toshiba laptop start up error

elmer91

Member
My friend wanted me to take a look at her laptop, a Toshiba Satellite A215-S7414. When you turn it on, it comes up with the Windows Error Recovery screen, where you have to option to launch startup repair or start windows normally. It locks up there, and you cant select either option. I have tried installing XP from a CD, but it locks up at the screen that says press any key to continue. It is almost as if the keyboard isnt working or is locking it up.

Update: as i was typing this up, i tried starting the computer again. this time i let it be, without touching the keyboard, and it went to the startup repair. It says the registry is corrupt. Any suggestions for a fix? i have another laptop with Vista, would it be possible to find the registry files in the good laptop and replace them in this laptop?

Thanks for any help!
 

voyagerfan99

Master of Turning Things Off and Back On Again
Staff member
I have another laptop with Vista, would it be possible to find the registry files in the good laptop and replace them in this laptop?

Thanks for any help!

No that won't work. Each system has a different registry and it just simply won't work. Every car has an engine, but you can't put a Cadillac Northstar in a Mercedes.

I'd test the hard drive first to rule out a bad hard drive. If the hard drive tests out alright I'd give a try at wiping the drive and reinstalling windows (after backing up any necessary docs, pics, music, etc. first)
 

elmer91

Member
No that won't work. Each system has a different registry and it just simply won't work. Every car has an engine, but you can't put a Cadillac Northstar in a Mercedes.

Thanks. it was just a thought i had ( i know more than the average person about computers, but i still dont know a whole lot).

The hard drive is good, i was able to put it into my external case and get into everything without problems and also get all the important documents.

So now i need to wipe it, i guess by putting back in my external and wiping it, then putting the blank drive back into the laptop and reinstalling windows?
 

voyagerfan99

Master of Turning Things Off and Back On Again
Staff member
Thanks. it was just a thought i had ( i know more than the average person about computers, but i still dont know a whole lot).

The hard drive is good, i was able to put it into my external case and get into everything without problems and also get all the important documents.

So now i need to wipe it, i guess by putting back in my external and wiping it, then putting the blank drive back into the laptop and reinstalling windows?

Since you were having issues booting to the Windows CD before, I'd go ahead and do that. It'll make life a bit easier.
 

scbjmshpv

New Member
when you reinstall it make sure you don't erase/delete the factory back up partition of HD if you do so nothing's gonna happen, but if you still have it after installing windows again, you can use the factory back up to restore the thing to factory reset and will save you time on finding and updating softwares and hardware drivers.
 

elmer91

Member
so, i took and formatted the hard drive so i could install XP, since it was freezing and stuff. I just tried to put XP on it, and i am having the same problem, the keyboard isnt working freezes the computer. The keyboard works on the very first screen for pressing f12 for the boot menu. It also works when the boot menu comes up, but once i tried to boot from the CD drive, it stops working. any ideas?
edit: it also says "NTLDR Missing"
 
Last edited:

Nanobyte

New Member
When you boot from the CD, do you get a message saying to press a key to boot from the CD? If so, you have to press any key immediately so it does not try to boot from the HDD.
 

elmer91

Member
When you boot from the CD, do you get a message saying to press a key to boot from the CD? If so, you have to press any key immediately so it does not try to boot from the HDD.

i do get that message, but the keyboard locks it up if i try to press a key.
 

elmer91

Member
wow, cannot believe i did not think of that. so simple to try.

EDIT: tried it, still locks it up.
 
Last edited:

Nanobyte

New Member
Perhaps the only option is to change the keyboard and hope that is the problem. You could try removing the keyboard and having another go with the USB keyboard. Desperate times. This might be an occasion where it's worth having a tech look at it. They may have a keyboard handy to swop out.
 

mihir

VIP Member
wow, cannot believe i did not think of that. so simple to try.

EDIT: tried it, still locks it up.

Try removing the hard drive from the boot sequence itself.
Some BIOSs have that feature and some don't.If your bios has that then try removing the HDD from the boot sequence itself.
Also which brand is the HDD of.
Run a HDD diagnostic test provided at the manufacturers website.
Burn the software into a bootable disc and then run it.
 
Top