PC will not start up on recovery disk...

I wanted to go back and reload from my recovery disk because I will be giving my mother my laptop. I wanted to start her on a clean slate since it will be her first laptop and she can do what she wants with it.

I tired to start from the recovery disk, but the PC will not boot off of it. I did change the reboot order for the CD drive to boot first, and nothing.

Is there any other way to clean off the Pc and start from day one?

Thanks!:cool

 

1. Insert the Setup compact disc (CD) and restart the computer. If prompted, select any options required to boot from the CD.
2. When the text-based part of Setup begins, follow the prompts; choose the repair or recover option by pressing R.
3. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot system, choose the installation that you need to access from the Recovery Console.
4. When prompted, type the Administrator password.
5. At the system prompt, type Recovery Console commands; type help for a list of commands, or help commandname for help on a specific command.
6. To exit the Recovery Console and restart the computer, type exit.

Have you checked to make sure allow active content to run from disc has been enabled?

 

sorry for not being more specific. I meant it is the factory recovery disk. not an OEM microsoft branded one.

 

Ima bump this one.

 

ok, just piece of advice mate - i wouldn't bump forum posts, people hate it, people often do not reply to it, and usually it can get you barred from quite a few places - but im in a good mood, so im gonna try to help you.

do you have another windows CD that you own? if so - you could format and put another operating system on it, or alternatively - you could download a free linux distribution and put that on it.

 

By the way a Format is the last solution on MGs. And is a change to a Linux Distro over Windows, I've yet to see!! Good to see you in a good mood though

 

ahh, really? i find it most of the time to be the first =D

thanks for the correction mate

im new here - time to pick up a new system.. well, while im here that is

sorry for the interrupt, thread. - carry on.. lol.

 

Well its a store bought Laptop and they give you NO cd's with the laptop.when you first turn it on it asks if you want to make a recovery disk, and I did. but now the Laptop will not boot off of the recovery disk. And I have no other copies of windows.

Is there anything left I can do? Like just get the laptop back to factory settings through another way?

 

This just in:

I tired to change out the harddrive with the same one ( I had an extra one ) and now the laptop's screen will not turn on. Its black as if the power is out ( not the black where the laptop backlight is on, but nothing showing on the screen ) sounds like it loads up but nothing on the screen..

anyhelp?

 

I just tried to hook up an external monitor and toggled the Fn key and hit F5 ( to goto the external monitor ) and nothing.

What could that be? the possible torjan disabling the videocard?

 

ok, don't worry too much mate - its unlikely a trojan would affect you in that way, are you hitting these buttons before you go into windows? if so, its possible its just not registering the keys before it opens windows properly, or its possible your vid card is just thinking - huh, whats that you wan't me to do? ive experienced issues where i have had to update my vid drivers and install (for me) catalyst control center, so my computer will realize when i hook it up to another monitor.

ok, so you have to tell me the make / model of the computer - and the version of windows, and roughly how old it is - that will help me to try to help you by figuring out if other people have experienced the same issues, and maybe there are standard recovery files for your model

 

Can you put the old hard drive back in to see if it will work?

Most manufacturers that do not provide a recovery CD will create a recovery partition on the hard drive, or as in your case they will ask you to make a CD.

Can you see what the CD will do if you open it up in Windows using the original hard drive.

 

Hmm,
i did put the old hard drive back in already. I noticed the screen went black when I put the new one in ( and i thought hmm, maybe because it has NOTHING on the hard drive so it wouldnt boot up. ) i replaced it with the old hard drive and the same problem.

Its an series 5100 model bc51. 'its about 2005-2006. I dont do anything with it except get online and maybe type some things. its a good computer for what its worth. I would just like to fix it for internet use.

edit:
there is no partition on the hard drive, i had to make a CD when i first started up the laptop ( which i did do ) but the computer wont boot off of the cd. I did the Bios thing and set the CDrom to boot first and nothing. ( It wont even get me to the bios start up screen or the windows splash screen )

 

riiight, ok - so no info on the screen - totall blank?

you don't see any white text - no bios info, etc? totally no start up - u press a button, and zero... u just see a tiny green light on the LED?

and.. if u said there was no partition when u first turned it on - how did you 'make a cd' there has to be an invisible partition there, ya know? it sounds like maybe your partition information has maybe gotten screwy - have you heard of bootable disks that get you into an environment where you can adjust and fix the partitions on your hard drive - and sometimes see the hidden ones?

 

The spare HDD has no partition on it, the original one has the OS on it.

 

Can you boot into Safe Mode with the original hard drive?
Ifb so, try removing everything EXCEPT the OS and the critical drivers and then defrag.

 

nope, When i hit th power button the cd rom attempts to boot up the CD,but nothing happens. the screen looks as if the screen is off ( no back light ) I dont think its the screen button or the inverter. If it is thats one damn coincidence.

So bascially no nothing. I turn it on it wants to load the CDrom ( my boost disks from 2005 or so ) but does nothing. No BIOS screen, no windows spalsh screen, no boot options screen ( safe mode, safe mods with networking ect )