In article <oain841elgsm7o3tt79ta5l2oj43n3ldem@4ax.com>,
Keith Russell <dtov-hb8l@xemaps.com> wrote:[color=blue]
>I hope someone can help me before I give up on Microsoft and HP
>forever....
>
>For the third time since I bought my 64-bit Vista Ultimate HP
>laptop last October, it is refusing to boot. I get a message
>saying "Windows failed to start," indicating that there might be
>a hardware or software incompatibility and giving me the
>following two choices:
>[/color]

Ok, first of all, this sounds like a hardware problem so you should
demand a warranty replacement. That being said, you want to recover your data
no matter what. This idea will take a little bit of tinkering but you should
at least get your data back.

Computer stores sell a thing called a usb-ide adaptor. It costs about
twenty bucks. Get one, and make sure it's a 44 pin 2.5" ide adaptor.

Now remove your laptop's hard drive from the case and from the
carrier (most laptops first install the drive in a kind of pull out tray)
The instructions for that will be in your user's manual. It can be a little
fiddly with all the little screws and such so be patient and remember not to
force anything: if it doesn't move with a few ounces of force you missed
a screw or a catch so go back.

Next just hook up the laptop drive to the usb cable adaptor run
chkdsk and copy your stuff to a safe place (use a desktop or another laptop).
At this point you may be able to boot the repaired (and reseated!) drive or
you can buy a second drive, install a oem windows to that, and try an get
it working but I think you should get a warranty replacement from HP.