Vista Boot Issues

[BearBoy]

I seem to have managed to kill my laptop I'm really hoping it is salvageable and that someone here might be able to point me in the right direction.

First things first, I have an 18 month old Sony Vaio laptop (VGN-AW11M) running Windows Vista Home Premium. I have not installed any software for about a week (last thing was some program to join split .avi files).

The laptop has been fine until last night when Mrs BB shut it down after using it. Apparently everything logged off and shut down in the normal manner. When I have tried to turn it on today, however, Vista will not boot.

When I turn on the laptop now I get a screen saying,

Windows Error Recovery

Windows Failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause etc etc

Launch Startup Repair (recommended)
Start Windows normally

If I choose "Launch Startup Repair" I get another screen that says "Windows is loading files..." whilst a loading bar fills up across the bottom of the screen. I then get another screen with a smaller loading bar with "? Microsoft Corporation" underneath it. This lasts for about 5 seconds before the screen goes blank.

After about 2 minutes a pointer arrow appears and the Caps Lock light comes on. I can move the arrow around but there is nothing to click on.

When I first got the laptop it recommended I create some recovery discs. I did this and have 3 DVDs that the system created. If I turn the laptop on with the first of these in the BR/DVD drive I get a different initial screen saying:

Windows Boot Manager

Choose an operating system to start:
(Use the arrow keys to highlight your choice, then press ENTER.)

Start VAIO Recovery Center
Repair Windows Vista



To specify an advanced option for this choice, press F8.

If I choose "Start VAIO Recovery Center" or "Repair Windows Vista" I go through exactly the same process as if I had chosen "Launch Startup Repair" from the other menu.

If I press F8 when "Start VAIO Recovery Center" is highlighted, I get the "Windows is loading files" message and loading bar and am then presented with another screen saying:

Advanced Boot Options

Choose Advanced Options for : Start VAIO Recovery Center
(Use the arrow keys to highlight your choice.)

Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt

Enable Boot Logging
Enable lo-resolution video (640x480)
Last known Good Configuration (advanced)
Directory Services Restore Mode
Debugging Mode
Disable automatic restart on system failure
Disable Driver Signature Enforcement

Start Windows Normally

If I select ?Last known Good Configuration (advanced)? I go through exactly the same process as if I had chosen "Launch Startup Repair" from the other menu.

If I select "Safe Mode" the laptop loads a load of Windows drivers (e.g. \windows\system32\drivers\disk.sys), says "please wait", and then goes to the screen with the pointer and the caps lock light.

Anyone have any idea what the issue might be and what I can do to resolve it as I'm tearing my hair out?

[Lyris]

After about 2 minutes a pointer arrow appears and the Caps Lock light comes on. I can move the arrow around but there is nothing to click on.

Can you press CTRL+ALT+DEL to bring up the Task Manager?

If you can get to it, on the Applications tab at the bottom right, there's a button called "New Task". Press that and type "explorer" into the box and hit Enter. That might get you to a state where you can run system restore.

Also see:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/itprovistadesktopui/thread/193b7008-ce4b-4d03-acc3-b8d7ffe610d5/

[abigsmurf]

HDD failure/corruption seems the most likely option.

Does the bios have a SMART tool? May give you a message if the drive has/is failing.

[BearBoy]

Thanks Lyris for helping.

Can you press CTRL+ALT+DEL to bring up the Task Manager?

If I try that from one of the menu screens then everything just goes back to the beginning. Pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL on the screen with the pointer has no effect.

Also see:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...-b8d7ffe610d5/

I'll have a read of this now.

[BearBoy]

HDD failure/corruption seems the most likely option.

Does the bios have a SMART tool? May give you a message if the drive has/is failing.

Hi Abigsmurf,

I'm not getting any error messages suggesting that it cannot read from the hard drive (that's not to say that isn't the issue).

Errr, how do I ascertain whether the bios has a SMART tool?

[BearBoy]

Having read the link Lyris suggested, as well as a number of other Windows forums, it looks like quite a few people have been able to resolve this issue by booting up the PC with the original Vista DVD in and using some repair facility. Unfortunately my laptop came pre-installed with Vista and I don't have any DVDs/CDs.

I've e-mailed Sony to see if they can provide one. Looks like I'm going to be without the laptop for at least a week though Although I'd rather that than the hard drive being completely screwed.

[Lyris]

My brother's ASUS laptop had a hard drive failure, which wasn't too catastrophic because he keeps basically all his portable stuff on a USB key.

Rather than be without the laptop for weeks while it was repaired, he just bought a new hard drive and fitted it himself.

Later I tried to get ASUS to send a replacement hard disk so I could whack it on eBay, after explaining the situation. But oh no - no can do. To get the replacement hard disk, we would have take the new one out of the laptop, put the dead HDD back in, send the whole machine back to them, have them open it up and put the new hard disk in, send it back to us, so we could then take the HDD out. Bureaucracy? Never!

[BearBoy]

Just a quick update: Sony came back to me saying they wanted ?45 for the "Recovery Discs", which appear to be the same as the ones I burnt when I first got the laptop anyway. Couldn't get much more sense out of their on-line support people.

A friend gave me a Linux disc and I have managed to boot the laptop using that and all of my files/folders seem to be okay. I managed to copy some of them across to my work laptop using USB sticks but need much more storage space to get everything off it. Have just purchased a 1TB external drive so will try and get everything important off it before trying to repair using a (possibly hooky) Vista disc a friend gave me.

Fingers crossed....