Fatial error of unknown cause, my computer cannot boot.

[JacobMuken]

Well my computer, an Acer Aspire 3680 running Windows Vista Basic SP2 and a while back, it
just wouldn't boot up, with no warning, it just stopped, when i try to start it up, i come
to a DOS screen that says: "Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change
might be the cause" and more gibberish about causes, and i have two options, "Launch start up
repair", or "Start windows normally", i choose start windows, it takes me to Startup Repair
anyway, so i got there, none of the recovery tools did anything, but searching around the
computer using MSDOS, i found that the computer absolutely can NOT access C: Idk if it's
actually empty, or if can't be accessed. Now on to what i did the previous time i started up
the computer... nothing, i started up gamemaker, made a few changes to my science fair
project, got lazy and force shut the computer down, ( i never not force it down ) I know
that's bad but how would *that* do *that*.

Another thing, this computer did have a built in factory reset, and in this system recovery MSDOS thing, there is a new X: drive containing a pretty much what you would expect the C: drive to hold, is there a dos command to copy and paste everything to the C: drive?

[Geek-9pm]

that's bad but how would *that* do *that*.

If you must know, it is called 'delayed write failure'.
Normally Windows must write some information to the hard drive before shutting down. But this information is often delayed for technical resins. If it fails, windows can not start up again.

The failure may cause the a fatal change to a directory.
You fix it by starting up the repair tool from the install disc.

[JacobMuken]

I got an acer recovery disk i got in the mail, i never used it because MSDOS and everything else refuses to access the C: drive period, i'll try it.

[jason2074]

is there a dos command to copy and paste everything to the C: drive?

If you need to copy your files, make sure its externally backup for the hard drive may be corrupted as in the repair loop symptoms. Us a Linux bootable disc to copy your data outside of windows. See this 2 page tutorial link on how to recover files from windows.

[JacobMuken]

OK new situation, i used a USB booter to boot Linux Lucid Puppy on my misfunctioning computer, and i found that a drive called sda2, is my C drive, i can access everything fine and dandy, but my computer normaly cannot. does this clear anything? can someone help me based on this information and the info above?

[Geek-9pm]

When a failure happens in windows, some information is lost or mixed up. The Linux OS  works with  different code to rad the same stuff. Sometimes Linux will read files when Windows can not. Using Puppy, you should be able to copy important files to a USB stick or even an external HDD.
I don't remember much about Vista. Maybe the repair disc can fix the problem. Maybe not. Try to get copies of all your personal stuff, unless you already have backups.
Worse case the HDD will be formatted again and anew copy of Vista will be installed.

[JacobMuken]

Ok 9pm, I didn't get a install disk with the computer, i just got the computer, so i need to work around that, i'm looking into formating the harddrive and installing windows 7

[Geek-9pm]

Are you telling me the computer was not licensed for Windows 7? If so, the moderator will close down this thread.
Here is what you can do.
Install a free copy of Linux. Whatever you like. Puppy works for me, others like Linux Mint. Of course, Ubuntu is very well supported now.
If Linux works well,  your hardware might be alright. And you would consider installing windows again.

At this time you can get an evaluation version of Windows 81. in either 32 or 64 bit. It is call the 'Enterprise' edition. You have to be a MSN member to get it.  It is good for 90 days, at which time you either have to buy it or replace it with something.

I have found in a few cases that a hard drive just can not be used again as a boot device. I am not sure why that happens.  (I don't have the equipment or the energy to run tests.)

[JacobMuken]

Alright, that's what i'll do i guess, forget windows.