-=PCTechTalk=- Compaq Problem
- From: "Steve Aiello" <deacondeamon@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: PCTT <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 14:57:56 -0500
Just spent the last 4 hrs trying to get a Compaq desktop (sorry I don't
remember the model info) up and running again. It belongs to one of the
other guys who lives here at the Open Door Mission with me. He's an older
gent.
He had XP home on it and a few months ago did an upgrade to Vista Premium.
The unit ran ok for several months until Monday. He claimed that stating
Monday when he turned on the unit, The Vista splash page would come up,
followed by the do you want to install Vista.
I went down today and saw for myself that, that was what was happening. The
first page asks what country, and language you want. Made sure everything
was set right there before clicking next.
The next page is the
*Authentication*<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=Authtication&spell=1>
page. His code is 5 groups of 5 numbers and letters. After putting them in
and making sure I had it right, I clicked next. It came back to the
authentication page, and this time there was a yellow triangle on it saying
that you need to authenticate.
I next tried to boot from the upgrade cd he has. No go. It showed it was
loading the files then would go the country page, authentication page and
stop.
I next tried to boot into safe mode. You could see the screen resolution
change, but when it came up it was at the install page, country etc.
Clicked to close that and the screen went black with the words safe mode in
all 4 corners. No icons nothing else showed.
I next tried the F11 system restore. you would get a flash of a screen that
looked like a dual boot screen, I mean if you blinked you missed it. Then
back to the install page.
All these were tried more than once.
Next we ran PC Doctor disk that came with it. It said everything was ok.
He does not have an Internet Connection. Does not want one. He has not
installed any new programs in a while, he claims. So a virus is not likely.
I can't get into it toot to run one of my AV's.
To me it sounds like the code has been used 1 or more to many times.
My next move would be to take another hard drive ( the one he has is SATA,
but i don't believe the extra one from my laptop would work), Install it
leaving the one that's there without the IDE cable. To my way of thinking
i should be able to boot to the new HD. then plug in the old hard drive. I
think that by doing this I should be able to get into the My Computer area
and maybe figure out what's going on. At worse case I should be able to
drag and drop the files and programs he wants to save to my external, then
do a format on it to wipe it clean, do a clean install and put the stuff
back on it.
Anybody have any ideas on weather this will work or not, or perhaps give me
some ideas on what to try next.
I do have 3 sets of rescue disks. 2 for Acer and 1 for HP. the Acers are
Vista and the HP is XP MCE, But I really don't want to put them on there,
just got this little voice telling me no no.
Damn I can get long winded.
Thanks for any help you all can offer
Steve
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