Help please, HP Pavilion dv6500 with Windows Vista crashed

jerm1 · Dec 16, 2010

I would really appreciate your help, since I have exhausted hours searching for a solutions. I have an HP Pavilion dv6500 with Windows Vista installed, it has crashed. I can not get to the system recovery screens you show, my computer automatically goes into the Recovery manager. I am able to get into advanced boot options however there isn't any option to fix computer etc. I run the recovery disk and at the end I get a message that says recovery failed details or retry. I have tried either selection or just hitting x to get out and it just restarts the recovery manager again. Any help would be appreciated, I am not very knowledgeable with computer lingo.

What if repair computer is not an option?

Lottiemansion · Dec 16, 2010

Hi,

Did you create the recovery disks when you purchased the laptop? If so, use them to recover the system.

Have you replaced the hard disk in this unit from original? i.e. There is no recovery partition now?

jerm1 · Dec 16, 2010

I did not create recovery disks (wish I had now), I know very little about computers. I have not replaced the hard disk. I just was on the phone this morning with HP and I would have to pay to get another recovery dvd which from what I have read very rarely fixes the problem, not happy with HP at all. Thanks for any help you can offer, this is taking up way too much of my time and patience.

Lorien · Dec 16, 2010

Hi jerm1,

Welcome to Vista Forums!

You can make a bootable Recovery Disk using http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-recovery-disc-download/ along with burning software like: http://www.snapfiles.com/get/active-isoburner.html and, of course, a blank CD (perhaps made on a different computer). This is only for recovery repair options, it will not restore your system to factory conditions like the Recovery Manager or the Recovery Disks from HP. But it will give you the options shown in the screen Lottie posted. To boot to the CD you may need to change the BIOS to make the CD-drive first in the boot sequence. To do that, wait for the screen that tells you the F key to push to access the boot menu or boot setup. Push it quickly. Make the changes, save your work, and exit. Put the CD in the drive and reboot. When prompted, push any key to boot from the CD.

From there you can try the following:

Do you know when this problem began? Try a System Restore to a point in time BEFORE the problem began. Here's the procedure: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/76905-system-restore-how.html. Be sure to check the box to show more than 5 days of restore points. If the first attempt fails, then try an earlier point or two. NOTE: You will have to re-install any software and updates you installed between now and the restore point, but you can use Windows Update for the updates. Use the recovery disk if the system prompt doesn’t work. The recovery disk works a bit different from the above procedures but if you follow the prompts from the System Restore menu option with the above information you should be able to restore with no problems.

If the System Restore doesn't work, do a Startup Repair by booting to the genuine Windows Vista Installation Disk (or one you can borrow from ANYONE) or from a Recovery Disk with recovery options included on it. Here's the procedure: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/91467-startup-repair.html.

If that doesn't work, go to the command prompt on the disk. Then let's check some of your system files:

If using the disk, cd to C:\Windows\System32. Type sfc /scannow and enter and let it run. It will scan and try to fix some of your system files. Hopefully it will complete with no corruption it could not repair (if there is such corruption post back here or try to analyze it to find the problem file(s) using http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928228. Try to attach the report (you may need to copy it to a flash drive and move it to a computer that works and can access the internet before it will permit you to attach it) here so we can see if they can be repaired with good copies from the installation disk or perhaps from other files on the drive (unless there are too many).

While in Command Prompt, type chkdsk /f /r and enter and let it run. It will want to schedule itself to run at the next restart. Answer yes and then reboot to run the program. It will scan and try to fix any corruption or bad sectors on your hard drive and mostly remove that as a potential cause.

Click and run the Memory Diagnostics Tool and see if it provides any information about the potential cause (or at least most likely removes memory as a potential cause).

That's about all we can try with the disk. Please report on the results of each procedure and include that file in your next reply. Then we'll see where thing stand.

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

jerm1 · Dec 16, 2010

Wow thanks a bunch, this might be a bit over my head but I will give it a try. I really appreciate the help.

jerm1 · Dec 18, 2010

Thanks again for the info. I downloaded the files on a CD(I think) and changed the boot order to have the CD drive be first, however it still boots up right into the Welcome to Recovery Manager screen. Any ideas?

Lorien · Dec 18, 2010

Hi jerm1,

Are you certain you created a bootable CD and not just an ordinary CD with the files? It must be made a bootable CD (and you can't be uncertain about whether or not you copied or burned the files properly - you must do it right or it won't work). When you boot with this CD in the drive, does it spin up at all during the process or does it remain inactive? If it doesn't spin up, then it's not a bootable CD and you need to review the procedures again on how to make the CD bootable (besides adding the files). The system is clearly still booting to the Hard Drive so it is not recognizing the CD as a bootable CD (which probably means it wasn't created that way or you didn't burn the files properly) or you didn't properly change the boot order (maybe you did it but then didn't save it or something). Think over what I just said, re-read the instructions on how to make a bootable CD, be sure you know how to burn the files to the CD as instructed, and give it another try. There is no way that Recovery Manager can start if you successfully boot to this CD if it is a bootable CD with the correct files added the proper way and CD is first in the Boot Sequence and there's nothing wrong with your CD-Drive - it's impossible.

Good luck!

