Trouble with Compaq Armada E500, Win ME

[dreampainter]

Hi~

I have a Compaq Armada E500 notebook.It has been working fine... I opened it yesterday and powered it up(no problems there) but when it gets to the Windows ME screen, it stops there and goes no further. I wanted to format the HD but have no WinME OS disk so was going to install Ubuntu(which I love) but since I cannot even get to Windows I can't format...I have tried about everything there is to make it go...but nada works. HELP if you can...Thanks

Kat

[shadowpr]

can you get into safe mode and run virus scans and scan for malware?

[dreampainter]

No, I cant get into Safe Mode either, it does the same thing...stops at the Windows ME Screen...but the other day before I powered down, I went to safe mode, off line, and scanned for viruses, malware and spyware and there were very few things...I removed them and logged off and that was it...Sigh

[glc]

You can't format the drive from in Windows anyway - you format it with a boot floppy or boot CD. Boot it with the Ubuntu CD, it will do what you need.

[dreampainter]

No. I tried that too...it stalls for installation as well...I didnt want to format from windows...I mis spoke...sorry...I wanted to save a few things off the HD first before formatting...I cant get Ubuntu to install either...IT gets as far as the screen where you click to go to desktop and wont go...its supposed to be a live CD but it wont get to it's own desk top...I tired the boot CD I made but no go there either...

[dreampainter]

With my luck I need a new HD which I cannot afford at the moment...but there must be something keeping it from booting all the way to Windows. 3 days ago it was fine(the last time I used it)

[glc]

Pull the hard drive, stick it on a USB or IDE adapter, and get your files off. Then test the drive with diags, if it's shot toss it and get a replacement. If it tests good, zero fill it and reinstall it in the laptop.

[dreampainter]

Thank you!!!
Well since I live in the middle of nowhere and have no access to a usb adapter I can not do that and I have some of the stuff on another PC so no problems there....my main concern was the dvd software but that is trivial...
As for testing HD with Diags, where do I go to find instructions for that?

[glc]

Laptop to standard IDE adapter:

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=HD-108&cat=HDD

All drives to USB adapter:

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=2020&cat=HDD

You download diags from the hard drive manufacturer and follow the instructions for making the bootable media and running the tests. Most of the diag packages also have a zero fill utility.