XP wont boot

[deisehun]

I have an XP Pro SP2 Phillips Freeevents X52 laptop.

It stays at the XP OS screen with the blue bar moving across the bottom for a few minutes, then hangs for about ten seconds, goes back to the blue bar moving.

The a blue screen flashes up with a STOP error, but only for a second or two - so I can't see what it says.

I've tried Safe mode, LKGC and booting of the XP disc and selecting 'Repair installation' - this gives the error that the hard drive is not detected.

Any ideas how to fix?

Thanks..

 

[HalComps]

wot was u doing b4 this happened? have u put any new drivers or or updated?

 

[G0AOZ]

Could possibly be bad blocks on the hard drive. Try running the hard drive manufacturer's diagnostic software on the drive, or physically remove the drive from this laptop and attach it to another XP system and carry out a full surface scan. After having done this, check Event Viewer which will detail any problems found.

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[deisehun]

No upgrades or major changes.

The hard drive is listed in the Bios, but when I go to Boot device list, it's not there - only CD or Network card.

So I can just pop out the hard drive and insert it into another laptop with XP on it?

 

[G0AOZ]

No, there's a little more to it than that!

If the other laptop is identical in both make and model number, then yes, you could move it over. This would only prove if the problem is on the hard drive, not if it's bad blocks or software installation, drivers, etc.

First off, do you have a back up of important data on this hard disk? If not then, then I suggest you make efforts to secure this before starting any work or repairs.

By attaching the laptop hard disk as a secondary drive to another working XP system, you can "interrogate" the drive, carry out surface scan, etc., without having to boot up on that disk. When booting up the working XP system, it may report possible faults on the attached (suspect) drive, and might suggest that they be fixed. Hit any key to cancel this operation. Hopefully the drive will be recognised by XP and allocated a drive letter. Run a surface scan on this drive, and check event viewer. For the sake of clarity, I usually clear events from the Event Viewer prior to carrying out a surface scan. Not essential, but easier to see any errors.

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[Circle9]

I would recommend replacing the hard drive if it is not in the boot list.