Netbook BSOD on startup

Bennie-Mac · 10 Dec 2009 at 00:05

Hi guys, have a bit of a problem with the girlfriends Advent netbook, she was browsing facebook when the wireless internet disconnected, she restarted the computer. Updates installed when she was shutting it down and now when she turns it on it blue screens at the windows xp logo.

The error code is 0x0000007b which implies a hard drive problem. It wont start in safe mode or anything, just straight to bsod. She is in the middle of writing a book which she hasnt backed up in a week, so will lose days worth of work if i reinstall windows. Does anyone have any suggestions what i can do? Shes in tears at the thought of losing her work.

I assume this is down to a dodgy windows update, but if anyone knows better any help would be great.

Thanks in advance!

K.C. Leblanc · 10 Dec 2009 at 00:29

If the contents of the hard drive are readable you should be able to either remove the hard drive and mount it in another PC (don't try to boot from it)

Or you could try a Linux Live disk (it's Linux that runs straight from a CD without installing) which will let you read the hard drive and save stuff to a memory stick.

http://knoppix.net/

Bennie-Mac · 10 Dec 2009 at 01:04

K.C. Leblanc said:
If the contents of the hard drive are readable you should be able to either remove the hard drive and mount it in another PC (don't try to boot from it)

Or you could try a Linux Live disk (it's Linux that runs straight from a CD without installing) which will let you read the hard drive and save stuff to a memory stick.

http://knoppix.net/

Ill give the linux a go if i can get my hands on an external dvd drive, though i dont know how i can install the drivers :rolleyes:

sodding netbooks!

Audigex · 10 Dec 2009 at 01:41

I know it's a case of closing the stable door after the horse has gone, but at least it gives you an opportunity to drill the phrase "back up the important stuff" into her head :-)

Bennie-Mac · 10 Dec 2009 at 11:18

Audigex said:
I know it's a case of closing the stable door after the horse has gone, but at least it gives you an opportunity to drill the phrase "back up the important stuff" into her head

Shes usually quite good for doing it, dunno what she was playing at last week!

Managed to get it sorted for now, removed the HDD and plugged it into my desktop so was able to recover all her files. Reinstalled windows and it seems to be working fine now. Looks like someones getting an external hard drive for xmas

Thanks