Computer won't start up at all, no windows CD

[nontechy]

lenovo didn't ship me a windows recovery/installation cd when i got my x60 laptop. Today, my computer just won't start up; it got to the blue screen and asked if i wanted to start up in safe mode, etc...and none of those work...I am told that I could use an outside xp windows cd and reboot fromc d and i tried that but in vain. The lenovo guy told me i could press f11 but i would lose all my files...Is there any other way apart from going to a store and having my files backed-up before reinstalling the whole system?? Thanks!

[jdhurst]

Get a Knoppix Boot CD (Linux) or a Barts PE CD (Windows), boot the machine, network it (via the CD) and copy your data to another machine and then re-image. The CD's I mention are bootable CD's and work for me. The Recovery CD's (even if you have them) won't do what I am suggesting here (at least not for me).

Of much more importance is *why* the machine won't start. Short of a hard drive failure or a system board failure, I have always been able to start a machine. The system board replacement doesn't affect your data. A hard drive replacement does.
... JD Hurst

[nontechy]

I already tried using the PE cd and it won't boot from it. I called Lenovo and they have agreed to ship out a new hard drive to me. However, I am just concerned whether my data from my old hard drive will be retrievable.

Are there two slots in the x60 for the two harddrives to be slotted in?

Thanks.

[jdhurst]

If the machine won't boot with a bootable CD (make sure to press F12 and select this option), then it is not likely the hard drive. Try this: Remove the hard drive. Then start the machine, press F12 (repeatedly if necessary), select the CD option and try to start the bootable CD. If this doesn't work, something else is wrong.
... JD Hurst

[Kyocera]

Granted I have not owned an X series but when recovering using the f11 function there is an option to recover files on the drive to a usb or network drive. Check that out.