Tom's Hardware > Forum > Windows XP > Windows XP General Discussion > [Solved] Cant boot laptop, stuck on Press F11 to start Recovery Screen

[Solved] Cant boot laptop, stuck on Press F11 to start Recovery Screen

Forum Windows XP : Windows XP General Discussion - [Solved] Cant boot laptop, stuck on Press F11 to start Recovery Screen

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Best answer from nicolatesla.

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cap223   11-12-2009 at 10:16:11 PM

Trying to start my computer and it gets to the screen where it gives me 2 seconds to press F11 to start recovery. But after 2 seconds or pressing F11 or any key, another line appears saying the same thing "Press F11 to start recovery". Can't get past this point and start Windows. Hard drive is recognized in another computer as well as in BIOS. How do I fix this?

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Best answer from nicolatesla
The disk in the drive, start the install,
when it asks if you want to install / reformat push "R"
This will re-install the OS in repair mode
without wiping the applications or files, and without registration
If this does not work
unfortunately, you may need to reformat and start all over.

There is a system restore utility on a disk
but I am not sure where to buy one. If you can get a hold of one from MS
that might be worth a try.

If you start the computer and hold down F8, does the boot menu appear?
Or is it still stuck?

If the boot menu appears, select your hard drive push enter, see if it starts up
If not, and the F8 menu appears, select "CD drive",
put your OS disk in the CD drive, push enter- to enter setup
then start the setup, "I agree", when it gets to setup, push "R" (repair)
and let the OS reload / repair itself.

I am not sure if the non original OS disk will carry out a repair of the existing OS.
But it's worth a try.

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nicolatesla   11-13-2009 at 09:23:44 PM

Do you have the original OS installation disk?

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cap223   11-13-2009 at 09:29:06 PM

I may have to look for it. I have another Windows XP and Windows 7 disc. Neither installation setup worked.

Reply to cap223
nicolatesla   11-13-2009 at 10:44:57 PM
Best answer

The disk in the drive, start the install,
when it asks if you want to install / reformat push "R"
This will re-install the OS in repair mode
without wiping the applications or files, and without registration
If this does not work
unfortunately, you may need to reformat and start all over.

There is a system restore utility on a disk
but I am not sure where to buy one. If you can get a hold of one from MS
that might be worth a try.

If you start the computer and hold down F8, does the boot menu appear?
Or is it still stuck?

If the boot menu appears, select your hard drive push enter, see if it starts up
If not, and the F8 menu appears, select "CD drive",
put your OS disk in the CD drive, push enter- to enter setup
then start the setup, "I agree", when it gets to setup, push "R" (repair)
and let the OS reload / repair itself.

I am not sure if the non original OS disk will carry out a repair of the existing OS.
But it's worth a try.

Reply to nicolatesla
Bronze Win XP badge aford10   11-13-2009 at 11:19:17 PM

Make sure the drive is connected securely. Ive seen laptop hard drives that like to slide around and disconnect themselves.

Check the BIOS (f8 on startup) to make sure the hard drive is the 1st boot device, and turn off any halt on missing keyboard or mouse.

------------------------------ CM HAF 932 - 300GB Velociraptor
GIGABYTE GA-EP45T-DS3R
E8500 - Sapphire 1Gb 4850
4G DDR3 OCZ Reaper 1333
 Reply to aford10
cap223   11-23-2009 at 05:34:34 PM

thanks nicolatesla,
I found the ORIGINAL OS disk and this time it gave me the option of pressing "R" to start a fresh install. I went through the whole windows setup and its all working. My concern is that it did not do this when I put a different XP CD in or a NEW Windows 7 disc. Any ideas out there?

My next step is to take this HDD out and install a 320GB that I have and install W7 on there. Hope it works.

Message quoted 1 times
Reply to cap223
nicolatesla   11-25-2009 at 08:54:59 AM

cap223 wrote :

thanks nicolatesla,
I found the ORIGINAL OS disk and this time it gave me the option of pressing "R" to start a fresh install. I went through the whole windows setup and its all working. My concern is that it did not do this when I put a different XP CD in or a NEW Windows 7 disc. Any ideas out there?

My next step is to take this HDD out and install a 320GB that I have and install W7 on there. Hope it works.



Whoa there, you will not be able to use your old applications, you will need to buy all new ones (microsoft office, etc...) that's going to cost big bucks, hope you're rich! you can't use XP applications on win 7.

pressing "R" does a repair install not a fresh one, but it saves a headache...
It only repairs from the original OS disk, it knows the CD key number, that's why it wont work with another XP disk or win 7 disk.

This is an important lesson...if you buy a computer, it better come with ALL the operating systems and drivers on the original CD's. DO NOT buy any computer without the entire software and drivers on CDs!!!
DO NOT fall for "pre installed" software, if it crashes, you are raelly in deep doo doo. I warned you!

Reply to nicolatesla
Bronze Win XP badge aford10   11-25-2009 at 09:15:28 PM

Windows 7 pro and ultimate have a virtual xp mode and can run XP programs.

------------------------------ CM HAF 932 - 300GB Velociraptor
GIGABYTE GA-EP45T-DS3R
E8500 - Sapphire 1Gb 4850
4G DDR3 OCZ Reaper 1333
 Reply to aford10
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