Can't boot how can I format a hard drive

[golfingdude_13]

I have a new computer but it was refurbished and it worked for a while and now will not boot. During boot it directs to the screen received when one requests boot choice, start normal, safe, etc. Choosing anything causes the system to freeze with error about hardware or software issues and need to resolve or disconnect.

I go to bios and make the cd drive first command and insert Windows XP Pro for refurbished computers, select boot from disc, disc begins the install process, says starting windows and stalls for about a minute, then returns the same screen or initialization failure.

I have searched diligently for the this solution, how to recover files or format the hd if I can't get to the screen offering me the choices for installing normally, repair, or delete? I thought of cloning old computer hd but if I do the new computer would freak out since hardware, hd interface and size, are all different. Also I have a windows XP install disc but it is for the old Dell Computer; new computer is Lenovo M55 8807 with SATA hard drive. I have changed the bios to automatic for Serial ATA without success and returned it to SATA without success. Also reset bios to default without success.

Bios Startup shows about 7 different ways to boot, I have made ide cd first choice thus the windows install beginning with boot disc in place. The other choices are ide hdd usb key, usb ftb???, usb hdd, usb rom, and below are some removed choices, scsi, something with mtb or mta??? only 9mb. I am really hoping to just wipe the hd clean with format but how can I do this without any OS or computer booting. What can I do now????

 

[Hastibe]

1. Go here: http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/
2. Make a bootable CD or if you can boot from a USB stick, you can do that.
3. Run the diagnostic tools on it to test your hardware for problems (someone just posted who had a similar problem as you, and one of their RAM sticks had gone bad)
4. Report back!

 

[snowgoer1998]

First thing I would recommend doing is going into the BIOS and setting all BIOS settings to 'Default' ... usually there is an option for this on the main BIOS screen.

If that does not work you may need to reformat - but be aware that you will lose ALL data on the hard drive. If there is something critical that you need to save, try getting a SATA to USB adapter for your hard drive to plug into and try and move files off the hard drive. This will only work however if you have another computer laying around.

 

[evilavatar]

I would infact guess that your problem is not the hard drive at all. I would start by trying to run with one stick of ram in (if that does not work swap to another).

 

[golfingdude]

The bios default setting almost got the computer up, or I thought. Using the Windows XP Professional SP3 for refurbished computers I was able to advance to the install windows, repair, format hard drive. Tried to run recovery but it came back with nothing to fix, so I formatted the hd and install windows. Gave the program time to run and came back to find the install of windows stopped with failed to load xxx file hit continue and got this message for every file so I exited setup. Another boot same process, but when I see what is left to choose for install location, first partition1 is unknown with all hd capacity and partition2 is 1mb. Try to install windows on selected partition and get the message partition is not formatted correctly. I begin the format process choosing to format partition1, goes through the countdown showing progress. At 100% it looks good, but get the message could not format partition because it is not recognized. I get to the cmd and run chkdsk and it says hd is okay no problems detected so nothing to fix. Look for boot sectors and there are none, run check directory, see list of folders with nothing inside them 0 bits

I just got the computer, and think I will just return it and raise some questions regarding what constitutes a refurbish. Computer had programs from the business that leased it. The bios had all kinds of hardware to choose from that were not on the computer any longer and when the computer did boot the first few times it would not allow me to validated the software, even though I had the refurbished key code. Tried to validated so I could upgrade wmp from 9 to 11 but it would not allow me to saying not a genuine Windows OS.

 

[Hastibe]

Before you return it, I would really try running Memcheck86+ off of a bootable CD, to see if it's the RAM causing the problems.

 

[upongsky]

where can we find this SATA? my pc won't boot also.