hp pavilion freezes on boot

Hi All,

I'm facing a problem and I hope to get help ASAP.

Model:
hp pavilion dv5t 1135ee ( Details)

The problem:
I have been using my laptop for like one month and now every time I try to boot, my laptop freezes on hp logo with "Press ESC key for startup options", pressing ESC doesn't do anything. If I press F2 immediately after powering on my laptop, it freezes on hp logo with "F2...Startup Check" text and it just stop. If I press F10 immediately after powering on my laptop, it freezes on hp logo with "F10... Entering BIOS configuration" text or something like that and it just stop here too.

Complete Story:
I got my new "hp pavilion dv5t 1153ee" like one month ago. It came with vista home premium edition and I have been using windows vista for like one month without problems. I wanted to install windows xp on it, to run some important application.I used windows vista DM to shrink C drive. When I tried to install windows xp and after file copy stage and then reboot, "Error loading operating system" error message appeared and I can't continue the setup nor I can boot to vista, I fixed vista boot using "bootrec.exe /mbr" and "bootrec.exe /boot" using vista boot cd. After searching on the net, I found that to fix windows xp installation problem I have to upgrade my bios, and I did the update for bios from hp site " Here". And then I did reboot to vista and everything fine. After upgrading the bios, I started windows xp installation and after file copy stage and then reboot, my laptop boots and it try to check for boot on cd and then blank screen shows without that previous error messages "Error loading operating system" or anything and then after rebooting for like 2-3 times the problem mentioned above appeared!.

the situation seems to be pretty hopeless for me . The problem there are only few things to try, since the laptop freezes right after powering on without the ability to boot from cd or running bios. So I really hope to get help from you ASAP or at least get some hints for cause. and thank you in advanced.

 

There's a reason HP tells users not to try and install XP onto Vista systems....

If you're getting to the HP logo, then your BIOS is loading. The system boot process is as follows:

1. The ROM BIOS executes.
2. The HP or Compaq logo splash screen displays.
3. The Microsoft Windows logo splash screen displays.
4. The Welcome to Windows login screen displays.

You can run through the troubleshooting steps for this problem on the HP Support Site for your system here:

http://tinyurl.com/9qo68n

What you need to do is to try and get Windows to load in Safe Mode by tapping the F8 key repeatedly (it'll tell you how to do it in the procedure). Barring that, the only thing HP will tell you to do is to go back to square one by using your Original Boot disks (assuming you bought a set - if you didn't, you can always buy a set from HP. All they need is your HP Product # and Serial # for your system to determine the exact configuration.)

http://tinyurl.com/8xtfko

Of course that'll screw you for any information, but you'll at least get your system back. If you have critical info you don't want to lose, you might want to think about replacing the drive with a new blank, installing a clean copy from your replacement disks, then sending your old drive to a service to have the data recovered. Of course that depends on how much your data is worth, and / or if you have a backup of your files. If you do, then you're covered.

You can always search through the HP Business Support Forums as well - you might get lucky. A couple of the BDT's there have some experience with XP install issues, at the very least there's LOTS of people there who've posted there after trying to deal with XP installson a Vista System, so as a result there's lots of information. The link is at: http://tinyurl.com/yrsh2a

Have Fun.

 

Thank you so much for the links, now I have some hope at least. I can't try the steps right now because I'm at work.

Just little question, do you advice to continue with steps of fixing RAM? Because it's important to me to not violate the warranty. I read the following note from hp page:

NOTE: If someone other than HP installs or upgrades the RAM, any damage caused by the RAM and/or by the person when trying to install or upgrade the RAM is excluded from coverage under the product warranty. The customer assumes all risk and liability for damages for any such installation or upgrade.

I'm somehow familiar with dealing with hardware but I don't want to give them excuse to not repairing/replacing my laptop in case the problem is more serious.

Edit:
I don't really need the data on laptop so I can use the recovery disks which I already have. but the main problem is that it doesn't even try to check the boot files on cd/dvd/HDD, it just stops at hp logo.

thank you again

 

Update
Unfortunately, I followed the steps of reseating RAM but same problem still show! I'm disappointed because at least we should get some beep codes to have some clue about which device causing the problem, not just stop at hp logo :/

 

Try this:

1. Disconnect the hard drive (you should now be able to go into the BIOS)
2. Boot from the recovery disc
3. Connect the hard drive
4. Start the recovery process

 

thanks for your input.

but does removing the HHD violate the warranty? The HDD cover also has the wireless sign! please let me know

 

It shouldn't void the warranty.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=118716

You're not even replacing the drive, you're just disconnecting it.

 

thanks for the link above!

but when you say:

connect hard drive while laptop is running!? is that safe!? or I have to turn my laptop off between step 2 and 3? which would cause same problem...

I'm thinking also to connect my drive using usb-box to another computer and format it and then connect it back. do you think this would help?

 

It shouldn't be a problem because connecting an external hard drive while the computer is running is safe, so how is this any different?

And yes, you could connect the drive to another computer, it'll just take longer because you will still have to use the recovery discs after you formatted the drive.

 

ok thanks, but you know SATA drives do not always support hot swap? please someone correct me if I'm wrong.

AND YESSSS, when I removed the hard drive now my laptop boots and I got into BIOS and I can boot using cds/dvds.... Tomorrow I will try to fix the problem and I will get back to you!

thank you so much CyberVisions and very big thanks to Vladk1000 you really made my day...

 

I see the light!
Finally the problem got solved. Thank you so much for your great help.

In a nutshell:
My problem: hp pavilion dv5t freezes at hp logo and I can't get into BIOS.
Solution:
1. You may try to reseat your laptop's memory as suggested by CyberVision. But that didn't work in my case.
2. I removed HHD from my laptop.
3. And attached it to another laptop (IBM). (or you may attach it to your laptop as suggested by "Vladk1000" but you have to make sure that your HDD drive and Motherboard support hot swap).
4. I deleted all partitions using boot cd (I used Windows xp bootcd).
5. I then removed the drive from IBM laptop and attached it to my laptop.
6. I was able to boot and I used my recovery disks and that's it.

Thank you again Vladk1000 !

 

No problem.