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:

"Launch Startup Repair (recommended)
Start Windows normally"

Trying to start Windows normally just puts me in a loop.
Launching Startup Repair gives me the following:

"Windows failed to start.... To fix the problem:

1. Insert your Windows installation disc
2. Choose your language settings, and then click "Next".
3. Click "Repair your computer".

Status: 0xc000000f
Info: The boot selection failed because a required device is
inaccessible."

The cause of the problem this time (but not the previous two) is
that Windows was shut down abnormally. (I thought I was
hibernating, when, if fact, I was turning it completely off. :-(
) It's unlikely that there is really a compatibility problem.

The problem is that I do not have a Windows installation disc.
All I have is HP's System Destruction DVD (They call it a System
Recovery DVD). I have been partitioning my hard drive for years
to protect my data in a separate logical partition. On several
previous systems, I have been able to reinstall
Windows--sometimes using a repair option--with minor impact on my
system, and without affecting my data partition. However, HP only
allows me to reformat my entire hard drive and "recover" the OS
and HP's applications. Twice now, I have lost all my data as well
as my application settings. (I do do backups, which I have been
able to restore, but it seems that it's always several weeks
after my last backup when the system decides to crash.) Since the
last time this happened, I have not even had a chance to
reinstall all my applications.

Today I actually headed over to the local university to buy a
"real" Vista disc so that I could run a Startup Repair. (I
qualify for an academic discount.) Unfortunately, they sell only
Vista Business (not Ultimate) in an academic version. Other
college bookstores in the area are closed today, so I'm in
waiting mode. Also, after talking to the bookstore employees, I'm
not sure this will work even if I'm able to find an Ultimate
upgrade disc.

Can anyone answer the following questions for me?

1. Is there any way I can repair my installation using HP's
system recovery disc, without losing all my data? (This would be
the preferred option if it will work, of course.)

2. Will I be able to reinstall (preferably a repair reinstall) to
an OEM system using an upgrade disc with a difference license?

3. Would it be possible to buy the Vista Business upgrade and use
it to recover my system files on my existing Vista Ultimate
system?

Any additional suggestions, of course, would be very gladly
accepted. Thanks very much in advance.

--
Keith
--
Keith

"Keith Russell" <dtov-hb8l@xemaps.com> wrote in message
news:oain841elgsm7o3tt79ta5l2oj43n3ldem@4ax.com...
>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:
>
> "Launch Startup Repair (recommended)
> Start Windows normally"
>
> Trying to start Windows normally just puts me in a loop.
> Launching Startup Repair gives me the following:
>
> "Windows failed to start.... To fix the problem:
>
> 1. Insert your Windows installation disc
> 2. Choose your language settings, and then click "Next".
> 3. Click "Repair your computer".
>
> Status: 0xc000000f
> Info: The boot selection failed because a required device is
> inaccessible."
>
> The cause of the problem this time (but not the previous two) is
> that Windows was shut down abnormally. (I thought I was
> hibernating, when, if fact, I was turning it completely off. :-(
> ) It's unlikely that there is really a compatibility problem.
>
> The problem is that I do not have a Windows installation disc.
> All I have is HP's System Destruction DVD (They call it a System
> Recovery DVD). I have been partitioning my hard drive for years
> to protect my data in a separate logical partition. On several
> previous systems, I have been able to reinstall
> Windows--sometimes using a repair option--with minor impact on my
> system, and without affecting my data partition. However, HP only
> allows me to reformat my entire hard drive and "recover" the OS
> and HP's applications. Twice now, I have lost all my data as well
> as my application settings. (I do do backups, which I have been
> able to restore, but it seems that it's always several weeks
> after my last backup when the system decides to crash.) Since the
> last time this happened, I have not even had a chance to
> reinstall all my applications.
>
> Today I actually headed over to the local university to buy a
> "real" Vista disc so that I could run a Startup Repair. (I
> qualify for an academic discount.) Unfortunately, they sell only
> Vista Business (not Ultimate) in an academic version. Other
> college bookstores in the area are closed today, so I'm in
> waiting mode. Also, after talking to the bookstore employees, I'm
> not sure this will work even if I'm able to find an Ultimate
> upgrade disc.
>
> Can anyone answer the following questions for me?
>
> 1. Is there any way I can repair my installation using HP's
> system recovery disc, without losing all my data? (This would be
> the preferred option if it will work, of course.)
>
> 2. Will I be able to reinstall (preferably a repair reinstall) to
> an OEM system using an upgrade disc with a difference license?
>
> 3. Would it be possible to buy the Vista Business upgrade and use
> it to recover my system files on my existing Vista Ultimate
> system?
>
> Any additional suggestions, of course, would be very gladly
> accepted. Thanks very much in advance.
>
> --
> Keith
> --
> Keith

