| Forum Home | ||||
| Press F1 | ||||
| Thread ID: 108618 | 2010-04-05 01:43:00 | Boot up problems with Compaq Notebook | straka01 (310) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 872972 | 2010-04-05 01:43:00 | A friend has just dropped in a Compaq Presario Notebook PC that wont boot up. It's running XP pro. This is the message it comes up with (on a blue screen): STOP: C0000218 {Registry File Failure} The registry cannot load the hive (file): \systemroot\system32\config\SAM or its log or alternative. It is corrupt, absent, or not writable. I've tried going into the CMOS where there a disc checking feature - it passes this fine. I've tried booting from a OS disc - get's to the place where you have 3x options: Load OS, Repair 'r' or exit. But if I try either of the first two options it comes back with: Setup did not find any hard discs drives on your computer. Setup cannot continue. Now I've no idea what she's done but I do know she has been using it mainly for emails, skype and the odd oberon game. As far as I'm aware it has AVG free virus scanner and Zone alarm firewall - but I don't know whether they were updated within the last few months. Any ideas to get the OS booting up would be appreciated. |
straka01 (310) | ||
| 872973 | 2010-04-05 02:05:00 | Here (support.microsoft.com). Sounds like its a SATA hdd, why the XP cd cant find it. You may have to restore it or use the restore cd's/dvd | Speedy Gonzales (78) | ||
| 872974 | 2010-04-05 02:18:00 | Go into your bios/setup (press F10 I think, should tell you on POST screen), and change your boot order to CD first, then your OS cd will boot. (Does sound as if the HDD has died/corrupted :crying) |
feersumendjinn (64) | ||
| 872975 | 2010-04-05 02:23:00 | I inserted the first recovery CD - booted to where you have 3x options - repair, format HDD back to factory settings or exit. Tried Repair - initially looked promising but again came up with the same error on a blue screen. | straka01 (310) | ||
| 872976 | 2010-04-05 02:25:00 | Go into your bios/setup (press F10 I think, should tell you on POST screen), and change your boot order to CD first, then your OS cd will boot. (Does sound as if the HDD has died/corrupted :crying) The boot sequence is Floppy(although there isn't a floppy drive), then CD then HDD. I was wondering if the settings for the SATA drive had changed - might go and have a look. |
straka01 (310) | ||
| 872977 | 2010-04-05 02:31:00 | Try turning over the laptop (unplug mains power and battery first), remove cover over HDD and make sure it's fully plugged in (may have shaken loose). | feersumendjinn (64) | ||
| 872978 | 2010-04-05 02:51:00 | OK, took out HDD & put it back in securely. Also did the same with the RAM. Restarted - same problem. CMOS settings I set to default - same problem persists. |
straka01 (310) | ||
| 872979 | 2010-04-05 02:53:00 | Sounds like a corrupted registry. You may be able to fix it if you wind back system restore. (as long as thats not damaged as well) - it will either work or it wont. To do this you either need to be able to boot into safe mode with command prompt, have a bootable CD that will allow it to run system restore, something like UBCD4Win (http://www.ubcd4win.com/) - or do it manually with the XP CD via the recovery console. I can post the manual method if you want - it is quite long. |
wainuitech (129) | ||
| 872980 | 2010-04-05 02:56:00 | The CMOS has a diagnostics facility - I ran it before and it passed. But I'm running it again. It's called a Primary Hard Drive Self Test. Has two stages & takes about half an hour...... | straka01 (310) | ||
| 872981 | 2010-04-05 03:05:00 | Sounds like a corrupted registry. You may be able to fix it if you wind back system restore. (as long as thats not damaged as well) - it will either work or it wont. To do this you either need to be able to boot into safe mode with command prompt, have a bootable CD that will allow it to run system restore, something like UBCD4Win (http://www.ubcd4win.com/) - or do it manually with the XP CD via the recovery console. I can post the manual method if you want - it is quite long. I've tried using the recovery CDs & also used a XP pro OS CD, and in both cases, when I press 'R' it comes up with the same message about corrupt reg hive files. It won't boot up enough to get into safe mode - doesn't even start loading windows. What seems odd to me is that the CMOS tests the HDD (and it passes the test) - but the Recovery CD process and the Repair facility can't find it! |
straka01 (310) | ||
| 1 2 3 | |||||