[jermaine370]

I’m running windows 7 on a Sony Vaio VGN FZ140e.. For the past few weeks I’ve heard beeps from my computer and it crashed (blue screen) once.. these did not happen often so I figured they weren’t much on an issue... Today when I turned it on I got a message "Operating System Not Found". It will not boot.. I’ve tried inserting the windows 7 disc to try the repair option but when I boot from disk it says "loading windows files" at the bottom and goes straight to the starting windows screen where it freezes rather than to a point where I have an option to install or repair. I have tried going into the BIOS and moving boot from disc up and then back to defaults.. I’m not sure if my hard drive went bad or if something else is keeping my laptop from booting because it appears from the BIOS that the computer does recognize that a hard drive is connected (says memory 200GB or whatever). Can anyone point me in the right direction please? Should I order a new hard drive and start over or are there still other options to rescue my files?

[etaf]

if you can on another PC
try downloading UBUNTU www.ubuntu.com
right click on the ISO and burn to CD
put that in the sony and boot off the CD (as you have said above - make sure in the bios CD/DVD drive is first)
then run from the CD ONLY - do not install on HD
see if that sees you harddrive -

you also have a chance to copy any data you may have onto a USB device using ubuntu

how old is the PC ?
If under warranty - you may want to have it replaced

[jermaine370]

ok thank you I really hope that works.. the sony is about 3 years old and is no longer under warranty unfortunately

[etaf]

well if it boots we at least know the PC works OK
and then work out the issue with the HD - if it can see it or not.

What OS did you have before windows 7 and is windows 7 a genuine copy you purchased

Do you still have the original CDs that came/created for the PC

[jermaine370]

The os before windows 7 was vista.. I have a set of backup discs for vista (not sure if I can use with windows 7 currently installed).. the copy of windows 7 installed right now was not purchased (trust me I wont make that mistake again) but I currently have a purchased disc that I tried to boot from which didn’t work.

[etaf]

I have a set of backup discs for vista

do you mean system recovery CDs that came with the machine or you created from the machine OR some data backups you made

If the PC uses a SATA Drive - it may need the sata drivers in order to see the HD

[jermaine370]

that set is a backup of data im pretty sure that the computer prompted me to create when it was first purchased

[etaf]

OK if you where prompted to create when first purchased it should be a recovery set..
you can use those to get it back to when you purchased it - they may work and install vista back onto the machine...

[jermaine370]

ok thank you ill try that now.. since my last post I got a new message from the laptop that said there may be a problem with an external hard drive or optical drive..
File:\Boot\BCD
Status:0xc00000e9
Info: An unexpected I/O error has occurred
i made sure everything is disconnected from it but it still wont boot.. I also tried making a bootable diagnostic disc but apparently made a mistake somewhere

[jermaine370]

I finally got UBUNTU burned onto a disc and my computer is able to run it to the menu where you can "run UBUNTU without any change to your computer" and "check disc for damage". I tried both options which brings the computer to a black screen and does not boot any further.. does this indicate that I have to replace my hdd and also is there any hope to recover any files?

[etaf]

thats not a good sign - if it will not boot up ubuntu - you only need to run

run UBUNTU without any change to your computer

so that just produces a black screen

[jermaine370]

Good news.. I returned to the computer after i left it on the black screen and it did boot ubuntu successfully... now what would be the next step?

[etaf]

see if you can see the harddrive ?

[jermaine370]

i am not familiar with this opperating system but i was able to locate the 200gb hard drive and recovery hard drive in the "Palimpsest disk utility"

[etaf]

on the desktop on the lefthand side you should be able to see the drive
double clicking on it should bring up the folder structure

and you should be able to see your data

I will need to run ubuntu - which I cant do right now - until tomorrow as its 10:30 GMT here and i'm signing off

but if you can see the drive - you should be able to copy data onto a usb device if you need to
OR
you can boot up your old disks from the sony you created and rebuild the PC
NOTE it will remove ALL your data