Hi I'm new and I need some help :)

Hi all!

I'm new to the site and was hoping some of you could help me. I'm not sure if I'm in the right place but my problem has to do with windows. Okay so my mom has a computer a toshiba Satellite P series laptop it runs on windows home edition. The problem is when you turn the computer on it says Windows did not start succesfully. A recent Hardware or software change might have caused this. It gives me five options

Safe mode
Safe mode with networking
Safe mode with command promt
last known good configuration
or Start windows normally

I've tried all of these and none of them work. I do not have a windows re-boot disk but I do have some blank CD's and a flash drive. If you think you can help please try! I would love to fix this for her for christmas! If you need anymore info just ask

TIA for any help or advice!

brandon

 

Thanks! I'll try that out the computer didn't actually come with one :O

 

Hey the computer actually runs on XP it's kind of old I have an xp reboot disk but nothing happens when I put it in. And since I'm stuck on the black screen I have no where to click on the disk. Any ideas?

 

http://www.bootdisk.com/txtfiles/xpquick.txt
http://www.bootdisk.com/
I have tried this, but only on a floppy, imagine it should work on CD, imagine you can get into the BIOS...Other options a bit more involved
Bug

 

I can get into a screen that says BIOS if that helps I'll try that link thanks

That link maybe I just don't know how to get to the download I couldn't do it. I'm really not the most tech savvy person I know a thing or two but not much I can learn though. So please any advice or suggestions just know that I might have no clue what your talking about.

 

In the BIOS screen you want to look for boot order and make sure it is CDROM first then HD. If it is currently HD first that may well be the reason the XP CD won't work.

What exactly does the XP CD say on it. Is it a Restore CD or an Installation CD?

 

Actually I think I was wrong I took the disk out (it was one I burnt from microsoft website) it says it's a windows xp home bf exe. I don't really know what it does I don't have any kind of disk the computer didn't come with one. So I'm basically at square one.

 

Can you give the exact model of laptop from the sticker on the bottom?
Without an XP CD you don't have a lot of options.

Do you know when this problem started?

 

Thanks for trying guys!

The zero isn't working I just get a loud beeping sound if I hold it down during the toshiba screen if I do it during the windows screen I get nothing.

The laptop is a p15 s409

I have the xp code I just don't have a disk.

I'm not sure exactly it was about three years or so ago. The laptop was still fairly new at the time. I think it was about the time I tried to put Jedi Knight academy on the comp.

Also when I put that on the desktop it ran fine.

 

From what I have read that model came with recovery disks not a recovery partition. I googled that model and several people mention using recovery discs. I'd say take a good look around the house since loading the system with them would simply finding drivers etc.

 

Well yes the laptop should have but they got it cheap at best buy because it didn't come with one