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Any advice on Windows Vista laptop hanging on boot?

Hi,

Got an HP laptop running Vista. Just hangs when loading Windows at the point where you have the bar going left to right and "Microsoft Corporation" on the black screen. I don't know what caused this.

Not interested in saving anything on the laptop, only making a clean install of windows and set computer up with clean slate.

Feels like I have tried everything. Got a recovery DVD from HP, in safe mode, loads as far as

windows\system32\drivers\disk.sys,

then hangs

From safe mode, tried The Last Known Good Configuration. Still hangs.

From safe mode with command prompt, have gone into system restore. Have system resore points from last 2 months. These are not sorting problem, still hanging. The system restore not working was very disappointing.

The problem I am having is exactly the same as this guy.

http://forum.soft32.com/windows/Startup-hangs-freezes-loading-disk-sys-ftopict387806.html

It doesn't say if he ever got it sorted.

So, my thread here is to ask two things

a) anybody know of anything else to try?

b) seeing as I don't care about losing all data on laptop, just how do I "scrub" it clean so that I can actually load windows again from scratch from my recovery DVD? Could I format the hard disk? Is it possible to reformat the hard disk without actually being able to go into windows?

Thanks.

rindi

First I'd test the RAM, then the HD using memtest86+ and the HD manufacturer's diagnostic tool. You'll find these on the UBCD. If either of those show any errors, you know the cause:

http://ultimatebootcd.com

nobus

it can be your disk is dying , since it loads as far as

windows\system32\drivers\disk.sys,

so test ram and disk first, as suggested, to be sure of the basics
then do a recovery

/**note if the disk has only a couple bad sectors, they are usually recovered by the diag

rbudj

If you have disk and want to do a clean install, there is no need to boot into safe mode. Just boot to the cd and do the install.

RupertA

ASKER

thanks for all advice, but still been having problems getting anywhere.

RupertA

ASKER

I've requested that this question be deleted for the following reason:

Everyone has been helpful giving advice, but the problem still remains. Therefore handing out points isn't appropriate. So I think just deleting the question would be best. Thanks.

rindi

Did the memory test and the HD manufacturer's diagnostic show any errors? You didn't post any results to what happened after you did what we asked you to do in our comments. Without feedback it is impossible to give further help.

RupertA

ASKER

Hi rindi,

I did full memory test and HD test, both said completely normal. Ulimtate boot cd only seems to be for windows 98, I do not have a windows 98 disk, so could not make the UBCD. I do have the vista disk though for the laptop and booting to CD, it still ends up hanging half way through booting up on the cd. Any further advice?

could my request to delete thread please be cancelled, in case rindi has any further suggestions. Thank you.

rindi

The UBCD isn't for any windows version, it is rather a set of many free tools together on one self booting CD, and when you boot it you get a menu with several sections from which you then get into other menus from where you can start the tool you want to run.

It looks like you didn't make the CD correctly. When you download it you either get an iso file or a zip file. If it is a zip file you must first extract the iso file from that zip file. After that you need to burn it to a CD using a tool that is capable of burning iso files directly to CD. A goos such tool is infrarecorder, and when that is loaded you select the "Write Image" option and then you select the iso file you got from the ubcd download. Use the lowest burning speed available. Once the CD is burned, put it into your failing PC and make sure the boot priority of that PC has been set to boot from CD, and then boot up and select the tool you want to run:

http://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/infrarecorder_portable

RupertA

ASKER

Ok, I will have another go and get back to you. Many thanks.

RupertA

ASKER

I've successfully got UBCD working from CD and am currently zeroing hard disk. Will post back when I have formatted the disk, put windows back on and fingers-crossed it is all fine. Will get back. Sorry about delay from last time I posted. Thanks.

rindi

Make sure you also run the manufacturer's diagnostic from the UBCD, or did you run that already and if so what did it report?

RupertA

ASKER

by manufacturer's diagnostic, I take it you mean HD diagnostic? I didn't. Previously though from the bios, I had run a full HD test and it came back with HD 100% fine as did the memory. I am currently zeroing the hard disk.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

rindi

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RupertA

ASKER

ok thank you, will do. Thanks for all your help. Will report back. It's on pass 2 of the zeroing at the moment.

RupertA

ASKER

just thought I would give update. I went and used the UBCD hard disk and memory test tools. These take a long time (hours) but at the end, conclusion was they are both fine. At present, it all seems to be going well reinstalling the operating system from HP recovery CD, but it takes a very long time as it installs all the other software the latpop came with as well.

Will report back the overall success at the end, but so far, it's all looking good. :)

nobus

yes, vista and W7 cannot always be repaired - often a freh install is needed

RupertA

ASKER

It is all fine now, working perfectly will windows reinstalled on the hard drive. Thanks rindi for encouraging me to not to give up. Thanks to you I have saved myself the money of buying a new laptop or tablet. Much appreciated. Points distributed to rindi.

Thanks.