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  • windows failed to start

    This morning I go to turn on my trusty computer, and it says -

    Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. blah, blah, blah...then it offers me the choice of Launch Startup Repair, or Start Windows normally.

    Neither option has resulted in my computer starting up. I did get a blue screen message that mentions PFN_LIST_CORRUPT. and """ STOP: 0x0000004E (0x0000008D, 0x00073D81, 0x00411800, 0xC079EC08)

    I just got this computer in January, and I have not installed or changed any hardware or software. My computer worked just fine yesterday.

    I hit F2 to try the diagnostic thingy and a memory test, and both tests results were fine, but still no startup.

    Help! Has this happened to anyone else? Does anybody know what's wrong with my PC? I'm freaking out, especially because I need to access my schoolwork online.

    ~ This is the strangest life I've ever known ~

  • #2
    Re: windows failed to start

    Does your computer run Windows XP or Windows Vista?

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: windows failed to start

      hi this is sansei and in response to turtlegirl,i heard on the tv news that their is a unknown virus that hit's computer's and from what i learned,it hit many computer's to slow them down and im afraid your's maybe one.


      my computer when it turn's itself off,i have to re-boot and then it say's that for me to hit the enter button and i do and it help's me to re-enter and then once im in,my norton come's up and wipe's out my virus and i do it with a new type of norton which is called spy sweeper so it help's both way's so i hope this may help with your question?

      Well thank's for your time

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: windows failed to start

        I have Windows Vista.

        I'd better not have a computer virus...I have the Norton and Symantec stuff on there!
        ~ This is the strangest life I've ever known ~

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        • #5
          Re: windows failed to start

          First of all don't blame viruses as the cause as to why your computer failed in the way it did.

          Secondly I don't use Windows Vista at all so I am not much help in giving accurate advice in this situation.

          Thirdly I checked the Microsoft Knowledge Base (http://support.microsoft.com/search/) on PFN_LIST_CORRUPT and I got references to audio issues with Windows XP which doesn't seem to be the issue here.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: windows failed to start

            1. Does Windows Vista have Safe Mode?

            2. Does helen ever answer her PMs?

            We can’t be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans.

            — U.S. President Bill Clinton
            USA TODAY, page 2A
            11 March 1993

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            • #7
              Re: windows failed to start

              Thanks for these responses so far! I'm not exactly sure what 'safe mode' is. Or how to try to turn that on. Safe mode...sounds nice.
              ~ This is the strangest life I've ever known ~

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: windows failed to start

                I use Vista. In someways it is better than XP, in other ways it is worse. Vista does have a "safe mode." At start up, there should be an option for start normally, or start in safe mode. Is that option available? Otherwise you might want to re-install your OS (Vista). What do you think Helen?

                Last edited by matapule; September 10, 2008, 12:40 AM.
                Peace, Love, and Local Grindz

                People who form FIRM opinions with so little knowledge only pretend to be open-minded. They select their facts like food from a buffet. David R. Dow

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                • #9
                  Re: windows failed to start

                  Turtlegirl, This is how to get into "safe mode." As soon as you turn on your computer, keep hitting the F8 key until you see a text menu. Find the option "Last Known Good Configuration." Use your up/down arrow key to highlight the option and hit the enter key. This will start your system with the last registry and drivers that worked. Try this first. If you are able to get into your computer, start saving all your documents (word, excel, pictures, etc.) to a disc (DVD or CD), flash drive, or even to an external hard drive if you have one. This is just in case you are not able to access Vista again. Let us know if you were successful.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: windows failed to start

                    Originally posted by turtlegirl View Post
                    This morning I go to turn on my trusty computer, and it says -

                    Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. blah, blah, blah...then it offers me the choice of Launch Startup Repair, or Start Windows normally.
                    My computa was infected yesterday early morn too. My son-in-law came to fix it. Everything was wiped out clean. All my wedding pictures and videos. Luckily, most were saved on Photobucket.com.

                    I don't remember opening any suspicious email.

                    Please be careful.

