HP Advent 7081 Laptop boot probs

conar686

Laptop won't sart up even in safe mode. Can't get the downloaded start up disc to work - not sure how to boot it from CD. Tried F12 returned me to black fault screen with options of start normal, Start safe both of which just return me to the same screen

Pressing F10 on Start up starts a recovery program called PC Angel but this does not seem to do anything after an initil flurry of HD acty.

Any ideas appreciated

Jzpop

Is the link below of any use?
http://www.uktsupport.co.uk/advent/laptop/7081.htm

P.S. This is for an Advent 7081 laptop. I am not familiar with any HP laptops with an Advent badge - can you provide a link to your specific model?

conar686

Thanks for the site JZ

Tried most of what was advised on the site, F10 does not work, booting from system restore disc doesn't work either it just takes us back to the fault screen - if I could get it to boot into safe mode I can get the LTop to system restore.

Jzpop

Maybe a fix for your hang on the PC Angel screen? -
http://support.thetechguys.com/layout.aspx?ID=!!0476469d-f354-4b6a-a8ef-5c964756cb9d}&CatID=!!05ae922b-e056-4b92-9a37-2ea653a4040e}

If that does not work, you may need to try again with the system recovery cd. First, at startup press F2 to enter the BIOS, and make sure that the first bootable device is set as the cd-rom drive.

If you need more info about recovery options with the recovery cd, see -
http://support.thetechguys.com/layout.aspx?ID=!!5d3b92dd-68c8-43d2-b79c-5ef69032e338}&CatID=!!05ae922b-e056-4b92-9a37-2ea653a4040e}

Generic advice -
http://support.thetechguys.com/layout.aspx?ID=!!4628fd9c-5a54-4fe2-b3e9-b9b12b931d32}&CatID=!!05ae922b-e056-4b92-9a37-2ea653a4040e}

Jzpop

Hmm - problems with those links, I see

Try http://support.thetechguys.com, then click through to Need Support > Notebooks > Advent > 7xxxx range > 7081 > Recovery

Jzpop

The text from the first link in Post #4 (recovery hangs at PC Angel screen) reads -

"Summary
Get help with a problem where the System Recovery takes a very long time to start
Problem or Symptom
When the System Recovery is started, a "PC Angel" loading screen appears.

This screen should only be on screen for a few seconds, before the recovery options appear.

Sometimes, this screen remains for several minutes or more, giving the impression that something has gone wrong.

Cause
The System Recovery is looking for all the information it can find before it presents the options. This includes any extra drives that are plugged in, and any floppy disks.

Modern computers are not fitted with the old 3.5" floppy disk drives. But, because they have the capability to have one fitted as an upgrade, the option is usually still enabled in the system's BIOS.

This causes the System Recovery to spend a long time searching for a drive which does not exist.
Solution(s)
The 3.5" floppy disk drive (FDD) should be disabled in the BIOS setup program.


Note: Changing your computer's BIOS settings can have adverse affects on the performance of your computer. If you are in any doubt, contact technical support for assistance.
To change the BIOS settings varies by computer. As a rough guide:


Watch the screen when the computer first starts for a brief prompt telling you which button to press.
Tap F2 and Delete alternately.
The mouse does not function in the BIOS, so you must use the arrow keys (like on a games console) to navigate the various menus.
The keys required to navigate and change settings are usually displayed along the left, or at the bottom of the screen.
Pressing the F1 key in the BIOS will usually open a help screen
The setting you are looking for is Floppy Disk Drive, or Floppy Disk Controller.

You should set this to Disabled, or None.
Make sure you save changes when finished."

conar686

Thanks all for the advice tried it all to no avail. My mate had a spare HD with xp on and I'm up and wkg again.

Chhers