Help! Laptop will not start - need it now!

lisa_spyder · 04-05-2011, 05:20 AM

Help...this is way beyond me and I neeeeeed the stupid laptop to work for mobile stuff tomorrow

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Mike used his Toshiba today with no problems. He says it shut down OK at work; went to start it tonight and nothing...got the Toshiba start screen and then nothing; not even the usual blue screen of death.

I tried to boot in safe mode - nothing. I tried safe mode with networking - nothing. I was going to boot from the XP recovery disc and then got scared that we would lose everything as my understanding is that it would reformat.

I'll pull down the laptop info from the Toshiba start screen in a minute...but for now, any ideas???

slodave · slodave's Garage

You could get to the Windows boot screen, then black? Could be the HD.

lisa_spyder · 04-05-2011, 05:30 AM

Dave...I need to make some room on my desk and get the laptop in front of me to tell you what it is doing...hang on...

lisa_spyder · 04-05-2011, 05:33 AM

Ok I can pull up the windows boot screen (lots of F8 button pushing lol)...but when I try to start in safe mode I get the black screen...not happy if it's the hard drive - laptop is not that old.

slodave · slodave's Garage

Hard to say without seeing it in person and running diagnostics, but I always get suspicious of the HD when things like this happen.

lisa_spyder · 04-05-2011, 05:40 AM

Had a run of lousy luck with all the computers here of late...guess I need to email 'the guy' tonight and beg for a callout for tomorrow.

Thanks Dave...

slodave · slodave's Garage

If you feel adventurous, create a "drive fitness test" disk - cd is best, boot it up, let it run. Green screen and drive is okay, red, stop. Go go nearest shop and have them image the drive or at least salvage data. If green, you can try to reseat the RAM, but memory issues usually end up with the BSOD.

Downloads

slodave · slodave's Garage

Good luck, Lisa. Gotta try and sleep now.

lisa_spyder · 04-05-2011, 05:51 AM

I might try this in the morning thanks Dave...when my brain is more awake

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Had a massive couple of days - will screw this up for sure if I persist tonight (almost midnight and my bed is calling; I have seen very little of my bed last few weeks).

944Larry · 944Larry's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisa_spyder

Help...this is way beyond me and I neeeeeed the stupid laptop to work for mobile stuff tomorrow

.

Mike used his Toshiba today with no problems. He says it shut down OK at work; went to start it tonight and nothing...got the Toshiba start screen and then nothing; not even the usual blue screen of death.

I tried to boot in safe mode - nothing. I tried safe mode with networking - nothing. I was going to boot from the XP recovery disc and then got scared that we would lose everything as my understanding is that it would reformat.

I'll pull down the laptop info from the Toshiba start screen in a minute...but for now, any ideas???

I hate this has happened to you Lisa. But I tried to tell you earlier that good luck never lasts! Hope you bought those lottery tickets before this happened!

lisa_spyder · 04-05-2011, 07:09 PM

Larry,

I am throwing money at the problem as I type - problem is now not mine until the bill arrives

.

Have the football club laptop to use today for player registrations...asked my trusty IT guy to install our mobile broadband dongle thingy in that so I can get the players online...and save me the time of having to do it; problem fixed short-term

.

Mike's poor little face when his security blanket (laptop) failed him last night...was painful watching him flap around me whining that it wouldn't start whilst I was trying to work out a ridiculously complex fixture for the footy league....he's like Linus with the blanket; needs his laptop!

See....still happy....a little stretched for time now though...

Dave,

We're not yet sure if the laptop is the issue or Windows....hard drive seems OK and data is all there though

slodave · slodave's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisa_spyder

Dave,

We're not yet sure if the laptop is the issue or Windows....hard drive seems OK and data is all there though

At least you checked first.

If it was the HD and you try other fixes, the HD can further degrade, making the chances of retrieving data a lot harder.

Good luck!

944Larry · 944Larry's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisa_spyder

Larry,

I am throwing money at the problem as I type - problem is now not mine until the bill arrives

.

Have the football club laptop to use today for player registrations...asked my trusty IT guy to install our mobile broadband dongle thingy in that so I can get the players online...and save me the time of having to do it; problem fixed short-term

.

Mike's poor little face when his security blanket (laptop) failed him last night...was painful watching him flap around me whining that it wouldn't start whilst I was trying to work out a ridiculously complex fixture for the footy league....he's like Linus with the blanket; needs his laptop!

See....still happy....a little stretched for time now though...

Dave,

We're not yet sure if the laptop is the issue or Windows....hard drive seems OK and data is all there though

Wow!!! You Aussies are just like Americans! Throwing money at a problem! Now THAT'S the American way. I feel badly for you having a computer glitch. That's a big problem with life nowadays. We have all become used to all this high tech stuff and it makes life really difficult if it goes down. Reading your post got me to thinking that I have stuff on my laptop I need to back up before the same thing that hit you gets me. Good luck on the outcome!

lisa_spyder · 04-05-2011, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 944Larry

Wow!!! You Aussies are just like Americans! Throwing money at a problem! Now THAT'S the American way. I feel badly for you having a computer glitch. That's a big problem with life nowadays. We have all become used to all this high tech stuff and it makes life really difficult if it goes down. Reading your post got me to thinking that I have stuff on my laptop I need to back up before the same thing that hit you gets me. Good luck on the outcome!

I think what I have done is called effective delegation

. I am a self-confessed control freak; but have learned when I am busy it is best to delegate wherever possible

.

Joeaksa · 04-06-2011, 06:23 AM

Always back up your important things to another computer or USB memory stick or hard drive. This way you can go to another computer and at least access the info should something like the above happen.

lisa_spyder · 04-06-2011, 06:33 AM

Joe,

Dear....sweetheart....darling....

MY computer is backed up - the whole box and dice to 3 separate drives/usb's etc. My back-ups run on a scheduler; have done for years.

This is Mike's laptop we're talking about....second time this has happened to him...I guess I'll have to sort out his back-ups for him....aaaaahhhhh a woman's work is just never done....

944Larry · 944Larry's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisa_spyder

Joe,

Dear....sweetheart....darling....

MY computer is backed up - the whole box and dice to 3 separate drives/usb's etc. My back-ups run on a scheduler; have done for years.

This is Mike's laptop we're talking about....second time this has happened to him...I guess I'll have to sort out his back-ups for him....aaaaahhhhh a woman's work is just never done....

You're saying about what I saw on a sign recently,"Do you want to talk to the guy
in charge or the woman that knows what's going on".

lisa_spyder · 04-07-2011, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 944Larry

You're saying about what I saw on a sign recently,"Do you want to talk to the guy
in charge or the woman that knows what's going on".

Hehe...My darling late father put a sign in my office many years ago to this effect...HE put it there - HE was sick of the macho dudes swaggering in and treating me (and Mum) like mindless idiots..."nah luv, you can't help me....I need to talk to one of the blokes...someone who knows about cars..."

. Bless him...if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be half the person I am now

.

lisa_spyder · 04-09-2011, 01:09 PM

Well it would have been very helpful had Mike remembered to tell me that the night before the browser chucked a hissy fit and he shut down the laptop in a hurry

. I don't remember if he is running IE7 or IE8...but whatever 'it' was it killed the Security Essentials and IE...

IT guy still has the laptop - having a lot of trouble getting it to reload IE; that was the last update a couple of days ago.

And here I (we) was thinking it was hardware related

...

slodave · slodave's Garage

That's the problem with trying to help over the Internet and phone. Information is usually left out and it's usually important info.