Toshiba Satellite won't boot

[Denithor]

I can get into the BIOS just fine, see all hardware. Can set it to boot from either CD drive or HDD.

When it start up, it runs through the post steps then just halts with a blinking cursor on the screen. Will not even begin to boot from either CD drive or hard drive (with Win XP Pro installed), it just hangs with that blinking cursor.

Any suggestions?

 

[Quiksilver]

Can you access the boot menu and try booting into safe mode? or Is their a way for you to reset the CMOS?

 

[Denithor]

It doesn't ever go past the post...at the point it should start to give the Windows splash screen it just sits there with a blinking cursor. Like I said, it won't even try to boot from the DVD drive with a Windows OS disc in there. Never gets that far.

I don't know how to reset the CMOS, that is one possibility but I would have to figure out how it's done. Note that I can get into the BIOS just fine and navigate the menus and change the boot order, etc. The changes remain after a reboot so I don't think it's a BIOS problem directly.

 

[Blazer]

use the HD manufactures utility to test the HD

 

[robisbell]

can you access the HDD with your XP cd?

 

[Denithor]

That's what I'm trying to tell you guys--this laptop WON'T DO ANYTHING after it finishes the post process. It doesn't try to boot from the hdd, it doesn't spin up a Windows OS disc, it won't start from a hdd tools disc, NOTHING at all. It just sits there with a blinking cursor.

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: blazer
use the HD manufactures utility to test the HD

Nevermind

 

[robisbell]

okay, then the system is toast, if the laptop is under warranty, send it in, if not, then get a new laptop.

 

[Denithor]

I will try resetting the CMOS, otherwise I suppose this thing is junk. Funny though that I can get into BIOS, make changes, etc with no problems. Tells me something is probably broken in there halting the post process just before it starts to boot from either optical drive or HDD.

 

[robisbell]

or the motherboard.