windows vista fails to perform automatic recovery

[mataharimata]

hi everyone,

I have a sony Vaio VGN-AR390E that runs on windows vista. since yesterday when starting the laptop it fails to start windows, but rather get a black screen full of $ signs, which then leads me to another black screen that gives me the options to start windows normally or perform windows recovery. when i select run windows normally, all i get is a black screen. and when i run windows recovery, it goes threw the recovery process but then it says the recovery could not be performed automatically.

i have also tried pressing F8 at vaio logo to get more options such as safe mode, but also leads me to the same screen again of the $ signs. and as well by pressing F10 i get to the recovery center and performing recovery doesn't work, i did a hardware diagnostic which says that everything is ok. i have a recent back up of all my files and there for don't need to run data restore.

when i first bought my laptop 3 years ago i had to make two recovery disks which i also tried running but they don't get recognized


can any one please help me ??

thank you much appreciated

kind regards

 

[MindoverMaster]

Do you have a Recovery Partition? It usually says to click an F# button on the system startup splash.

 

[KSoD]

Hit F10 during the boot process. Just like you would hit F8 to get to the Advanced Boot Menu. this will bring you to the Sony Recovery Partition if it is available. There you can use a Restore Point or roll back to factory settings.

For the CD's to work you have to enter the BIOS and make sure that the Optical Drive is set to boot before the Hard Drive.

 

[mataharimata]

Ok, finally F8 is working!! I am running a Start up repair... will keep you posted... or is there any other direction i should take? thanks!!

ok... i ran "repair your computer" and nothing... after restart the $ signs and black screen appeared again.. however windows does run in safe mode..

I did go through F10 and did Restore Point and backdated it to 5 days ago... nothing happened... i tried doing it several times but get the $ signs and black screen after again...

 

[MindoverMaster]

Try backing it to factory settings.

Might want to run chkdsk /r /f and sfc /scannow in cmd (command prompt)

 

[mataharimata]

Hi and thanks you for your help!
F8 is working but choosing any of the options has not brought me to a solution... or may be i am not doing it right... i ran "repair your computer" and nothing... after restart the $ signs and black screen appeared again.. however windows does run in safe mode.. I did go through F10 and did Restore Point and backdated it to 5 days ago... nothing happened... i tried doing it several times but get the $ signs and black screen after again...

I do have 2 recovery disks which i made when i first bought my computer but as my CD drive is not working i need to run it through an external CD drive which i luckily have... however i don't know how to boot from an external CD drive... I don't either know how to get to the command prompt... i am sorry i am not too much of a computer expert so please help me...
Thank you!!

at one point i also got to a black screen saying:
File: \windows\system32\hal.dll
status: 0xc000000f
info: windows failed to load because the HAL is missing, or corrupt

Everything i do leads me to Vaio Recovery Center...

i am in commandprompt, when i type in C:\>chkdsk /r /f i get : the type of the file system is NTFS. cannot lock current drive.

Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process.
chkdsk may run if this volume is dismounted first. ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID. WOULD YOU LIKE TO FORCE A DISMOUNT ON THIS VOLUME? <Y/N>

also tried :

C:\>cmd
Microsoft Windows <version 6.0.6000>

C:\>sfc /scannow
beginning system scan. this process will take some time.
windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation.

 

[MindoverMaster]

IIRC, F10 brings you the Recovery Partition, not Restore Point.

To boot from any Optical device, it has to be first in Boot Order, in BIOS.

Missing Hal.dll - Missing Or Corrupt Hal.dll Error Message in Windows XP - Fix Hal.dll
You want to be at the Vaio Recovery Center, not Window's. Do a factory reset.

I'm not sure about the last part.

Edit: Use the edit button, do not triple post.

 

[mataharimata]

ok.. I am in BIOS by pressing F2.. I've enabled external drive boot.. and the options that i have to boot from are:
1. USB flash drive (which is the one i thought i should select for the external CD drive..?).
2. Floppy drive.
3. Internal optical drive
4. Internal hard disk drive
5. Network

it doesn't work... the computer doesn't boot from the external CD drive... what i am doing wrong..?

Also.. should i do something with the link that you sent me about the missing or corrupt hal.dll?

 

[MindoverMaster]

That is how you fix the error. That is the error you are receiving, correct?

Can you test the CD itself on another computer? To verify the CD is OK?

 

[mataharimata]

Yes. this is the error, however i only saw the error once... i think the problem is bigger than this.. as windows doesn't start and i get the screens full of $$$ signs and then just black screen.... do you think i still need to proceed with fixing this error if we are trying to wipe the whole system and bring it back to factory settings..?

The CD works on another computer and I am copying all the files from the Recovery CD to a USB pen drive... there are over 4 GB of files so lets see if it will boot from the USB drive.. Will edit this post if there is any progress .. thanks!

ok... i copied the Recovery CD to a USB pen drive and as soon as the $$$ signs screen comes up there is a message on top of the same screen - No footeble pavtiton in table_

What should i do..?