On start up, immediately press F11. This will allow the reinstallation of
the system from the D: Recovery partition if it hasn't been corrupted.
Otherwise, use the System Recovery disks that you burned to DVD when you
first started up the computer. You did do that didn't you? If not, HP will
be glad to sell you as set, which I have heard costs $10 each.

You shouldn't lose all of your data, but if you have a handy friend that can
remove the hard drive and connect it to another computer to remove the
files, I would advise that.

Not a different license.

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:26:51 -0600, Keith Russell wrote:

> 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:
>
> "Launch Startup Repair (recommended)
> Start Windows normally"
>
> Trying to start Windows normally just puts me in a loop. Launching
> Startup Repair gives me the following:
>
> "Windows failed to start.... To fix the problem:
>
> 1. Insert your Windows installation disc 2. Choose your language
> settings, and then click "Next". 3. Click "Repair your computer".
>
> Status: 0xc000000f
> Info: The boot selection failed because a required device is
> inaccessible."
>
> The cause of the problem this time (but not the previous two) is that
> Windows was shut down abnormally. (I thought I was hibernating, when, if
> fact, I was turning it completely off. :-( ) It's unlikely that there is
> really a compatibility problem.
>
> The problem is that I do not have a Windows installation disc. All I
> have is HP's System Destruction DVD (They call it a System Recovery
> DVD). I have been partitioning my hard drive for years to protect my
> data in a separate logical partition. On several previous systems, I
> have been able to reinstall Windows--sometimes using a repair
> option--with minor impact on my system, and without affecting my data
> partition. However, HP only allows me to reformat my entire hard drive
> and "recover" the OS and HP's applications. Twice now, I have lost all
> my data as well as my application settings. (I do do backups, which I
> have been able to restore, but it seems that it's always several weeks
> after my last backup when the system decides to crash.) Since the last
> time this happened, I have not even had a chance to reinstall all my
> applications.
>
> Today I actually headed over to the local university to buy a "real"
> Vista disc so that I could run a Startup Repair. (I qualify for an
> academic discount.) Unfortunately, they sell only Vista Business (not
> Ultimate) in an academic version. Other college bookstores in the area
> are closed today, so I'm in waiting mode. Also, after talking to the
> bookstore employees, I'm not sure this will work even if I'm able to
> find an Ultimate upgrade disc.
>
> Can anyone answer the following questions for me?
>
> 1. Is there any way I can repair my installation using HP's system
> recovery disc, without losing all my data? (This would be the preferred
> option if it will work, of course.)
>
> 2. Will I be able to reinstall (preferably a repair reinstall) to an OEM
> system using an upgrade disc with a difference license?
>
> 3. Would it be possible to buy the Vista Business upgrade and use it to
> recover my system files on my existing Vista Ultimate system?
>
> Any additional suggestions, of course, would be very gladly accepted.
> Thanks very much in advance.
>
> --
> Keith

I'd suggest you boot a Linux Live CD and back up your data to either a
flash drive or external hard disk - then you can continue playing games
with MS without fear of losing data.

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:36:54 -0700, "Charles W Davis"
<Anthemwebs@lvcoxmail.com> wrote:

>On start up, immediately press F11. This will allow the reinstallation of
>the system from the D: Recovery partition if it hasn't been corrupted.
>Otherwise, use the System Recovery disks that you burned to DVD when you
>first started up the computer. You did do that didn't you? If not, HP will
>be glad to sell you as set, which I have heard costs $10 each.
>
>You shouldn't lose all of your data,

If I understand what you're saying, this is exactly what HP had
me do the last two times, and it DOES lose all my data. It
formats the entire hard drive and does a clean install, just like
it came from the factory--with all my data and programs gone.

> but if you have a handy friend that can
>remove the hard drive and connect it to another computer to remove the
>files, I would advise that.

I think you're suggesting installing my primary drive as a slave
drive on a second PC, which would allow me to read the data and
copy it elsewhere, right? I actually have another PC I could use
for this purpose. The problem is that this is a laptop, and I
don't think I want to go opening it up to remove the hard drive.

