BSOD Win XP - Help !!!

[Pukmeister]

Hi,
my HP Laptop won't boot into Windows (XP 'Media Centre Edition'), I just get the XP splash screen then a BSOD. All attempts to boot into any mode (even safe mode command prompt and last good settings mode) end in BSOD.

I ran a SMART HDD test from BIOS diagnostics and it reported as fine. Just texted the wife at work and asked about updates, she replied that it updated last night as she was using it.

I can't find a way to boot into any mode to disable antivirus etc and see what happens or roll back manually to a previous install point. It was using Trend Micro internet security for Antivirus protection with auto updates.

No floppy drive so can't boot from a floppy. I did make a set of recovery CD's from the HDD via an auto menu option when I bought it, but would prefer to try and boot the PC manually rather than risk starting a macro from CD that automatically wipes and reinstalls.

Help please anybody ??

 

[Pukmeister]

Update - tried using an XP Pro CD to boot into the recovery console - which strangely reported no HDD found ?

Then tried the HP repair CD's and ended up unintentionally starting the recovery process which wipes and reinstalls (rather than recovers the existing OS). Bloody HP ought to write their menus better, I had expected when clicking 'yed' to get windows repaired, it only told me it was reformatting C: when it had started.

Looks like it will be a total loss of all user data. I guess I should have backed up more recently, that'll teach me.

 

[Clive]

Looks like it will be a total loss of all user data. I guess I should have backed up more recently, that'll teach me.

Probably a bit late now for a reply, but switch it off and do not proceed any further.

You can recover stuff from a formatted disc drive.

What sort of disc drive is it in the Laptop - SATA or PATA?

 

[Pukmeister]

No idea Clive but I suspect its SATA as the laptop is just over a year old. It's only the wife's photos which she hasn't backed up that I want to recover. It's now back to a clean install of XP so too late to undo the 'recovery' (thanks for nothing HP/Compaq).

 

[Clive]

No idea Clive but I suspect its SATA as the laptop is just over a year old. It's only the wife's photos which she hasn't backed up that I want to recover. It's now back to a clean install of XP so too late to undo the 'recovery' (thanks for nothing HP/Compaq).

I only ask about the type as I have a gizmo that you can insert a SATA laptop HD into to convert it into a USB drive.

You could try installing/running http://docs.piriform.com/recuva/using-recuva/recovering-files-from-damaged-or-reformatted-disks anyway - probably won't do any harm if you have resigned yourself to not getting them back

 

[Pukmeister]

Clive, many thanks for the link, have downloaded recuva and hope to get the wifes pictures back. To be honest it's no biggie as the laptop was overdue some housekeeping, the recovery procedure has cleaned all the crap out for me and probably done me a favour in the long run.

 

[Pukmeister]

Just fixed a friends desktop PC with exactly the same drama eg wont boot into any mode. Not even safe mode command prompt.

Booted it from the Windows XP install CD, selected 'R' for recovery when prompted, got a command prompt (C:\) then tried 'DIR' to look at the HDD directory structure. Nothing reported back except some blurb about a directory error.

I ran Checkdisk (CHKDSK) from the command prompt and it fixed the disk error and could then boot into windows.
A bit late for me with my laptop, but hope it helps anyone else with the same problem.