[martisumner]

I have a hp pavillion laptop with windows vista...it will start up but wont boot...I start it..sometimes screen goes blue or white then to black, fans come on then fans shut down and screen remains black. It wont boot. I've tried everything. I really need to get the files off that laptop but dont know what to do now...In the past I wass having a hard time booting it but after a few attempts it would boot and sometimes just randomly after being left on it wouldboot up by itself but it doesnt do that now for past few days. Can you help me

[lunarlander]

Try booting with the Vista DVD, there is a Startup Repair option.

[martisumner]

I downloaded and burned it but put it in and still there's nothing. Power comes on, I can hear it trying to load...fans come on then shut off...Screen turns blue sometimes white...solid color and then black...used to boot up after a few tries and sometimes it randomly would boot up but now it wont do anything. Perhaps its the screen? My biggest concern is being able to get my files of it , pictures, etc...4 years of stuff..lol

[lunarlander]

Go here to download Ubuntu 10.04 ( There is a newer version, but I am going by my existing setup, so follow along and choose 10.04 ) http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ubuntu/download Save the iso file.

Then download ImgBurn from here: http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download

Install ImgBurn and run it.

Choose "Write Image to Disc"

At the top of the Imgburn window, where it says "Source" click on the folder with maginfying glass icon; Then navigate to where you saved the ISO file.

Then click on the bottom area of the window depicting hd write to CD.

That should create the CD.

Now you want to boot with the CD on your PC. Check your BIOS so that it chooses to boot using the CD first. You are looking for the Boot menu, boot priority, or something along that line.

Once you boot into Ubuntu, pull down the Places pull down menu. Choose the ## GB Filesystem. That would be your hard drive. You will be able to see all folders in your drive. Now copy off the files you want to a USB memory stick.

[martisumner]

I know Im horrible with this but I am just wandering do I do all this on another pc and then put cd in the laptop that wont boot. I cant get any writing or words, etc to come up on laptop at all....nothing but blank screens. Thank you for your patience.
Marti

[Elvandil]

The screen is completely blank from the very beginning when you turn it on?

[martisumner]

yes it comes on immediately white or sometimes light blue then goes black...fans shut down ...all lights are on but screen is blank...cant get anything to come up...It use to come up after I'd try it afew times but seems to have stopped doing that.

[Elvandil]

Does it work any better after sitting a while, like heat may have something to do with it?

Has anything physical happened to it?

Try removing the RAM from its slots and re-seating it.

Have you tried it both with and without the battery?

[lunarrob]

like mine some of the newer vista's do not come with a boot cd/dvd, only a boot drive, which should only be used for wiping the slate clean and loosing all personal data. My sys will not boot in any mode at this point, not safe, not dos, not in last good config, it just goes to the disk repair page and it will not go back to a older reg. operating time. (nothing )

[lunarrob]

some of the newer Vista's like mine did not come with a boot cd/dvd

[martisumner]

Maybe heat related in the beginning...it does get hot sometimes...but nothing has happened..Its not been dropped or mishandled in any way...Have tried with or without battery...dont know how to remove the ram? Maybe I can google it..lol...Im not computer hardware literate in any fashion....

[PilotPaul]

Start your computer. Keep hitting the F2 key until the Bios Utility Screen appears. Go to the boot column. Find your DVD/CD listed in the list of devices and move it to the top so that it is the first boot device to boot when you start the computer. Insert your Vista disk that you downloaded and burned, and restart your computer. Your computer should now load the recovery disk. Follow the steps to repair the computer on the disk