Presario System Rescue!

PJB

Hi

I have a compaq presario tower and it won't boot up. It keeps going to the black page where you can go into safe mode, system restore or start normally.

None of thes options work or do anything, it just returns to the same page.

I have also tried booting and usin f12 to enter system restore but this just brings up a blue screen with a large white pointer but does not do anything else.

Don't want to use the back up disc until last resorts as that deletes evrything and starts the system again!

Any help, tips etc gratefully received.

Thanks

PJB

PJB

Anyone please help!!!!

superrug_2

Sounds a bit nasty to me, i would try a check disk first then see how you go, you do need the windows disk to do this tho.





Running Checkdisk from the Windows CD

1. Insert your Windows XP CD into your computer's CD-ROM drive and restart your computer. If your computer is not booting into Windows, you will still need to have your computer powered on to open the CD-ROM drive and insert the CD before restarting.
2. Many newer computers are set to boot CDs by default or have an option to temporarily change the boot order. Look for one of these messages as your computer starts:
   • F12 (or another key) = Boot Menu
   • ESC (or another key) to select boot device
   • Press any key to boot from CD
3. If you needed to press a key for a boot menu or to select a boot device, you should now have a menu of the devices your computer can try to boot from. Choose your CD-Rom drive and press Enter.
4. When you see the "Press any key" message, your computer is ready to boot from the Windows XP CD. Just press Enter. Your system will load files and bring you to the Windows XP Setup screen.
   
5. At the Windows Setup screen, press R to enter the Recovery Console.
   • NOTE: If you are unable to access the recovery console, your CD may be damaged, or the problem could be more severe and require professional system recovery.
6. You will enter the Recovery Console and be asked to choose which Windows installation you would like to log into. Most users will only have one choice.
   
7. You will be prompted to enter the administrator password. This is the password set for the user Administrator. You may have set this password when you first were configuring your computer. If you are uncertain what password to enter here, try leaving the line blank and just pressing ENTER.
8. You will be presented with a C: prompt. Type the following:
   chkdsk /r and press ENTER.
   
   
9. Checkdisk will now run. The scan may run for several hours.
10. When the scan is complete, a report similar to the one below will display. If any errors appear, contact the DoIT Help Desk.
11. To leave the Recovery Console and reboot your computer, type exit and press Enter. Remember to eject your Windows XP CD before your system tries to boot off of it.

PJB

Thanks superrug.

We moved last year abd typically i can find evry other CD but the HP restore one.

HP want me to pay through the nose for another.

Don't know what to do, help anyone!

PJB

As i said i have managed to use another XP disk and it goes into setup but at point 6 it reads:

1: H:\MiniNT

Which windows . . . . . . . . .

Is this ok, should i try it? EDIT: I tried entering 1 but it just comes up:
H:\MiniNT>


Tried chkdsk c:, waiting now!

Thanks

PJB

Have done chkdsk and it says it found 1 or more errors on the volume, but thats all it says!

Oops, now doing chkdsk /r

PJB

superrug wrote: »

1. When the scan is complete, a report similar to the one below will display. If any errors appear, contact the DoIT Help Desk.

Need a log in for this and i do not have 1!

PJB

Thanks very very very much superrug. Even though i used a XP disc from a laptop it has worked a treat.

Will now scan with malware, ccleaner, spybot, eset etc etc! And back-up!

Any advice on the best back up software. Preferably one that backs up programmes, as well as files, data etc. Needed to bakck up 3 machines to 2 external hard drives.

Don't mind paying, less the better but free would be great!

Thanks everybody and again big thanks to superrug!:T:whistle: