Windows XP Home SP3 Cant boot into safe mode from a crash Sony laptop VGN-A790

Anonymous

I get to the window that shows safe mode safe mode with networking, and last good configuration none of which works. If I choose safe mode, I get a black screen with a long list, such as multi(0) disk(0) rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\compbatt.sys and about 50 others.

I am not sure if this happened because I updated java plug in later reading with xp it should be uninstalled, since there is no longer support for xp. The only recovery disc I have is for xp pro sp 2, but I need to get one that is xp home with sp3. XP home came installed on the laptop at purchase, and has since been updated to sp3. Is there a way to create a bootable disc using sp3 from a computer using windows 7, I have borrowed from a friend for 48 hours.

The only other disc I have is the one that sets it back to factory settings supplied by Sony, but can't do that, since I will loose files. The disc wont do it anyway since I have ie7 or 8 and SP3 is installed. I have tried F8 multiple times with no luck, however I am using a wireless keyboard, although the arrow keys work to choose safe mode, after that, I can't get past the long list (example above), and leaving it idle at the screen with the list sends it back into a recycle of reboot. Choosing anything else in the list does nothing including last good config. I have no known way of seeing a blue screen.

I have no backup of files and can't loose 10 years of work, etc. I had a similar issue once before when my hard drive died about 3 years ago, but since have replaced the hard drive, and files were transferred using Ubuntu. I could download ubuntu to a USB drive that is bootable and try that I just don't recall from the last time if I left that option available in the bios for future issues in case I needed it but I think I did, if there is a way that I can fix it using Ubuntu? I won't be replacing this computer until November, so I need to get it back working again, any help or suggestions will be much appreciated as I was in the middle of a job.

Kindly,

Stacey

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54 answers

Anonymous

2014-07-31T05:26:41+00:00

was going to try the ultimate boot cd, when I took a look at the cd burner on the win 7 and saw this, can I reformat my usb back the way it was before I put the hirens on it? if not then what do I do about the cd drive? All of what is in it, is what was on my Cruzer usb before the reformat. Also when I click on the arrow below files ready to be written to disc 1, where it says desktop, I see this open in a .txt file. Is it anything to worry about?

[.ShellClassInfo]

LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21815

any idea what this is and what will happen when I burn the ultimatecd boot disk? Also, why is the cd drive now being called (E) U3 System. I'm afraid to go any further, until you have a look at this and give your opinion.
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Anonymous

2014-07-30T17:25:07+00:00

ok, tried it again and it worked. I will be gone for most of day, will try when I get back.

Back now, I press esc. I see the boot menu, first is Removable Dev. I choose that. Then restart with the usb in the comp. I see the black screen with list as if I had just pushed the power button with no usb in the computer safe mode safe mode with networking. Put the usb back in the windows 7 lap, so I can see the files, the XP folder is there. think I will try the ultimate cd
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Anonymous

2014-07-30T12:10:11+00:00

If the message same up before Mini XP, it wounds like you may have network listed close to the top in your boot order sequence so system is going to try that (and it will fail) then your system will try the next thing in the boot order which might be your CD/DVD drive, etc.

If you don't like the message, in the BIOS move the network boot option further down in the list. I don''t know why you can't press F2 to get into the BIOS - that is what your user manual says to do.

Rufus will do a quick format of your USB drive and that will wipe out any data on the drive (that is what a format does). Then you can use the drive again for other things - the drive itself is not destroyed, just the data on it since Rufus is going to format the USB thumb drive for you.

I have never needed to look at the Rufus log since it works every time for me and everybody else but mine looks a lot different (better) than yours.

You start getting errors after Extracting files and I don't know what that means. Are you just using the Rufus defaults?

Maybe the problem is with your Windows 7 machine (just a thought) or maybe your thumb drive. I have never seen anybody have all these problems :-)

Mine looks like this:

Copying ISO files...

Extracting files...

libcdio: Found Extension: Joliet Level 3

Disc image is an ISO9660 image

This image will be extracted using Joliet extensions (if present)

Extracting: F:\HBCD\Boot\Keyboard.bat (1.1 KB)

Extracting: F:\HBCD\Boot\SeagatDW (1.1 MB)

(...lots more until it is finished...)
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Anonymous

2014-07-30T09:36:41+00:00

mmm. I don't have a network cable plugged in, this message came up before the mini xp choice it was just a quick flash on the screen I can't use F2 to get to the bios. Just want to make sure that hirens, wont change my usb so that I can't put my files on it, you have never seen the pop up when using the, rufus that all files will be destroyed? Got an error trying to use USB to make iso.

if I go back in time on the computer will it fix my usb drive?
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Anonymous

2014-07-30T08:50:22+00:00

The Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) menas that your system is trying to boot from the network (and is probably not configured to do so). You might poke around in the BIOS to be sure network boot is completely disabled if you can find it but it sounds like it is trying to boot on the CD (since you see the background), it is failing for some reason, then the system goes to the next boot option which is probably the network. Googling that error message gets some results that you may want to look at but I didn't see anything right away and can't reproduce that error.

You might see if unplugging the network cable from the afflicted system has any effect or see if it will work from the USB thumb drive.

You can see if you can boot on the Hiren's CD from the Windows 7 machine and load Mini XP. You don't have to "do" anything from Hiren's - just be sure the CD loads Mini XP, remove the CD and choose to restart from the Start button to restart Windows 7. Then you can at least be sure the CD is good and the problem is with your afflicted system. On my Windows 7, I booted from the Hiren's CD and the Hiren's USB thumb drive with no ill effects.

Sometimes if you can't figure out what the problem is, you have to figure out what it isn't.

I have had this one USB thumb drive for years and use it to carry files around (aka Sneakernet) and used Rufus to put Hiren's on it many times (for practice) and it still all works fine for other things after much use and maybe some abuse so I don't see how you can damage the USB device.

I have never used Ultimate Boot CD and their forums say they do not support the chkdsk program (since it is a Windows program) but there may be other ideas that I don't feel like trying but maybe somebody that has used it will chime in:

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5345

This video says you can run chkdsk from Ultimate Boot CD so I don't know who is right:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j674ddY7-Z8&noredirect=1
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