Laptop advice

[88 PS190]

Now I know some of you are quite computer savvy, and here's the deal.

I'm trying to make this laptop work, its a Toshiba Satellite A15-S129.

It will not boot to windows, it starts, shows the Toshiba / intel processor thing, then goes to the black screen saying that windows did not start successfully, and to choose

Safe Mode
Safe Mode w/ networking
Safe Mode w. command prompt

Last known Good Config

Start windows normally, now none of those options will boot it to windows, it brings up a message saying windows\system32\config\system missing or corrupt.

Now normally when I try to fix someone's computer and its doing this, I put the windows setup CD into the drive and restart it. Which brings up the windows setup installer, which allows me to repair the problem...

BUT this computer won't let me.

I've started up the bios settings and changed the Boot Priority to CD-ROM HDD. but it still will not load the windows setup... Which is bothersome.

I've also tried my other standby, which is booting an OS off CD or off a USB pen drive, this one does not boot off USB, the Bios are too old, I've tried booting Linux off a CD, which takes longer before trying to boot off HD, but still does not make it.

Starting to get annoyed. And pretty sure I'm into a hardware issue, what would it likely be, and is there a good way to tell?

[LKNMC]

The OS has failed and needs to be re installed you google how to reinstall Windows

My old desktop did the same thing last year it took an act of congress to get it to finally boot off the disk but I something I finally did worked I forgot what it was those

is there any important data on the HDD that you need

[D3skier]

you should be able to press F8 and then choose boot from CD-ROM
I know these Toshiba machines are a piece of junk I had a few of them and once I started having issues with them I pretty much threw them out the window.

[88 PS190]

you should be able to press F8 and then choose boot from CD-ROM
I know these Toshiba machines are a piece of junk I had a few of them and once I started having issues with them I pretty much threw them out the window.

its esc on my unit, and already did that, still won't boot off cd, windows XP/linux, soon to try windows 98.

Regardless, none of those are working.

and that's how windows is reinstalled, so what i'm looking at next is probably pulling the HD and getting a USB external enclosure and deleting everything using one of my other comps.

I'm aware toshiba are kinda crappy, ultimately I'll take it apart mount the screen into a picture frame and have it displace digital photos, and then have a wireless keyboard to use it to play music through my entertainment center, hence I do not care if its crap... much.

[kskib046]

According to Toshiba you can either go to the Toshiba Console and adjust there or start your system with a cold boot and press F12 or left and right arrows keys:

"You can also manually choose the Boot Priority by
pressing the power button, then quickly pressing the F12
key, or the right or left arrow keys.
Select the boot device by pressing the right or left arrow
keys or the F12 key. Then press the Enter key.
Since the system is a quick-booting system, you must press
the arrow keys or the F12 key immediately after pressing the
power button."

[alletric]

its esc on my unit, and already did that, still won't boot off cd, windows XP/linux, soon to try windows 98.

Regardless, none of those are working.

and that's how windows is reinstalled, so what i'm looking at next is probably pulling the HD and getting a USB external enclosure and deleting everything using one of my other comps.

I'm aware toshiba are kinda crappy, ultimately I'll take it apart mount the screen into a picture frame and have it displace digital photos, and then have a wireless keyboard to use it to play music through my entertainment center, hence I do not care if its crap... much.


I have no idea if this still applies but there was a way to get into a dos looking sceen on start up and the running the c:fdisk to wipe thngs out and then reinstall windows. I have done it a few times when the automatic stuff doesn't work.

[LKNMC]

Well maybe now you can do what is right and get an Apple

[stuartmcnair]

Well maybe now you can do what is right and get an Apple

yeah, cause when those fail they are real easy to figure out...

Customer - Hi, my computer doesnt work
Apple Support - OK Give me your credit card number...

[88 PS190]

Well maybe now you can do what is right and get an Apple

Ha ha ha ha, go ahead you hippy...

Downloaded an updated Bios from toshiba, installed, and am now into windows setup!

Its coming along now, into setup...

[88 PS190]

yeah, cause when those fail they are real easy to figure out...


ha ha nice!

A few of my friends have screwed theirs up resulting in months of no computer, or the other one I fixed, but it only took me a few extra days to figure out that the reason it would not connect to the internet was because he had manually changed his settings to only connect to one network... a wireless at a truck stop...

ha ha.