Blue screen.... and restart, over and over

Recently my toshiba laptop caught a virus or something and everytime I try to turn it on, it tells me I need to put in the Windows Recovery Disk or I can start it in safe mode but neither lets me into my desktop. Nothing works.

All I see is a quick shot of a blue screen right after the windows loading bar screen and thats it!

it then continues to start all over again.

what can i do please!?

 

Have you tried deleting your windows partition and clean installing?

 

Possibly your hdd could be dying. My girlfriend's dell notebook had the exact same symptoms, ended up being a bad hdd.

 

Use a Ubuntu Live CD to recover your files, and back them up. Then reformat.

 

I am a complete amateur with computers so please can you elaborate? What is Ubuntu? A technician friend of a friend told me I needed to get a Windows Recovery disk first and that there would be a way to recover my files. I have not been able to reach him.

I wouldnt know how to reformat either.

I have a lot of important documents and irreplaceable pictures on that hard drive that I would truly hate to lose!

I would have made a backup if Id only known how!

 

ok, you can save your files.

Easy way:
Get the installation disk for your operating system (xp or vista or whatever).

Boot off of that disk.
Select "repair the OS".

Do not select "clean install".

Just follow on screen instructions and it should be fine.


Otherwise the linux way:
Download a version of linux (ubuntu).
Burn it to a disk.
Start off that disk.
Then copy your files to an external device.

Then fix windows.

 

Yep, pretty much what Moral Hazard said. If you have the OS install disc, then you should be golden, as you can repair it and not have to worry about burning a Live CD.

 

Not sure if this will help you or not, but for re-installing windows XP, it is a basic tutorial: http://www.ehow.com/how_6026_format-hard-drive.html

 

OK, your first option of "booting off the installation disk", by installation disk do you mean something like this?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MICROSOFT-VIS...ting_Software_Software_SR?hash=item518566f5e6

You say I can save my files using this disk but can I also regain access to my desktop before the crash by selecting "repair the OS"?

I don't have the cd but if the one i listed is the right one I guess I will have to shell out the 15GBP to fix the laptop. I was going to buy something like this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370279646898&_trksid=p2759.l1259

Which is a "Windows recovery boot disk" but I never received the item and I am pretty fed up with the whole issue and just want the laptop fixed. It seemed cheap and able to fix my problem but my friend said there was no guarantee.

And with regards to the installation cd, does it matter if it is an upgrade CD or a "full system version"?

Please compare

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Windows-Vista...ting_Software_Software_SR?hash=item2a02499992

with

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GENUINE-WINDO...ting_Software_Software_SR?hash=item414a40eb8f

Which is the cd I should get? I do have a microsoft product code on the underside of my laptop and was previously operating on Vista Home Premium.

Thanks for your and everyone elses response!

 

Probably that will do.

Any vista full installation (not upgrade) disk should do the job.
If you select "repair the OS", your files should be saved.

Here are your options as I see it:
1. Borrow a vista installation disk from someone, then repair the OS.
2. Buy the disk, repair OS.
3. Go to a PC repair shop, pay them to fix the OS and recover files.

I like option 1 the best.

 

I dont know for sure, but I think you can get microsoft to send you the installation disk for $20.

Check their website.

 

Hi thanks so much for your reply.

I received the Windows Repair Boot Disk today. It is supposed to be able to fix a problem like mine but I am not so sure about using it now.

This is what I bought:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350265129691

Can you tell me if this is safe to use to fix my laptop?

Otherwise I will just get the installation cd and be done with the whole thing.

EDIT: I just realised the disk that I bidded on is for the Vista Home Premium edition and I was operating on the Vista Home Ultimate. Will it matter if I get the Vista Home Premium edition anyway?

EDIT 2: If that cd is not right then will this work?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Windows-Vista...ting_Software_Software_SR?hash=item25571b2ca4

The blurb reads:

"This disc can be used for clean installs of any of the versions of vista, reinstalls or repairs, upgrades to a different version or reinstallations / repairs for somebody who has misplaced their disc. If you already have vista, have lost your disc or are reinstalling, you can use your licence key that is stuck to the side / bottom of your laptop or pc."

The OS that came with my laptop was the Home Premium but I had a technician friend who upgraded to Home Ultmate for me. Therefore can the key that can be found on the underside of my laptop may only be used for home premium installations?

 

I tried using the boot disk but I didnt quite understand what to do. There was an option to "boot from hard disk 1" but I was afraid if I chose that it would mean losing all of my files.

The instructions I received with the cd says I can use the cd to perform diagnostics, hard drive scans and repairs, password resets and perform recovery options.

The menu I see lists:

F1 Mainboard Tools
F2 Hard Disk Tools
F3 Filesystem Tools
F4 Other Tools
F5 User defined Tools
F6 DOS/Linux Boot Disks
F7 Insert for UBCD

F8 Boot first hard disk
F9 Boot second hard disk
F10 Drop to console

 

I dont really know how to use that boot disk.
Maybe send an email to the seller and ask for them to explain.

That link you gave recently:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Windows-Vista...tware_Software_SR?hash=item25571b2ca4&afsrc=1

This is a good disk.

About your product key, call your technician friend and ask for the Ultmate key. Otherwise use the one on the bottom of the notebook.

 

If i am not able to get a the Ultimate key from my friend will using the one on the bottom of the notebook somehow affect whether or not I can access my desktop again (since it ran on Vista ultimate)?

Thanks so much.

 

Good question, I don't know about that

 

Ok I have bought the windows installation disk and have selected "repair the os" and they give me the option of doing a system restore is that what I should select?

 

A system restore should work. Just make sure it gets restored to a recent restore point.

 

I have a Qosmio A25. I get the blue screen then it shuts down almost every day now. Looking for updates on this thread. Has system restore worked?
Thanks for any help.