XP wont boot

[bearcreek]

It is a Compaq Presario v5000 laptop with home edition. It is an ide 2.5 hard drive. It will boot to the Windows select screen (safe mode, safe mode with networking, etc.). No matter what you select, windows trys to boot for a second and then the computer reboots. Tried the repair option with the install disk, but repair is not an option. Tried the recovery console and it does not see windows on C drive, only on D:/, the disk drive. Tried a method from microsoft where you replace system32/config files (default,sam,system,software, and one other) with ones from system32/repair. That did not work. I am not sure if it is a virus or what. I dont have the option to slave because I dont have the needed adapter, our Staples does not carry it. I have all the info backed up they want, if I have to reinstall, but I would rather repair. There are alot of programs on the computer that would have to be reinstalled. I have Ubuntu, but I am not very good with it. Any suggestions other than reinstall? Thanks.

[glc]

ORDER an adapter:

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

HP/Compaq system recovery:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...cname=bph07145

[bearcreek]

Thanks for the fast reply, I will try those methods when I get home.

[bearcreek]

Got the adapter Friday, slaved it to an XP computer, XP ran chkdsk and found errors and said it fixed them. I ran Data Lifeguard and says the hard drive is good. It will now recognize xp on the C drive (when in the laptop with install disk), but it will not complete the install. Windows tries to boot and then I get the BSOD, but it is so fast I cannot see what the error is before it reboots. I tried to install windows on an external hard drive with the adapter and it will install the files and reboot. Upon reboot I get the BSOD that says it may have a virus, so I completely wiped the external drive with Killdisk. Is it possible to install windows on an external drive and have it work? I have not talked to the owner to see if new hardware has been installed. I hate to wipe the drive if the drive is not the problem. I have also run Malwarebytes and AVG via slave on the original hard drive. What is my next step?

[glc]

Have you tried the reinstall from the recovery partition as described in my link to the HP article?

[bearcreek]

Yes, I did read it. The first is not possible as I cannot get into Windows. The second option I think I tried, but will try again now that it recognizes C again. The third option I cannot do because I dont have the recovery disks. The recovery partition is there, I just dont know how to use it. Thanks for the fast reply.

[bearcreek]

The recover during startup did not work either. It will not go to a recovery menu. It just flashes the BSOD and then reboots. If I wipe the drive, should I wipe the recovery partition also or hope that one I wipe the C drive, I can use the recovery to install some of the original software?

[glc]

The recovery partition is an all-or-nothing deal - you can't extract selected apps out of it.

Have you tried ordering a set of recovery disks from HP?

[bearcreek]

No, is it really worth it. All they want is the pictures off of it and did that last week with Ubuntu. I saw they had alot of programs and such on the hard drive, I was just trying to save them the trouble of reloading programs. That and the challenge of trying to get the computer to work again without a reinstall. I usually only install the basics and let the owner do the rest. Looks like I am not going to get it without a reinstall. I have had it a week and a half, I would like to get it back to them. Do I need to save the recovery partition? Otherwise I will just wipe the whole disk with Killdisk. Thanks for your help.

[glc]

If they don't have the set of recovery disks, do not wipe the recovery partition.

[bearcreek]

Ok, thanks so much for your help.

[bearcreek]

Wiped the drive but left the recovery partition. After installing Windows, I tried the F10 at logo to see if I could get the recovery to start. It would not work, not a big deal, but I would like to know why, for future reference. I did not try the start menu way as it was 1:00 am. Any ideas on why Windows would not repair itself? Once again for future reference. Thanks again for your help, you give this community a great service.

[glc]

If you wiped the main partition and reinstalled from a generic CD, there will not be a recovery option in the start menu. You also will not have the "one time" recovery media creation option that it came with. I'm guessing that the wipe may have removed what it needs to do a boot-time recovery, or it was corrupted before the wipe anyway.

[bearcreek]

Thank you.