Alternatively, is there a way to connect the two PCs so that I
would have access to my laptop files?

>Not a different license.

???

Thanks.

--
Keith
--
Keith

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:26:27 -0600, Keith Russell
<dtov-hb8l@xemaps.com> wrote:

>On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:36:54 -0700, "Charles W Davis"
><Anthemwebs@lvcoxmail.com> wrote:
>
>>On start up, immediately press F11. This will allow the reinstallation of
>>the system from the D: Recovery partition if it hasn't been corrupted.
>>Otherwise, use the System Recovery disks that you burned to DVD when you
>>first started up the computer. You did do that didn't you? If not, HP will
>>be glad to sell you as set, which I have heard costs $10 each.
>>
>>You shouldn't lose all of your data,
>
>If I understand what you're saying, this is exactly what HP had
>me do the last two times, and it DOES lose all my data. It
>formats the entire hard drive and does a clean install, just like
>it came from the factory--with all my data and programs gone.

You are right. Charles missed that one BIG time.

>> but if you have a handy friend that can
>>remove the hard drive and connect it to another computer to remove the
>>files, I would advise that.
>
>I think you're suggesting installing my primary drive as a slave
>drive on a second PC, which would allow me to read the data and
>copy it elsewhere, right? I actually have another PC I could use
>for this purpose. The problem is that this is a laptop, and I
>don't think I want to go opening it up to remove the hard drive.

USB Hard drive enclosures are cheap... can be had for about $20.

>Alternatively, is there a way to connect the two PCs so that I
>would have access to my laptop files?
>
>>Not a different license.
>
>???
>
>Thanks.
>
>--
>Keith

In article <oain841elgsm7o3tt79ta5l2oj43n3ldem@4ax.com>,
Keith Russell <dtov-hb8l@xemaps.com> wrote:
>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:
>

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.

In article <jdqn84p5utrpdrofdkf38bcskbt3eqc9hm@4ax.com>,
Keith Russell <dtov-hb8l@xemaps.com> wrote:
>
>for this purpose. The problem is that this is a laptop, and I
>don't think I want to go opening it up to remove the hard drive.
>

You won't have to. The drive is a user replaceable part and will
be behind a litte door or lid of some kind and slide right out.

On 27 Jul 2008 03:21:35 GMT, ray <ray@zianet.com> wrote:


>I'd suggest you boot a Linux Live CD and back up your data to either a
>flash drive or external hard disk - then you can continue playing games
>with MS without fear of losing data.

Ray,

This SOUNDS like a good idea. However, I haven't used Linux for
so long....

Will current versions of Linux back up from and to NTFS? Would I
be able to do a file-by-file backup, or would it be an image?

Is there a particular Linux that would be good for this task?

Thanks!

--
Keith
--
Keith

Keith Russell wrote:
> On 27 Jul 2008 03:21:35 GMT, ray <ray@zianet.com> wrote:
>
>
>> I'd suggest you boot a Linux Live CD and back up your data to either a
>> flash drive or external hard disk - then you can continue playing games
>> with MS without fear of losing data.
>
> Ray,
>
> This SOUNDS like a good idea. However, I haven't used Linux for
> so long....
>
> Will current versions of Linux back up from and to NTFS? Would I
> be able to do a file-by-file backup, or would it be an image?
>
> Is there a particular Linux that would be good for this task?
>
> Thanks!
>
I have used knoppix very successfully for such a purpose.
http://www.knoppix.net/
Others may chime in with their own preferences.

--
norm

I forgot one important question.

Assuming I can use Linux (Knoppix, for example) to back up NTFS
files, what is the procedure? Do I use a command-line command?
Which one, and with which parameters?

Thanks again!

--
Keith
--
Keith

On Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:33:21 -0600, Keith Russell wrote:

> I forgot one important question.
>
> Assuming I can use Linux (Knoppix, for example) to back up NTFS files,
> what is the procedure? Do I use a command-line command? Which one, and
> with which parameters?
>
> Thanks again!
>
> --
> Keith

Linux systems can read and write NTFS via the ntfs-3g software. If I were
doing it, I would probably use the command line 'cp' program to copy files
and directories - but that's because I don't normally use any sort of file
manager. I'm sure one of the Linux GUI file managers would work as well.
For directories, one would use the '-r' option - copy recursively. I'd
also suggest -a (can combine as '-ar') to preserve creation data.