HELP! PC not booting after cat knocked it down!

[Coco423]

It is a Lenovo ThinkPad W500 running Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit. My cat knocked it down while it was in sleep mode. No battery backup, as the laptop has a bad battery and I was using AC. The cat was running after getting freaked out, got caught on the charging cord, kept running, brought the charging cord down along with the the laptop it was plugged into. The laptop fell down on the ground covered with carpet about a fwithof where it was. Now, when I boot it up, it shows that classic command prompt black screen with that dash like character waiting until you enter a character, but since it is mid boot, it won't allow me to enter a character. I am behind 15 important Windows Update, and my Windows Defender has been out of date for the past few weeks, but I did 8 Windows Updates today using my phone hotspot, 1 GB 3G data, and you can only do so much with that, partly used, even less. And some web browsing. I constantly put it in sleep mode at regular intervals when it was on to prevent overheating. I have a friend with a Win7 PC that shows that screen for 5-15 mins before boot up, hope that happened if anything happened to it and hope nothing got damaged, if anything at all. Nothing happening negaitive would be preferrable. CD or DVD fixes are out of the question, as I have had my DVD drive driver not working for the past few weeks. I do have access to USB flash drives, 8, 32, and 64 GB ones. USB 2.0-  my 8 GB, one 32 GB USB 3.0- one 32 GB, my 64 GB. Will try booting up later snd waiting longer in case it is a case of slow boot up. Please, HELP, as I need to do things on this computer! At least I have my data backed up, so I can use a friends computer. The computer is a laptop, if it helps. Scared to go into BIOS, s I do not know what to do in BIOS. Do I press the blue ThinkVantage button to go into BIOS? I will try safe mode, etc., when I get instructions on how to.

[BC_Programmer]

Sounds like the fall caused the HDD to fail.

[Geek-9pm]

If you have an urgent job, borrow a computer from a friend. Or rent one.
The best advice I can give is to not be in a hurry.

If the  computer is important to you, you need to have a old computer for emergency use.  Older Lenovo ThinkPad laptops can be found on eBay for about $150. Some vendors even offer a 1 year warranty on a refurbished laptop.

If a vendor is near you, the shipping might be free and it swill get to you in  four to five days.

Or maybe you should have a old Desktop around for this kind of thing.

Also, if you backup ion a cloud storage, and is in a standard format,  you  can get to it using a tablet computer and a service like Google Docs. Or something like that. Like Microsoft Azure Cloud. You can get a free account.

You can get a super cheap tablet with keyboard at Walmart or Stables. Like under $50 $70.. Good enough for doing documents in the cloud.

I really hope this is of some help.   

[Coco423]

My data is all backed up on flash drives, thank goodness. Because I have worled for a month on that project. Well, at least I have an old XP around for it. Should I try safe mode? How do I get into the BIOS to use safe mode? I would google it, but I am scared to in case I mess anything up further.

[Coco423]

I found something on the lenovo site. It said to press the Windows key and the R key, then press F8. When do I press it? Itms it advisiable? I want to get into BIOS and into sade mode. The computer has no antivirus besides an out of date Windows Defender, and Windows Firewall.

[Coco423]

And If I do a rental or borrow one, I have to be in a hurry! The project is due in a week! Thank goodness it is only a Wordpad one, which most Windows from 95 to the latest Win10 have. Correct me if I am wrong.

[Coco423]

Also, this paticular model of Thinkpad, it can run up to $2500 online. New. Woah. Used ones $50-$300. Pretty decent. But do they have Win7?

[BC_Programmer]

It's more expensive because they aren't manufactured, and a "New" model means an unused or even unopened box system which is rather hard to find.

The "Windows Key R" instruction is a foldout which directs you to use that *within windows* to use msconfig to reboot into safe mode. Expand the "Press F8" Link and you'll see when you should press it.

[Coco423]

How do I expand the press F8 link? What is misconfig and how do I use it to go ibto safe mode?

[Coco423]

Do I just press the F8 key alone? On another tech help site I am not a member of, if the F8 key wont work a member said in a thread that if the F8 key won't work, try pressing th F5 key. Alone still? Also, this was a diffrent model of lenovo, I think a newer one, and more RAM. So, is that sae?

[BC_Programmer]

Your system isn't booting. you can't use MSConfig, as that is a procedure for when you can boot Windows.

On this page, "Press F8" has a arrow to it's left. If you click the link, that expands a large section describing what you actually do, including when you press F8.

Also, this was a diffrent model of lenovo, I think a newer one, and more RAM. So, is that sae?

It's a feature of Windows, not the laptop.

I don't think F5 does anything anymore. It certainly won't do anything if F8 doesn't.

It might not even be trying to boot into windows, because as I mentioned it's highly likely that the hard drive has been effectively destroyed. Fact is y ou almost certainly need a a new one. I don't see how Safe Mode would fix it. Neither will entering the BIOS and doing whatever it is you think you'd do there.

[patio]

+ 1

[Coco423]

I just want to know how to get into safe mode and see if it will boot up. Sorry if there s an attitude, just frustrated.ll

[Mark.]

for WIn7, hitting F8 like a crazy person while the laptop boots should get you into Safe Mode.
you will need to work out if F8 is just F8 or Fn+F8.

but as stated early, if the machine won't boot, Safe Mode also will not be available as Safe Mode is a Windows thing, and Windows lives on the hard drive, and your hard drive is dead.

(PS, bet you wish the cat never came back.... just kidding....  but seriously, animals around PC's never end well. )

[Geek-9pm]

If you have another PC with windows 10,  prepare a USB stick with Widows to go.
The Windows to go can boot up a system when the hard drive  will mot boot.
Of course, it the hard drive is badly damaged you will not get to your data.

[SuperDave]

Did you open the unit to see if something has come loose?

[Coco423]

I do not have a Win10 computer. Don't worry, I have all my data backed up. All o it, so I can do it on a friends computer. Does XP have that Win ToGo feature? Also, what is the Fn Key? Exactly why I wanted to boot NT from a flash drive, but not sure if you can.

[Coco423]

Sorry, just accidentaly posted duplicate post, modifying it. I think there is a loose RAM stick in there. Did not open it up, hear sometging loose and assumed this, because it sounded like a RAM stick sliding in the motherboard slot.

[Coco423]

I secured the RAM sticks after I posted my last post, waited a while, and just tried to boot it up. Once I hit that screen- pressed F8, and it resumed Windows and what I was doing when it knocked down and it resumed what it was doing when it was knocked down, and it booted up! It booted up!

[Allan]

Good. Now maybe you can stop posting.