Solved where should I go from here? (recovery & reformatting)

Hi all,
Finally my laptop failed to boot normally...i've been expecting the worse since it entered it's 2nd year of usage with some wierd problems like freezing & occasional BSOD...hence why i signed up in this forum

This is what i've done so far in chronological order:
1. Startup repair: root cause found boot critical file ntfs.sys corrupt
2. System restore via advanced option - failed (error 0x80071A2C).
3. Checking C drive for errors but stucked at 152294 files processed
4. Tried salvaging data using Ubuntu, it works! copied almost all valuable files including User data to external hard disk.
5. Attemped reboot in safe mode & normal mode, encountered BSOD everytime. enter startup repair again, this time it manages to fix the corrupted ntfs.sys error.
6. Managed to reboot in safe mode. but it runs slowly & then freeze.
7. Press F8 during reboot & select last good known configuration (advanced), it runs chkdsk for the F drive partition. upon completing it tries to load windows..then BSOD again!


My laptop is a Sony VAIO VGN-Z36GD model with Vista Business 64 bit installed.
also contained in the recovery partition.

By pressing F10 to enter VAIO recovery centre i've conducted
- quick test on CPU, memory & hard disk - OK
- Tools - hard drive verify & repair - found that C & F drive have problem. tried to fix the errors but stuck at 0% for few hours.
stop the test & results comes out stating the problem has been fixed.

So i closed the VAIO recovery centre & proceed to normal startup & that dreaded blue screen with memory dumping status appears again.
my only choice is to boot into safe mode...surprisingly the proformance was way better than the 1st try! (runs quite smoothly).

Lastly, i dont want to live forever in safe mode since i use this laptop for multitasking, the audio was disabled & i could not run any video or music production program with it....what should i do? any advide would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance & really sorry for the long post :P
this is my 1st post here on the forum & hopefully i was following the guideline...

Welcome to the Forum
Nice first post, a lot of information

First, NTFS many times it means a bad hard drive, that will have to be tested.

Test Hard Drive HD Diagnostic or this test Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.
If you can do it now, do so, if not give us this information, either way.
http://www.vistax64.com/crashes-debugging/282419-blue-screen-death-bsod-posting-instructions.html

Based upon your post it may not be possible to perfrom the above action. If that is the case, I tend to believe that you have a hardware problem. Several of your problems point in that direction.
Lets see if that is the case. Install Ubuntu if you can and save your stuff. If you cannot, tends to prove to be a hardware problem and Im leaning toward hard drive.
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/wind...backup-files-from-your-dead-windows-computer/

Thanks Rich for the reply.

Well i managed to run Ubuntu Live boot cd & copy all my data inside the laptop.
The problem is during the hard disk test it indicates some error, but whenever i tried to fix the error the verification tool stuck without finishing, unless i stop the program.
I can boot only in safe mode for now...without the dreaded blue screen.

Is reformatting the entire drive is the only option left? or should i attemp doing further test to confirm what's the actual problem (using different test method other than VAIO recovery centre) and most importantly free?
Thanks in advance!

quick update (since every post needs mods approval)

I've booted up my laptop normally, it goes into the usual loading style.
after Preparing Your Desktop phase then it goes to a blank screen showing only white arrow cursor...stuck at this point.

Earlier i have moved all my User Profile (since i'm the only one using this laptop so i remove all bearing my account name in the profile) to external HD.
Would it somehow impact the way of the start up?
I dont think so since yesterday i could boot up in safe mode..without essential drivers running (audio, network, etc..)

If you can boot in safe mode, it sounds like a software/driver problem. See if you can boot and give up the mini dump report
http://www.vistax64.com/crashes-debugging/282419-blue-screen-death-bsod-posting-instructions.html

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/91467-startup-repair.html

ok thanks for the tips..

while waiting for my reply to be approved i have tried several HDD testing method incl using the usual in Windows check disk utility, SeaTools & also chkdsk command..

- Boot up in safe mode, run check disk for errors utility for F drive & set schedule for C drive...F drive indicates no problem.
- Run SeaTools in DOS indicated errors, result problem sectors found on non Seagate HDD (Hitachi brand installed in my laptop).
one time chkdsk C:/r run (entered via Startup Repair advance option) stuck at 170159 of 266864 files processed for 1-2 hours...
- Force shutdown the laptop & restart back. it boots up with a scheduled C drive check disk...currently in progress.

If it shows errors, your Hard Drive does not have long. Back up all your stuff as soon as possible.

right, i've run the chkdsk utility twice for my C drive it's stuck
verifying file data (stage 4 of 5)
15 percent complete. (170183 of 266864 files processed)

looks like the problem is leaning towards a bad sector on my hard drive..or so it seems...any way forward on this?

