Any computer techies out there?

[LambeauLegs]

I Just had a friend text me that her laptop computer locks up when she turns it on. I don't know much about computers. She is a single mom with limited funds so would like to find a way to get this computer working and not have to buy a new one.

She took a pic of the screen and says it is locked there she cant tell it to do the repair or to start normally? All she can do is turn it on and off. All she gets is this screen without the ability to get it to do anything.

Any ideas or thoughts on what may be needed to fix this would be helpful. About the only thing I know is that it is a Toshiba laptop but could get more info if needed.

 

[HammerDown]

{Moved to Tech Forum}

Hopefully KS, Wiz or someone can help you, Lambeau.

 

[Grue]

Log on using safe mode. Hold down F8 while it boots. That should at least get windows up (minimally). I recommend baking up files at that point before trying anything.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Also unplug any external devices, then try safe mode.

 

[LambeauLegs]

{Moved to Tech Forum}

Hopefully KS, Wiz or someone can help you, Lambeau.

AH ok thanks

 

[WizardHawk]

You can boot to safe mode and do a system restore. Since it's a laptop there may be a recovery drive which might have the tools on it to restore the boot files. If not you will likely need the operating system install disk.

What is the operating system on it? Think that's a XP screen you have there.

Would help to know the model number of that laptop as well. I'd use it to look up the key combination to get into the recovery disk.

Basically system restore has minimal risk because you can undo it if it doesn't help or makes things worse. While it doesn't always fix boot issues it can't hurt. Otherwise you need to open the recovery console from either the on board partition or disk and have it restore the boot files. To give you more specific instructions I would need to know which OS it is.

 

[HuskerinBig10]

My initial suspicion.

Looks like the Windows OS has been garbaged, not 99% of it, just the part you need to boot up.

Does she have BOOT UP disks? if so, do this.

When she boots the machine up, in the beginning you will have apoint when there is a flashing ICON in the upper right corner. At this time, POUND F 10 or F11 key to go into BIOS mode.

In BIOS mode, select boot from disk instead of hard drive.

Save the setting.

Stick the disk in the CD/DVD drive.

Reboot computer.

It should read the WINDOWS disk for booting up. BTW, since it is booting from a CD/DVD drive it will be slower.

Once in boot up mode, peruse the computer to see what files were updated. Maybe through program manager you can see the new stuff.

If nothing is bad, just reload the windows OS. It might take a couple of hours. But she will LOSE absolutely nothing and then be able to bootup her laptop from the hard drive.

 

[4down20]

Is the keyboard working?

 

[LambeauLegs]

Thanks for the replies I will email this to her on her phone and get more info from her as far as the questions you asked and thanks for the help so far?

 

[LambeauLegs]

Well a new situation now and she is not sure how it got to this situation. She tried to start the comp holding the F8 button but the only thing that happens now is that when she hits the start button is that the screen is black with only the cursor and nothing loads.

 

[WizardHawk]

Well a new situation now and she is not sure how it got to this situation. She tried to start the comp holding the F8 button but the only thing that happens now is that when she hits the start button is that the screen is black with only the cursor and nothing loads.

That's not that unusual. The blinking cursor in the top corner can happen for several reasons and doesn't even necessarily mean anything dire. It's just another sign the computer is struggling to boot. I've had machines do that and not be damaged. If that computer had crashed during a windows update I'd say leave it running like that for at least 12 hours and see if it recovers because I've seen that many times, however in this case we already know that machine has boot issues.

I still need to know the machine and OS, but unless there is some freak hardware problem the solution will be either a system restore or restoring boot files, both of which can be done from the OS install disk.

There are many many sites out there with detailed instructions for exactly how to do either/both. Just google "system restore from install disk XP" (or windows 7, etc). And restore boot files from install disk.

 

[LambeauLegs]

That's not that unusual. The blinking cursor in the top corner can happen for several reasons and doesn't even necessarily mean anything dire. It's just another sign the computer is struggling to boot. I've had machines do that and not be damaged. If that computer had crashed during a windows update I'd say leave it running like that for at least 12 hours and see if it recovers because I've seen that many times, however in this case we already know that machine has boot issues.

I still need to know the machine and OS, but unless there is some freak hardware problem the solution will be either a system restore or restoring boot files, both of which can be done from the OS install disk.

There are many many sites out there with detailed instructions for exactly how to do either/both. Just google "system restore from install disk XP" (or windows 7, etc). And restore boot files from install disk.

I had a busy day and jut got to see your reply. I will see what info I can get from her and between all maybe it will be possible to get this thing working again. I did ask her if she had those install discs and her reply was no. I have a similar Toshiba laptop and I had Windows 7 on it and I think that is what is on hers. I guess a question I have is if I have the discs from my Toshiba that is windows 7 will they work to reinstall the OS on hers if hers is WIndows 7?

 

[WizardHawk]

I had a busy day and jut got to see your reply. I will see what info I can get from her and between all maybe it will be possible to get this thing working again. I did ask her if she had those install discs and her reply was no. I have a similar Toshiba laptop and I had Windows 7 on it and I think that is what is on hers. I guess a question I have is if I have the discs from my Toshiba that is windows 7 will they work to reinstall the OS on hers if hers is WIndows 7?

Most laptops have a recovery partition on them. It can sometimes be hidden, but it's always there unless an end user reformats and clean installs from an OS disk directly.

Some of those have the recovery tools as well, while others have full factory reset/reinstall as the only real option. This is why you need to know what that model actually is and look that up. Again, it's something you/she can actually do. Look up that model number and recovery such as: toshiba (model) recovery and see what comes up. There is typically a key or key combination used to get to it. Sometimes it's in the BIOS and sometimes you are booting to that partition. If she doesn't know the model number sometimes that information is on a tag under the battery if it isn't directly on the bottom of the unit. Have her pull the battery and take a picture with her cell phone of the product label and send it to you. Sometimes you need to know revision numbers etc, so that label could provide valuable information.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Well a new situation now and she is not sure how it got to this situation. She tried to start the comp holding the F8 button but the only thing that happens now is that when she hits the start button is that the screen is black with only the cursor and nothing loads.

She needs to click rapidly on F8,not hold it down.

 

[LambeauLegs]

Most laptops have a recovery partition on them. It can sometimes be hidden, but it's always there unless an end user reformats and clean installs from an OS disk directly.

Some of those have the recovery tools as well, while others have full factory reset/reinstall as the only real option. This is why you need to know what that model actually is and look that up. Again, it's something you/she can actually do. Look up that model number and recovery such as: toshiba (model) recovery and see what comes up. There is typically a key or key combination used to get to it. Sometimes it's in the BIOS and sometimes you are booting to that partition. If she doesn't know the model number sometimes that information is on a tag under the battery if it isn't directly on the bottom of the unit. Have her pull the battery and take a picture with her cell phone of the product label and send it to you. Sometimes you need to know revision numbers etc, so that label could provide valuable information Sat.

Ok I have the make and model of this laptop. It is a Toshiba Satellite C655 but again she has no discs for it.

I myself use to have a Toshiba Satellite C650 Series they are close to the same not the exact model. I found the box it came in and saw there were 5 recovery discs still in the box. Are these discs of any use in this case or if I don't have that comp anymore are they useless?

 

[LambeauLegs]

She needs to click rapidly on F8,not hold it down.

Ah ok thanks as you can see I don't know much at all on this and thanks for the help