Computer start up fail

Hello turbokitten and welcome sounds like you have nasty on board.

Now have you got the machine set for a dual boot - Windows or Ubuntu? If not do you have the Ubuntu on disk to boot from if so maybe try a boot from it - just change the BIOS to boot from the CD optical drive.
One last thing what brand of machine is it and what security did or have you got on it?

Hum thats a pity Turbo I did what you have done with 7 & 8 on a machine once and had to get rid of the 8 cos the thing just booted to whatever it felt like.

Any chance of getting someone to do you up a Ubuntu disk?

Another thing you might try is safe mode - tap F8 on power up and it gives you options to safe mode, repair etc

Have a look at this it will show you what I mean.
Safe Mode and explain it a bit.

By the way how are you seeing this - have you got another machine to use?

I can download Ubuntu from Canonical and put it on a CD: Desktop | Ubuntu but I cannot access the BIOS.
This is the last place I would expect someone to ask me to use Ubuntu :)

I can't get into safe mode. On my system, you have to hold the F8 key down for one second, or tap it once at the boot screen when windows 7 is highlighted. The computer restarts before I get a chance to do either of the above.

I'm using an HP desk top with Windows Vista.

EDIT: I can access BIOS, but it's hard to get it before the machine shuts off. I'm downloading Ubuntu and burning it to a Sony DVD+RW disc.

EDIT: Ubuntu is running, but I have not installed it.

Hum well any port in a storm TK - Ubuntu I mean I use it a fair bit for fixing when you need to get to the C: drive files / data on a drive in or out of the owning machine.


By the way that desky you have can you get the drive from the laptop and hook it up using one of those USB gadgets? (see pic) The drive will be seen as another USB drive and you can search through it via that method. You could even do a Seatools scan for any problems with the drive too via the desky plus a security scan via the desky.

There are some good online scanners yo cna use via the Vista machine ESET and SuperAntiSpyware are two to start with.

SUPERAntiSpyware | Remove Malware | Remove Spyware - AntiMalware, AntiSpyware, AntiAdware!

Free ESET Online Antivirus Scanner | Online Virus Scan | Virus Scanner

Mind you what is worrying is that you cannot access the BIOS!

Hum getting the HDD out is easy but no gadget thats a problem. They are cheap to buy and well worth having one - if you are into fixing etc or for emergencies like this.

Now once you have made the disk you do not have to install it - just keep it to boot from. You just need to alter that BIOS in the machine that is causing the problem (or any other machine) to boot from the optical drive. But the problem is the BIOS in the laptop eh?

Now the machine I see is a Vaio? Now the next thing is how much data have you got on that laptop? Is an old machine (no warranty?) because if you are not worried by the content of that drive you can do what is known as a factory default - that is you can set it back to out of the factory settings (new) but it will wipe all the data on the drive except the recovery stuff.

So some details would be handy to work on like model and component specs - there should be some stickers somewhere that say Intel inside i5 Celeron etc and the OS sticker will tell us the version.

I know I am asking a lot of questions but do you have any disks that came with or were made after you got the machine?

If you have the original OS disk then replacing the drive and installing 7 back on is relatively easy but is also a pain into the bargain of course.

I am going to Google re that BIOS in what I am assuming is a Sony machine.

PS Just as matter of interest have you got any way of checking the power adaptor voltage? ie a multimeter or a fieend with one?