Computer wont load up

[007will]

Hi my laptop has stopped working. I don't mind so much but there are some music files and word files i would quite like. Basicly it goes as far as the windows black loading screen with the logo etc but then just does that and goes no further.
Can anyone help?

Thanks!

[DaveLembke]

Your drive may be damaged. If you are computer hardware savy you can buy a external 2.5" hard drive case and mount your laptops hard drive into that and then be able access your data through USB communications to SATA or IDE depending on the type of hard drive your laptop has. Be sure that the system this device is to be plugged into has the latest antivirus to avoid spreading if it is viral.

Other than that you can try the windows repair utility that is on the OEM CD that may have come with the laptop and perform a repair or restore ( without formatting ) which would rebuild Windows, but not touch your music etc.

Also heard of people using Knoppix Linux Live CD to access data, but if you dont know Linux, then the first 2 ideas are better for you as for to get NTFS support is quite fun and manual.

[joking]

From a dead power up; start pressing the F8 key.  This should bring up a Boot Choice Menu.  Select Safe Mode and enter.  If it boots to a warning click on okay and let it boot all the way to the desktop.  You should have Safe Mode in all 4 corners of the screen.  Click Start Shutdown POWER OFF.  Try booting again.  If it crashes during the second boot.  Try the option on the menu that says last know good configuration.

Guessing, it could be a driver or perhaps the memory chip has been dislodged.  My experience is its a driver issue.