9 replies to this topic

[Barbara]

This is my sister's computer. Since I know a whole about nothing, I am trying to fix it. It is a year old eMachine with Windows XP.

Turn it on and you get the black screen "Windows did not successfully yadda yadda." You can watch it count down to Windows Normal or key up to Safe Mode. Regardless of what you do, in 3 seconds you are back to the same "Windows did not" screen. I have a Restore Disk and 9 "back up" disks. Nothing labeled boot disk. When I hit F10, and the Restore Disk is in, it will ask if I want to reinstall Windows - type 1. I type 1 and it goes into an A drive prompt or tells me Windows has been successfully reinstalled (like it reinstalled in 2 seconds). But nothing has changed. It seems to have a hard time reading the CD Rom drive once you select CD Rom and it runs through reading the disk and displaying the files on the CD. There is no A drive.

I called the eMachines 800 number on the disk. It has been disconnected. I went to eMachines support and attempted a chat with Peeyush, but the computer is out of warrenty (2 weeks) and support is 59.00 for 30 minutes.


She doesn't have anything on there that needs to be saved, so we are wide open for suggestions.

Edited by Barbara, 23 January 2010 - 02:39 PM.

[patman]

What version of Windows is this? What's the exact model number of the computer?

On the Windows boot menu:

- is "Last Know Good Configuration" an option? If so, what happens if you select that.

- is there an option along the lines of "Repair Your Computer" or "System Restore"?

[OrlandoMerced]

B,

First thing to try: turn on the computer and start whacking the F8 key while it tries to start. You should get a menu with 4 or 5 options. First try the "last known good configuration" option, and if that doesn't go, try the Safe Mode option. If you can get it to boot with one of those, also try this:

start / run
chkdsk /f
and hit enter. Windows will say that the disk is inaccessible and ask if you want to check it on next boot. Say yes and hit enter.

If none of that works, and you have the CD that you say it won't boot to: Reboot and get into the BIOS setup menu. depending on the computer, you get in there by pressing either the DEL, the F1 key, the F2 key. It usually says what key to press when you first switch it on, but not all systems do. Once you get into the setup menu, find the boot sequence and make sure the CD Drive is first and the hard drive is last. Then try booting with the cd in the drive. If the CD truly isn't bootable, you'll probably have to find someone who has a bootable.

[Barbara]

I am going back over Monday and I will try both suggestions.

Don't know the Windows XP version. The model number is EL1200.

I am going to bring my laptop, too, and connect that to the Internets for additional help.

When I went over today I had no idea what the issue was ("My computer isn't working."). I have downloaded a Recovery Console file.

[patman]

Some searching turns up a couple of possibilities for doing a factory restore. Pressing ALT+F10 while the computer starts up should either bring up a boot menu or start up a wizard to let you restore from the hidden factory restore partition on the harddrive. One thing I found says the EL1200 doesn't have a restore partition and you have to use the CDs but the user guide indicates that it does.

If you use the CDs you start with the one labeled disc 1.

[Barbara]

Some searching turns up a couple of possibilities for doing a factory restore. Pressing ALT+F10 while the computer starts up should either bring up a boot menu or start up a wizard to let you restore from the hidden factory restore partition on the harddrive. One thing I found says the EL1200 doesn't have a restore partition and you have to use the CDs but the user guide indicates that it does.

If you use the CDs you start with the one labeled disc 1.

We have to remember it is an eMachine after all. Yes, I would start with #1.

[Barbara]

My husband went over today. He tried your suggestions and some I found through the google. Still can't get it to safe mode or to read any type of disk.

Sounds like a new computer.

Thanks for your help.

[Barbara]

It is has been suggested that I try a Ubuntu Live CD. Sounds good.

(Selfishly bumped this hoping some new eyes might have some new ideas.)

[Tangled Up In Red]

I ran into this last week. This is the crux of the issue, I believe:
http://www.pctipsbox...ly-while-login/
or some variant. My employee came to acquire it through an (fake) AVG-like pop-up demanding a virus scan. Looked just too time consuming for me, so she went to a local shop and they were able to wipe it out for about $150.
Value decision, at this point.

[kneemoe]

She doesn't have anything on there that needs to be saved, so we are wide open for suggestions.

Assuming the above regedit hack doesn't help, test a linux live cd of any distro just to be sure that the hardware is functional. If that works and you really don't need to save anything, just wipe the HD and do a fresh install of XP.
Of course, that's only if there's nothing of value on the disk.