compaq presario cq56 will not boot up.

[TehGreatPenguin]

Model: Compaq Presario CQ56-219WM

I've had the computer for just under a year. When I press the power button, the computer starts, shows the red "Q" screen, then "hangs" on a black screen with a blinking underscore. I've run the diagnostics available and everything SEEMS fine, but it still will not boot past the black screen. Tried a hard reset, still no luck.

[DavidPK · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Assuming you are using Windows 7, try the following.

If you don't already have one, use another PC to create a Windows 7 Recovery CD.  Download the relevant ISO from the links below - If you're unsure, your notebook is listed as having a 64bit installation..

Windows 7 32bit

Windows 7 64bit

You should use an application such as ImgBurn to burn the ISO to a CD - a guide on using ImgBurn to write an ISO to a disc is Here.

Boot from the Rescue CD, select Repair Your Computer and choose the Command Prompt.  When this loads, enter the following commands and hit enter after each one - include spaces as shown.

Bootrec.exe

bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup

c:

cd boot

attrib bcd -s -h -r

ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old

bootrec /RebuildBcd

bootrec /fixmbr

bootrec /fixboot

Remove the Rescue CD and try rebooting now.

Regards,

DP-K

[TehGreatPenguin]

Showing my ignorance here, but how do I boot from the CD?

EDIT: Never mind I figured it out. lol Thank you so much!

[DavidPK]

Hi,

You're welcome, glad it helped

All the best,

DP-K

[arizoca]

thank you for the very specific to model, answer, it help me to put my son's laptop back to run.

It was really descriptive and appropriate for my failure mode, the only different thing I did is going thru the start up repair option on the disc options, after that, it worked. Thanks!

[RaiderRow]

I have a cq56 that will not boot up. I have made the 64bit recovery cd 4 different times thinking I might have done it wrong the last time. Each time I boot from CD but I do not get the options you state here (i.e repair your computer and then selecting a command prompt). Instead, it goes through loading windows files and then takes me to a window that asks me to select from two options, select a language - and - select a keyboard input method. When I click next, it takes me to system recovery options with 2 options, Use revovery tools....  - and - restore your computer using a system image you created earlier. The recovery tools run forever and fail to work; while the system image fails completely because it says that no image could be found.

Please help, i am stuck.

I am so dumb, everytime I got to the end of the system recovery, I was presented with a myriad of options including an option for the command prompt. I guess I was just trying to go by the directions verbatim. I think my system may be slightly different or some steps were left out in the sinstructions. Regardless, thank you! Once I was able to launch the command prompt, it worked like clockwork. Thank you!!!

[JustLooking]

Ok, I get the same input question(select a language - and - select a keyboard input method). How long does the recovery process take to present the system recovery I may have the same model(cq56) , what were the complete steps to get to the command promp/recovery process?

Thanks

[RaiderRow]

It will take a while to go through the recovery process, don't recall exactly (maybe 5-10 minutes). Pay attention to everything after it is done. When it comes to the screen that tells you that it has failed, read everything on that page, there will be an option for the command prompt. I probably went past that screen 7 times and started the whole process again until I read the entire page. Good luck.

[JustLooking]

I get a beautiful blue screen with a leaf and bird, prompted for input, then nothing. Hmmm? Very useless without some form of status information

[SKX]

on mine ive entered the command prompt details on the ''ren'' one it said file already exsists as another file or could not be found so i finished took the disk out restarted the laptop and it just stayed on the ''starting windows'' screen. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated, thanks.