                    Auntie Lynn
                    Be AKAMAI ~ KOKUA Hawai`i!
                    Philippians 4:13 --- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: windows failed to start

                      Aha!! Great idea, and I have an external hard drive!

                      So, here's what I'm going to do when I get back from class, please let me know if this is how it goes...

                      Turn on computer, hit F8. Go to last known good configurations, and start that up. Start saving things to the external hard drive like crazy!!

                      Now, is there a way to dump everything from my laptop onto the external drive all at once, or will I have to save things in chunks, or, eek, one file at a time?
                      ~ This is the strangest life I've ever known ~

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: windows failed to start

                        Originally posted by matapule View Post
                        Otherwise you might want to re-install your OS (Vista).
                        Before you do that you might want to consider checking the computer's hard drive for bad blocks. While this may sound easy it can get complicated to do if you are dealing with a computer who's operating system is not booting correctly in the first place (due to the fact that a bad block or two is located where the Windows operating system resides).

                        If by some chance the safe mode, or the last known good configuration or the safe mode with command prompt does not work and you really want to preserve the contents of your hard drive do this instead:

                        1) find out what kind of disk drive you have on your computer (like the size in Gbytes, type of interface and model number of the drive).

                        2) get another new drive like it (it's okay if it has more disk space than the original one).

                        3) get an box that can hold the old drive so you can hook it up to another computer.

                        4) place the new drive in the computer, install Vista OS and other software on it.

                        5) hookup the old drive to the computer and copy the needed information from it to the new drive.

                        All this assumes you don't have a second computer handy. If you do then you don't need to get a new drive, just get a box that can hold the drive that allows you to connect it to a computer. From there you can either get the data you need or repair the bad blocks on that drive.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: windows failed to start

                          Ack!! Now I'm totally freaking out and panicked!! I don't want to screw this up!!

                          Soo - here's what I got

                          One Maxtor 3.5 hard drive. I removed it from my old desktop computer last year and kept it because I have some files on it, but it also has over half of its free space still.

                          One SATA/IDE to USB 2.0 adapter. Brand new, in box, never used. Has a power supply that I guess I would connect to the hard drive? Also has a tiny cd that says 'Driver CD & installation guide" on it. Was I supposed to have loaded that on my laptop? Do I need to? Cuz I can't now.

                          I'm afraid to boot up in safe mode only to find out that I can't dump all my files to this hard drive.
                          ~ This is the strangest life I've ever known ~

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: windows failed to start

                            Sorry to hear about your computer troubles, TG and Auntie


                            I noticed last night there was a Windows update (for both Vista and XP it seems). It was rather pushy about wanting to reboot the computer. So far my computer is fine *knock on wood*.


                            It's good that you have that SATA/IDE-to-USB adapter. Take out your computer's HD and hook it up to your laptop. If your laptop has the room, you can copy the entire contents of your HD over. If not and you know where all your data files are stored, you can just copy those over. You want to copy your C:/Documents and Settings folder (don't recall the name of it in Vista) since it has stuff like your web page bookmarks and such.

                            If you don't know where they are or you're afraid you missed something, you can go to the top of the HD directory and do a search for these typical file extensions.

                            *.pst (outlook email)
                            *.doc (ms word)
                            *.xls (excel)
                            *.ppt (power point)
                            *.txt
                            *.jpg (pictures)
                            *.wmv (movies)
                            *.avi (movies)
                            *.mp3 (music)

                            and whatever file extensions you can think of


                            Pay attention to which folders those search files show up in. That'll give you clues as to where to look for other data which may be important to you.


                            Once you're 75% confident you got most of your important data, you can try Gordo's idea about Last Known Good Configuration. And if that fails, I guess reinstall Windows.


                            Best of luck!
                            "By concealing your desires, you may trick people into being cruel about the wrong thing." --Steven Aylett, Fain the Sorcerer
                            "You gotta get me to the tall corn." --David Mamet, Spartan
                            "
                            Amateurs talk technology, professionals talk conditions." --(unknown)

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                            • #15
                              Re: windows failed to start

                              Buy a Mac!
                              <g, d, rlh!>

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