Tech support

[Torna]

Like most of us I am guessing I am tech support for my friends....a friend gave me a laptop and said it is not booting up.  I turn it on a big error goes blazing by and I get to the boot in safe mode....I think a piece of windows is missing (oh goodie) my question is not how to repair windows....I know how to do that.  My question is there a way to see the error that goes blazing by?

[SaladFingers]

Is that error taking place in the DOS  part or after it gets into the Windows bootloader?

[dappy10]

video it and check frame by frame

[SaladFingers]

In any case, here's a suggestion:

 

Boot into safe mode, then run msconfig. At the "Boot" tab, there is a "Boot options" area. Tick the "Boot log" option and restart.

It should create a log under "C:\Windows\ntbtlog.txt" at your next boot.

 

Hopefully you can find information to solve your problem there. Good luck!

 

PS: Keep in mind that if you keep that option ticked the log file will keep getting bigger and bigger, so make sure you disable it once you're done.

[0x1e]

Does Pause / Break work with a BSOD?

I know it does with Bios but not sure if a BSOD would accept a command.

[Torna]

It is in POST....before does I get the screen for Safe Mode and it says Windows can't load....the epic error is obviously at least part of the problem but it scrolls and the whole thing is maybe on screen for a half second.

[ziogref]

9 minutes ago, Torna said:

It is in POST....before does I get the screen for Safe Mode and it says Windows can't load....the epic error is obviously at least part of the problem but it scrolls and the whole thing is maybe on screen for a half second.

Backup any data by plugging the hard drive into another computer or use a linux live CD/usb. Then wipe the HDD and reinstall windows

 

[Torna]

I know how to fix it...that isn't the issue....I want to see the error.  In POST that could be a bad hardware error that I missing.  I won't be tech support if I didn't know how to fix it.

[ziogref]

2 minutes ago, Torna said:

I know how to fix it...that isn't the issue....I want to see the error.  In POST that could be a bad hardware error that I missing.  I won't be tech support if I didn't know how to fix it.

Film it and upload to youtube so we can have a look and see what the issue is.

[SaladFingers]

8 hours ago, Torna said:

I know how to fix it...that isn't the issue....I want to see the error.  In POST that could be a bad hardware error that I missing.  I won't be tech support if I didn't know how to fix it.

I like your attitude :). Yes, re-installing Windows is never a "fix". It's simply avoiding the problem and I also like to fix things instead of pushing "reset buttons" everywhere. So the error happens in POST screen? You can actually press the "pause" button on the keyboard and it will stay on that screen.