Vaio laptop will not start

[andyh069]

Hi

I have a VAIO VGN-SZ1XP which has decided not to start this morning.

During start up I get to the vaio logo,

After this it goes to a black screen with white writing asking me to choose

• Safe Mode
  
• Safe Mode with Networking
  
• Safe Mode with Command Prompt
  or
  
• Last known configuration (your most recent settings that worked)
  or
  
• Start windows normally
  

Whichever option I choose fails to start the computer.

all Safe modes shows me a list of files which is followed by a very short glimpse of the "blue screen of death" (too fast to see) then goes back to trying to restart,
last known and start normally show the windows logo and the progres bar before showing the "blue screen of death" (too fast to see) and then going into the restart again.

HELP

[Blencogo]

Hi Andy and welcome to Club Vaio.

It does sound like a driver issue - have you installed anything new or updated any hardware recently?

If you can't open in any of the modes offered, you basically have two choices: -

1. If you have a lot of programs and data on your C:\ drive, borrow a XP Pro installation disc from a friend - this will allow you to open your Vaio into the Recovery Console and try to find the culprit or you can try a 'Repair' installation. If successful this method may save your data.

2. Recover your Vaio using the Recovery Discs you made when you first got the Vaio. If you boot with the System Recovery disc in the drive, you will be offered three options. One of these is to recover the C:\ drive only. This is the simplest way forward but you will lose all Programs and data added to the C:\ drive since you bought the Vaio. These will have to be reinstalled alog with ALL Microsoft & Vaio Updates.

3. If you have lost your Recovery Discs, you may be able to start the Recovery Wizard by tapping F10 when you see the Vaio logo on boot. If you use this option you will lose absolutely everything and your Vaio will be returned to the state it was in when you first took it out of the box.

[skykit84]

I think at this point, you might be better of doing a XP Repair install and see if you can fix the issues
after a number of unsafe boots, you can even mess up the startup files so even if you did fix the bluescreen issue, you could just as well have another error on your hands

how about getting some background on your laptop?
Firstly, what happened prior to you turning it off the time it worked? Did you install anything? Did you add any new hardware/software/drivers?

While you are booting up, have you made sure nothing is plugged in? Whether its a usb drive, printer, scanner, basically anything apart from the laptop itself?

Apart from that, I'd probably suggest a repair install as you cant even get into safemode

[andyh069]

First, thank you both for your advice.

Unfortunately... Vaio telephone support only suggested doing the F10, so lost everything on C:drive.

Nothing is normally plugged into the lappy as all my peripherals are wireless, they re all operating normally as we have another wireless vaio which has no probs.

Before the last switch off, I had an external USB2 HDD plugged in, and was transferring data between drives ready to do a complete restore as I had been having minor errors popping up for about a week. (MM Dreamweaver not starting correctly, Vaio not shutting down on command, hibernate not working correctly etc.)

I knew I was going to have to do a restore soon and waspreparing for it... I guess it must have realised what I was doing and set about to mess me up.

Thanks again and I will certainly try the 'repair installation' first next time

Andy

[kee-lo_]

I am thinking hard drive failure - but I might be off course here, but it does sound classic of those sorts of problems.