Forum Home
Press F1
 
Thread ID: 128803 2013-01-16 06:13:00 Laptop won't boot wotz (335) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1323055 2013-01-16 06:13:00 A friend dropped in his old compaq laptop - it won't boot XP and he wants his photos off it - had a backup on external drive, but it died.
Windows won't boot - it freezes on a black screen after the screen to boot normally, safe mode, etc.
Safe mode runs through all the lines of text on screen, then freezes with the page full of text.
Tried a couple of linux live cd's. Same thing - freezes when booting the kernal.
I can get in with a boot disk, and can see the photo files, but don't have a device with dos drivers to copy them to - have a usb external drive.
HDD doesn't have ide connections so can't slave it.
Any ideas, anyone?
wotz (335)
1323056 2013-01-16 08:32:00 What does work ( just tried it) is if you use a WINPE bootable CD, its got support for USB. Just booted up a XP machine using a WINPE CD, had an external USB drive attached, then using DOS commands copied some files and folders from the PC to the USB Drive.

Winpe is the base software that a lot of bootable recovery programs use. In its raw form its all DOS commands.

BUT (theres always a but) ;) Depending on how much time and work you want to do, unless you already have a winpe CD it can take a fair amount of downloading time to create one.

technet.microsoft.com(v=ws.10).aspx


Another option is to buy a IDE to USB adaptor, remove the drive from the Laptop, plug in to a working PC and try to copy off the files.

Like This here (www.ascent.co.nz)
wainuitech (129)
1323057 2013-01-16 08:59:00 Add to above -- Just found a video on how to make a WINPE CD.

As I mentioned, lots of work for one recovery. www.youtube.com
wainuitech (129)
1323058 2013-01-16 09:24:00 Tried a couple of linux live cd's. Same thing - freezes when booting the kernal.

If this is the case ( and not sure why this would be since it's not booting off the HDD) then a doubt if a WinPE will boot either.

See if you can get a loan of a HDD docking station?
johnd (85)
1323059 2013-01-16 09:49:00 Depends on where the problem actually is. Had several PC's where Linux wouldn't boot or see the Hard Drive,yet Winpe did. Had to use WinPE to recover some files ( W7 pc) and direct them to a LAN Storage.

It could also be another Hardware problem, but with out actually trying another PC then its guess work.

It was also mentioned :
I can get in with a boot disk, and can see the photo files, but don't have a device with dos drivers to copy them to

Either way it may be a lot of work to recover.
wainuitech (129)
1323060 2013-01-17 04:05:00 Thanks, I will give it a go. wotz (335)
1