Desperate...Computer Error Messages

[Rachel in Iraq]

I am in Iraq with a locked up computer and desperately need help.
A couple of weeks ago, my cd drive stopped working. A couple of days ago,
the comp was on stand by and was slow coming up. Yesterday, I got a blue
screen with a message reading something like the following:

Experiencing hardware problems. If this is the first time you have seen this
message, restart your computer. If not, press F-8 (and then more instructions
followed). At the bottom of the screen it said "beginning drive dump".

Today, the only thing that will come up (on a black screen) is "non-system
or disk error. Replace and strike any key when ready". The only keys that
will do anything are ctl+ alt+ del. Then, (again on a black screen) it reads
"F-10=ROM Based Setup F-12=Network Service Boot. Each of those take me to the
previous screen.

Is my hard drive fried and my files dumped? If anyone can provide any
suggestions or comments, I would greatly appreciate it. I am virtually
computer illiterate and this is my life line here.

Rachel

 

[P.Dorf]

I am in Iraq with a locked up computer and desperately need help.
A couple of weeks ago, my cd drive stopped working. A couple of days ago,
the comp was on stand by and was slow coming up. Yesterday, I got a blue
screen with a message reading something like the following:

Experiencing hardware problems. If this is the first time you have seen
this
message, restart your computer. If not, press F-8 (and then more
instructions
followed). At the bottom of the screen it said "beginning drive dump".

Today, the only thing that will come up (on a black screen) is "non-system
or disk error. Replace and strike any key when ready". The only keys that
will do anything are ctl+ alt+ del. Then, (again on a black screen) it
reads
"F-10=ROM Based Setup F-12=Network Service Boot. Each of those take me to
the
previous screen.

Is my hard drive fried and my files dumped? If anyone can provide any
suggestions or comments, I would greatly appreciate it. I am virtually
computer illiterate and this is my life line here.

Rachel

Sounds like the hard-drive has died.
If the CD drive went first, I'd suspect a build-up of dust causing heat
problems.

 

[DL]

"non-system or disk error"
Ensure you dont have a floppy in the drive, If you dont you need your win*
installation cd in order to attempt a repair.
You could try booting to the 'safe mode' menu, usually by keying F8 during
the boot process. If you can access this screen try last good configeration.

 

[Justern]

The fact you get a windows error suggests that you dont have a fried hard
drive, just a corrupt windows or hard drive in need of a scan.

You can rip out the hard drive and copy the files off onto another pc
without to much hassle, if you try to reinstall XP you'll almost certainly
format the drive and lose your data unless you know what youre doing.

J

 

[joust in jest]

Justern:
The OP is getting BIOS error messages, NOT Windows error messages. When
posters state emphatically that they are computer illiterate, Please do not
further confuse them by posting wrong information.