Getting a laptop with no free memory to boot

frivolous_fay

Hi,

I'm looking at an old Toshiba laptop which I've dealt with before. Last time,
all the available hard disc space had been taken up with music (mainly) and it had got to the point where it would no longer boot.

Using a combination of an XP disc and sheer luck, I managed to get it to boot, deleted a bunch of files, and got it working normally again.

Guess what... it's full again. Trouble is, I can't remember exactly what I did last time - I've got it booting from the CDR, but I'm not sure which of the choices to then go for:

-To Setup Windows XP now
-To repair a Windows XP installation using recovery console
-To quit setup without installing windows XP (I tried this, obviously it didn't help)

Before these options came up, it did scroll through a lot of messages telling me it was installing files from the disc, so I thought it might have picked up what it needed to boot, but it seems not. Naturally, my brief is to try to save the important data on there...

Hope one of you geniuses (genii?) can set me on the right track. TIA...

Forgot to mention... it won't boot in safe mode or with a last known good config.

isofa

Can you boot it to a command line prompt using a boot CD and delete files from the DOS prompt?

frivolous_fay

Safe mode with command line is an option, but I haven't tried it... think you're talking about something different though? The options in my post above are the only ones that display after I boot from the CDR. (Which is a full Windows disc, not a boot one afaik)

I have three types of safe mode as options, plus Last Known Good,
plus Start Windows Normally... most of these I know don't work.

fwor

Repair using the Recovery Console.

That should give you a DOS(-like) prompt so that you can navigate around the hard disk and delete some files to free up space. While you're there, may be worth running chkdsk to make sure your drive isn't corrupted before you attempt to boot from the HD

frivolous_fay

I think we're stuffed.

Recover Console tells you the command to exit, gives a command prompt, and, err... nothing else.

I took a pic of the blue screen error that flashes up for a split second while it's in its boot loop.

O/H thinks the MBR is corrupted.

albertross_2

try

chkdsk c: /F/R

at the recovery console command prompt

That screen looks like you are in the middle of a windows reinstall btw, not a normal boot.

frivolous_fay

Sorry... wrong screenshot. The one above was the end result of me trying 'Setup'

The one I intended to post said Unmountable _boot_volume

frivolous_fay

albertross wrote: »

chkdsk c: /F/R

at the recovery console command prompt

It doesn't recognise it. O/H suggested a couple of commands to try at that prompt and it didn't recognise any of them. Just EXIT

The prompt is showing as C:\> (sorry if that's a really obvious thing to mention)

albertross_2

are you sure?

try

chkdsk

or

help

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/recovery_console_cmds.mspx?mfr=true

steve_r123

Dont click the first option to repair.

Click the Setup windows XP first option, then after that it should give the option to repair existing windows install. This is a non destructive one that should keep all your settings and documents etc.

frivolous_fay

Tried chkdsk again, nothing.

Tried help, got a list of commands.

tried chkdsk again... got a grinding noise from CD drive followed by 'The volume appears to be in good condition ...etc'

tried chkdsk c: - same message as above

tried chkdsk c: /f/r again - The parameter is not valid