  • Press F10 to save and exit
  • Agree with "Y" to continue
  • Your computer will restart and boot from the Puppy Linux Live CD

    Posted Image

3. Recover Your Data
  • Once Puppy Linux has loaded, it is actually running in your computer's Memory (RAM). You will see a fully functioning Graphical User Interface similar to what you normally call "your computer". Internet access may or may not be available depending on your machine, so it is recommended you print these instructions before beginning. Also, double clicking is not needed in Puppy. To expand, or open folders/icons, just click once. Puppy is very light on resources, so you will quickly notice it is much speedier than you are used to. This is normal. Ready? Let's get started.

    3a. Mount Drives
  • Click the Mount Icon located at the top left of your desktop. Posted Image
  • A Window will open. By default, the "drive" tab will be forward/highlighted. Click on Mount for your hard drive.
  • Assuming you only have one hard drive and/or partition, there may be only one selection to mount.
  • USB Flash Drives usually automatically mount upon boot, but click the "usbdrv" tab and make sure it is mounted.
  • If using an external hard drive for the data recovery, do this under the "drive" tab. Mount it now.
3b. Transfer Files.
  • At the bottom left of your desktop a list of all hard drives/partitions, USB Drives, and Optical Drives are listed with a familiar looking hard drive icon.
  • Open your old hard drive i.e. sda1
  • Next, open your USB Flash Drive or External Drive. i.e. sdc or sdb1
  • If you open the wrong drive, simply X out at the top right corner of the window that opens. (Just like in Windows)
  • From your old hard drive, drag and drop whatever files/folders you wish to transfer to your USB Drive's Window.
For The Novice: The common path to your pictures, music, video, and documents folders is: Documents and Settings >> All Users (or each idividual name of each user. CHECK All Names!) >> Documents >> You will now see My Music, My Pictures, and My Videos.

Remember to only click once! No double clicking! Once you drag and drop your first folder, you will notice a small menu will appear giving you the option to move or copy. Choose COPY each time you drag and drop.

YOU ARE DONE!!! Simply click Menu >> Mouse Over Shutdown >> Reboot/Turn Off Computer. Be sure to plug your USB Drive into another working windows machine to verify all data is there and transferred without corruption. Congratulations!

Posted Image

Posted Image

If you're doing this to recovery from a virus or malware infection, (or even if you're not), DO NOT copy executable files (.exe, .scr. etc...) if any of these files are infected you could be copying the corruption over to any new device/computer. just copy documents, pictures, music, or videos.

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#17
Zibbiezone

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Uhm.. Is there just anyway I can restore to factory settings from the ESC start up menu? Seeing that I don't have any of those items: the disc, an empty disc, spare USB.. And I'm not on Linux.
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#18
rshaffer61

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F8 didn't do a thing... Just went through it's regular routine... Back to that blank blue screen..

I can press ESC for the startup menu.. And there are 5 options
1: press f1 for system information
2: f2 for system diagnostics
3: f9 Boot Device Options
4: f10 BIOS setup
5: f11 system recovery (does nothing, already tried it.)

then just ENTER - Continue Startup



As you stated above the F11 for the System Recovery had no affect on your system.
Now this is the key combination to get to most HP recovery partitions.

Press the power button to start the HP. Press and hold the F11 key to launch the HP Recovery Manager from the recovery partition.
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#19
Zibbiezone

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Well that's made some progress.. Now the windows logo (the red blue yellow green squares) appeared, and loaded.. But then just back to that underwater blue screen...
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#20
rshaffer61

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It should not have gotten that far honestly. It should have gone to a DOS screen and you should have been given the option to do a system recovery.
Can you try it again please.
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#21
Zibbiezone

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Oh okay... I got this screen up now.. I always have trouble with the 'fn' key when doin f1's and stuff.. So I'm on windows boot manager
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#22
Zibbiezone

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Okay... The laptop died on me, appearently it wasn't plugged in enough... So I plugged the charger in, restarted it, and held fn+f11. It just says "[f11] is pressed. Go to system recovery, but then just goes back to the previous routine..
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#23
rshaffer61

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May have been the loss of power but you are getting closer to getting it to run. Please try again.
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#24
Zibbiezone

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Well now it's doing what it used to, doing the windows logo and back to that screen..
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#25
rshaffer61

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OK it seems the OS is fried and\or the hard drive has failed. I say this because like I stated earlier your boot sequence is not even showing a hard drive to boot to.
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#26
Zibbiezone

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So.. Am I out of options entirely?
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#27
Zibbiezone

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I just noticed, when I press f11 it does the windows 7 loading logo, but otherwise it looks like xp again..
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#28
rshaffer61

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Without being able to see the hard drive it is going to be hard to do anything.
You can remove the hard drive and install it in a external enclosure or as a second drive in a desktop system and see if it is seen. If not then that would indicate a failed drive and it would need to be replaced.
If it is seen then we would have to consider the possibility of the controller on the motherboard may be faulty.
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#29
Zibbiezone

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So in otherwords, for somebody who doesn't normally do this sort of thing, call a professional who does? Like the company?
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#30
rshaffer61

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I just noticed, when I press f11 it does the windows 7 loading logo, but otherwise it looks like xp again..


Not sure what you mean by this. Win7 and XP should not be on the system if this was originally loaded with Win7.


If you are not sure how to do the hard drive then taking it to a shop would be your only option since the system is not under warranty.
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