Windows Start up Error

[sapna_chavda]

Hello...

Dell Inspiron 1525 running Windows Vista.

When power button pressed to turn on following error comes up:

Windows Error Recovery

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

If windows files have been damaged or configured incorrectly, Startup Repair can help diagnose and fix the problem.

When I "Launch Startup Repair" it tries (?) and goes back to the above. Keeps rebooting to the above. Even if I select "Start windows normally" it does the same as above.

Please help!!

Thank you ever so much

Sapna

[yardbird]

Is that Notebook still under a warranty? You might have a CPU heating problem, or Hard Drive problem? If the error has a number or any digits after it. Try to post that here. If its under warranty. I would have a Dell tech. look at it..regards.

[marktreg]

Hi sapna,

Is this problem in any way related to malware or an attempt at removing malware?

[Marcus]

Sapna, worth considering, perhaps as a last resort, is reformatting followed by a complete reinstallation.

[Firefox]

since it is a Dell try this....

1. Turn on computer and at the first Dell Logo hit F12 to enter boot options

2. Use your arrow keys and choose Hard Drive Diagnostics (to test your hard drive)

If you get an error call dell with that error code cause the drive would be failing.

3. Repeat steps 1 and use arrow keys and go to Diagnostics and perform an express test.

This will test your motherboard, video, hard drive, fans, memory etc for failures

if you get errors call dell with those errors cause you have failing hardware.

If those test come back without errors let us know and perhaps we can proceed from there.

[sapna_chavda]

yardbird - no warranty

marktreg - nothing removed or installed

marcus - yes have got that as a last resort option, but obviously would like to try other things if possible first :\

firefox - ran diagnostics as receommended...and...the following comes up on Hard Drive test:

error 0142

error code 2000 0142

hard drive 1 self test unsuccessful status 79

Not good hey. Is there any way of getting around this without 1) calling Dell (as the call will ending costing more than my laptop) or 2) reformatting (will that even work)?

Many thanks

Sapna

[marktreg]

Hi sapna,

Error Code 2000 0142 means 'Drive Self Test failed'.

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/glo...&doclang=en

This could mean that your hard drive does not have much life left in it.

But, if you like, we can try to get the computer booting up so that you can save any important data more easily.

If you want to try this, and you have the Vista Setup DVD, please follow the instructions here for running chkdsk C: /r from the DVD.

http://kb.wisc.edu/page.php?id=6565

If you don't have the Vista Setup DVD, please post back and we can try to run chkdsk another way.

Could you please also tell me whether you are running the Vista 32-bit edition or the Vista 64-bit edition.

Let me know how you get on.

[sapna_chavda]

I have searched high and low and cannot find the Vista Setup DVD!

Can we try another way?

I have no idea if it's 32-bit or 64-bit - anyway that I can check? (Sorry!)

THanks.

[marktreg]

I have a small Vista Recovery Disk you can download and run the chkdsk from. But, before we do that, there is something I have to check with you first. I noticed you have also posted this same problem in the Malware Removal forum here:

http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?showtopic=39566

If you suspect that your problem is malware related, please wait for an expert to reply to your post in the Malware Removal forum. Or, if your proplem is not malware related, please ask for your thread in the Malware Removal forum to be closed so I can continue to help you in this forum. I am not allowed to help people who have posted the same problem in the Malware Removal forum. I am only allowed to help with non-malware related problems because I have not finished my malware removal training yet. I've already had a warning for helping someone with malware removal, so I don't want to get another one.

Please let me know what you want to do.

[sapna_chavda]

Yes I did originally make a post there, but realising that my problem is not malware related and that I had posted in the wrong forum, I posted here. I couldn't figure out how to get delete my post in the malware forum, and to date no-one had replied which to me confirmed to me that I did post in the wrong forum.

I apologise for my mistake/error, and for the confusion. Please accept my sincere apologies as I don't want for you to be in any trouble.

Not 100% sure what to do - but reading what you have wrote, I will reply in that post for it to be closed.

Many thanks

Look forward to hearing from you.

Sapna

[marktreg]

No problem, sapna. I just had to make sure, that's all.

Please download the Vista Recovery Disk from here:

http://hotfile.com/dl/15766637/5482074/Vis...y_Disc.iso.html

(Click on regular download unless you have a Hotfile account)

Then download imgburn, install it, and use imgburn to write the Vista_Recovery_Disc.iso file to a blank CD.

Imgburn website is here, it's a free program:

http://www.imgburn.com/

You can then follow exactly the same instructions I posted earlier, but use the Vista Recovery Disk instead of a Vista Setup DVD.

If you notice the chkdsk program fixing any errors, please let me know in your next post.

[sapna_chavda]

Ok, got to step 5, and cannot continue: no operating system available!

[marktreg]

There's always a chance that your hard drive in not repairable. But there is one more thing we can try.

If you still have your BartPE disk from a previous thread, you could try using it to run a full sector chkdsk in exactly the same way as we did before here:

http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?s...st&p=151554

Best of luck.

EDIT: sapna, I've also sent you a PM with details of another method you could try.

[teito_klein]

the best way to handle that error is to contact the techy dell employees

[Firefox]

Sorry been out of the loop for a few day....

Since you have received these errors:

error 0142

error code 2000 0142

hard drive 1 self test unsuccessful status 79

sorry to say, no matter if you format that drive and reinstall everything, you will encounter the error again, as that hard drive is failing.

You will have to buy a new hard drive and reinstall everything.

Save that bad drive and get you a tool like THIS ONE and after you restore you pc with a new drive, attach that bad drive to this device and plug it into your usb port so that you can see if you can recover any of your data.