First back up your stuff, unless there is nothing important.

It could be a bad sector or a failing hard drive. Lets not take a chance. After your stuff is backed up we can go forward.

ok so i have backep up everything, only thing left on my C drive is OEM Windows & a handful of 3rd party programs which i can painstakingly reinstall later if we opt for reformatting...

i'm looking for a temporary solution, let say if it is bad sectors while sourcing for a new hard drive later.
anyway i will run chkdsk on startup again (yesterday have to abort it for the 3rd time since it takes so long).
so far it has 'fixed' 7 part of bad sectors...

a total of 13 bad clusters has been detected & "fixed" during chkdsk operation.

now the last stage, verifying free space stucked at 13584 of 23697405 free clusters processed for quite sometime now...

richc46 said:

Welcome to the Forum
Nice first post, a lot of information

First, NTFS many times it means a bad hard drive, that will have to be tested.

Test Hard Drive HD Diagnostic or this test Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.
If you can do it now, do so, if not give us this information, either way.
http://www.vistax64.com/crashes-debugging/282419-blue-screen-death-bsod-posting-instructions.html

Based upon your post it may not be possible to perfrom the above action. If that is the case, I tend to believe that you have a hardware problem. Several of your problems point in that direction.
Lets see if that is the case. Install Ubuntu if you can and save your stuff. If you cannot, tends to prove to be a hardware problem and Im leaning toward hard drive.
Use Ubuntu Live CD to Backup Files from Your Dead Windows Computer - How-To Geek

Click to expand...

OK, you think that your problem is bad sectors which can be corrected by chkdsk, I hope that you are right, but Im not sure. I think that its more. I think that you should try a defrag and then try one of the hard drive tests above. If you come up with problems, I think that the hard drive may be failing and its a good thing that you backed up your stuff.
If the test proves that everything is ok, the combination of the chkdsk and the defrag should make you whole, again.

alright, running chkdsk several times but in the end still stuck at stage 5 of 5...

similar problem here
chkdsk hangs on stage 5 @ 10% - Vista Hardware Devices

i'll post updates as i moved on...

I think it gets stuck because its a failing hard drive. Try the test that I suggest. Try a format, too.

ok back with the results..

Boot windows in safe mode...
Done disk defragmenter via command prompt on both C & F drive.
Run chkdsk on C drive, stuck at 15% at stage 5 of 5
Force shutdown & tried Hitachi DFT..does not work at all, so i use SeaTools again. Failed short & long test.

Backup data, done right after i noticed something not right with my laptop using Ubuntu Live CD after reading around...then created this thread.

what should i do next?


EDIT just saw your reply...looks like the forum is late in updating posts...

Questions about format, do i need to format only C drive & reinstall Vista from recovery partition? or
If i choose to format the entire drive, would the recovery partition (X drive) will be wiped out too?

I've read that reformatting all drive & doing new partitions will help to single out the bad sector so that it will not be used..at least it's a temporary solution. is this true?

thanks again

I will be glad to answer your questions, but lets understand, if my tests are bad you have a problem bigger than bad sectors, you may need a new hard drive.

Sorry I misspoke, when I said format, I meant defrag.
Format the entire drive, if you are reinstalling. The restore partition usually gets corrupt on a reinstall, anyway.
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/117366-clean-install-full-version-vista.html
If you have the upgrade version let me know and I will give you the correct tutorial.

Only if you pass the hard drive test that I suggested, format the entire hard drive.

You do not need the resstore partition, make a back up, after a good reinstall, with this free software and upadate it every several weeks. You will always be ready to reinstall with the back up.
Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - Information and download

i think i have enough test done to verify the condition of the disk drive
sfc /scannow found corrupted files but was unable to fix some of them
while at it i've installed Malwarebytes just to remove any of those pesky trojans & bad registry (well, i did have a couple)

windows still unable to start up normally unless choose in safe mode.

the problem now is i'm working on a remote location where i still need this laptop..i dont have the OEM recovery CD with me & the only way to do clean install is to use recovery partition..hence why i need a temporary solution to make my laptop back up & running again at least for a couple of weeks or until i have accessed to a new hard drive.

i just hope the recovery partition is good enough to hold on & make my reinstallation successful. will try this later in the evening...

LOL i just remember that i still can create a recovery disk with the VAIO recovery centre tool while in safe mode!
must do this asap & proceed to wipe clean the hard disk later in the evening with the newly created recovery disks.
will keep you updated