Can't get an OS to load

[aegisuk]

Hi guys

I've got a problem that I can't seem to find any mention of on Google. I was hoping someone here could help.

A laptop with Vista won't boot properly. I've tried booting into safe mode but it hangs at crcdisk.sys and then reboots. I've also tried using the recovery dvd that came with the laptop but that only gets so far and then reboots too.

The hard disk appeared as faulty in the diagnostic software so I tried to boot from a Linux live cd (both Mint and DSM), however both of these would get so far and then hang as well. So I'm guessing the hard drive can't be the problem.

I thought it was strange that I couldn't find anyone else with the same problem. I saw a laptop with the exact same symptoms 3 weeks ago so it can't be too uncommon an issue.

FYI the laptop looks like it has been dropped.

Any advice you could give me would be appreciated.

Cheers
Andy

 

[Paul Rodgers]

Pull the drive. If that fails look at the ram and cd drive.

Also check your bios settings.

 

[phaZed]

What brand/model laptop are we talking about? May be a NVIDIA issue as well.

 

[Xander]

The hard disk appeared as faulty in the diagnostic software so I tried to boot from a Linux live cd (both Mint and DSM), however both of these would get so far and then hang as well. So I'm guessing the hard drive can't be the problem.

If the laptop's been dropped, what's to say that they haven't toasted the HD and some other component?

 

[FoolishTech]

I agree with first removing the HDD, just to rule it out.

I have seen linux distros lockup when loading while trying to [I guess] install a driver for, or merely query a bad hard disk, for the file system type.

Of course, you could have any number of issues, but it's a good first step. I think that with the linux distros, you could learn a lot more about what the problem is by exactly WHERE they lockup in the boot process.

Not suggesting that there are unrelated issues with your Linux boot cd attempts, but leaving Linux out of it, and just googling "crcdisk.sys" alone turns up 9 of the 10 first page results are about vista boot problems.

 

[iisjman07]

Remove the hard drive and then try booting linux, see if it works then.

 

[aegisuk]

Thanks guys, I'll try out your suggestions when I'm back in the shop.

Yeah I found a lot of stuff with Google about crcdisk.sys hanging during safe mode, however nothing about not being able to boot linux at the same time. As it was the second time in as many weeks both of these symptoms have occurred together I am assuming they are connected somehow.

I'll take it step by step and let you know if/when I figure out what's wrong with it!

Cheers
A