Lottiemansion · Dec 18, 2010

Hi,

Did you "Burn the downloaded image" or add the image to a standard CD as a file?

What software did you burn the CD with?

The ISO image is like a "Picture of the contents of the CD" which then needs to be reproduced, burnt to CD.

jerm1 · Dec 18, 2010

Lorien,
I

jerm1 · Dec 18, 2010

Lorien,
I was able to get the disk to run, however the restore wouldn't let me go passed the 16th of Dec, the problem started back in May or so.

Lottiemansion · Dec 18, 2010

Hi,

Have you tried the restore option on that CD?

Please note: -

This option could/ will wipe the disk if you choose the wrong option. So please ensure you are sure there is nothing you need on the disk!

jerm1 · Dec 18, 2010

I did but it says no valid backup could be found

Lorien · Dec 18, 2010

Hi jerm1,

Happy to hear you got it to work - I knew you could do it.

If System Restore isn't possible, then skip that optiion and move on to the Startup Repair and continue through the options I posted earlier until all have been done and then post back with results including the attached sfcresults.txt file and we'll see where we go from there.

You don't have the right version of Vista to have made the kind of backup for that restore from backup option anyway, so that option does not apply to you. Just follow the instructions I posted earlier.

Good luck!

jerm1 · Dec 19, 2010

I was able to do the startup repair and it didn't find any errors. The command prompt I may be doing something wrong, but I type in c:\>sfc/scannow and get a message that the process will take some time, then get the message that windows resource protection could not perform the requested operation.

The chkdsk command comes back that the type of file system is NTFS.
Cannot lock current drive.

chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Chkdsk may run if this volume is dismounted first. All opened handles to this volume would then be invalid. Would you like to force a dismount on this volume y/n?

The memory diagnostic test has me restart the computer and it restarts and I press any key to boot from CD and I never get any results for the chkdsk or the diagnostic test.

Lorien · Dec 19, 2010

Hi jerm1,

You're typing it wrong - that's all.

Type cd c:\Windows\System32 and enter

Then type sfc /scannow and enter. Once the test is done, follow the instructions to create the sfcresults.txt file and copy it to a flash drive to send to me with another computer.

Once done with SFC, while still in Command Prompt in c:\Windows\System32, type chkdsk /f /r and enter. It should ask if you want to do it at the next reboot and you should answer yes. Remove the CD and reboot and it should then run the chkdsk and give you the results (hopefully before starting the Windows Recovery Manager).

Forget the Memory Diagnostics Tool - it wants you to restart into a normal boot and that will just bring up the Windows Recovery Manager in your case.

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

jerm1 · Dec 19, 2010

I hate being a pain and I apologize for my lack of computer knowlege. I am writing this without trying to much because I want to catch you as often as possible while you are on here but I am still struggling with the scan.
When I go to command prompt I see x:\sources> and I type in cd c:\Windows\System32 and I get can't find specified path, I have also tried c:\>cd c :\Windows\System 32 and get same problem

Lorien · Dec 19, 2010

Ok, try this.

First type c:\ and enter

Then type cd c:\Windows\System32 and enter.

Then type sfc /scannow and enter.

If that doesn't work, then for some reason the CD may not be able to access your hard drive - but i hope that's not the case.

Good luck!

P.S. Where do you live? What time is it there? For me, it's 1:57AM in the middle of the night (and I'm not sure if I'm up for the day or whether I'm going back to sleep shortly - my medication has my sleep cycle all whacked out).

jerm1 · Dec 19, 2010

so when I go to command prompt I get the x:\sources I typed in c:\ and got not recognized as an internal or external command. I go back and get x:\sources/c: and I get C:\>
I type in c:\>cd c:\Windows\System32 and get the system cannot find the path specified.

I really do appreciate all of the info and time you have given me. It is 1:08am in Wisconsin(US). The other night I stayed up for 28 hours straight working on this. I hope your meds don't mess up your sleep too much.

Lorien · Dec 19, 2010

See what happens if you just type sfc /scannow from wherever you are. Just a wild shot.

If that doesn't work, when you see c:\> as opposed to x:\sources> type cd Windows and enter. it will hopefully change to c:\Windows> then type cd System32 and it will hopefully change to c:\Windows\System32> Then type the commands and hopefully they will find the path this time. Sorry this is being so hard - I'm not sure if it's what we're doing (though it's worked hundreds of times before) or if the problem with your hard drive is preventing access.

Good luck!

Unfortunately, the meds mess up my sleep big time. I typically sleep in two periods of a few hours each - though sometimes I get enough in one to last me through to the next day - it's unpredictable. Luckily, since posting here is mostly what I do (and run my business - but mostly just oversee things and sometimes pitch in, but have no predicable schedule), the time doen't matter all that much (it's not like I have to fit in a 9-5 job in there).

jerm1 · Dec 19, 2010

No luck, I have a feeling I am not typing something right but it seems pretty simple. I tried the scannow right away and got the Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation. When I type cd Windows either on the c drive or x drive I get the system can't find path specified. I also tried the chkdsk and when I went to restart the computer without the desk I got an error message that windows could not install please insert disk.

Good luck with the sleep and meds.

Help please, HP Pavilion dv6500 with Windows Vista crashed

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