Sony VIAO Model VGN-CR11S/L

[-blackfish-]

I'm having some serious problem with this laptop.

Unable to boot to Windows normally. On boot up I get the 'Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause'. I'm then presented with two options:

1) Launch Startup Repair

2) Start Windows Normally

'Starting Windows Normally' will not work as it simply takes me back to the 'Unable to boot to Windows etc etc..' screen.

If I boot and and F8 and try 'Safe Mode', the same thing happens. Can't boot into safe mode and get presented with the same two options above.

If I select the first option I get presented with seven or eight options (Startup Repair, System Restore etc etc). None of these have worked (for different reasons) except for VAIO Recovery Utility, where I am able to at least get the user data off the HDD.

Before doing anything else, I wonder if there is a bootable diagnostic utility that I can download so that I can find out if the problem is likely to be hardware. I've already run the Windows Memory Dignostic, which found no problems.

Thanks very much.

[Blencogo]

It sounds like a hard disc failure and/or corruption of the Windows boot files.

You could borrow a Windows Vista installation disc, boot from it and run a repair installation or run CHKDSK /F from the Recovery Console.

Alternatively, you could try tapping F10 at the first Vaio bootscreen and choose to carry out a complete recovery of your system back to factory settings from the Vaio Recovery Utility.

If either of these don't work then the HDD is corrupt and you will probably have to replace the hard drive.

[-blackfish-]

Thanks for the reply.

I've done as you suggested and reverted the system back to factory settings using Vaio Recovery Utility. I'm now trying to upgrade to Windows 7 Pro and so need to get to boot from CD.

I've tried to get it to boot from the 'Internal Optical Drive' from the BIOS, but it just booted to the HDD as normal. I thn removed 'Internal HDD' from the devices available and it just comes up with 'Operating System Unavalilable'.

Mu question is, how do I get this laptop to boot from the CD. I have the following options available to choose from in the BIOS:

Internal Optical Device

Internal HDD

Floppy DD

USB Flash

USB HDD

USB Optical Device

Thanks for nay help.

[Blencogo]

Did the DVD/CD-ROM drive work OK before?

Check in Device Manager -> DVD/CD-ROM Drives that there are no errors and that the drive is installed and working correctly.

What CD are you trying to use?

[-blackfish-]

I'm not aware that there were any problems with the DVD/CD-Rom drive. Device Manager reports that it's working properly.

I've also tried to install Windows 7 from an external Iomega DVD/CD-Rom USB drive, but then Vista doesn't want to recognise the DVDs I use. The same DVDs it recognised if I use the laptop's DVD/CD-Rom.

Upgrading to Windows 7 from within Vista doesn't work as the installation just hangs at the 'Copying setup files' stage.

I'm lost for ideas now. Any suggestions?