My computer is smurfed

[NorthernChaosGod]

I think my computer is bricked now.

It all started when I was using the card reader to add new songs and ringtones to my SD card for my phone. It wouldn't read the first couple of times, so I kept taking it out and reinserting it. Eventually it reads it and then my computer craps out and gives me the blue screen of death.

"Alright," I think. This shouldn't be an issue because it's only happened once. So I try restarting my computer and it doesn't boot Windows. It asks me to try start up repair or try to start Windows normally. I choose to use start up repair.

Windows starts doing its thing or whatever and then it asks if I want to do a system restore. I click yes and it goes back to loading/configuring crap. After a while the stupid thing just freezes on me.

I turn the smurfing thing off, let it sit for a bit, then try the whole process again. Same. smurfing. Thing.

I try one more time and I then I get into the HP recovery options that they installed on it. It gives me the options to factory reset, do MS recovery, do a system scan, and back up my files. My data is important so that's the first thing I go to do. It scans all the files to back up and then doesn't even let me save them to my external hard drive.

I back up and try the system scan thing to scan my Windows drive. It starts scanning stuff, but while I'm looking away doing my homework it just kicks me back to the part where I choose which drive to scan.

I go back and nearly resigning to just factory restore this bitch, but opt to try and do the MS recovery thing. Then it freezes on me again.

I turn that bitch back off and let it sit for a while. Now when I try to turn it on, it powers up but the screen stays blank with the caps lock and num lock lights flashing.

wat do?

[NorthernChaosGod]

Also, it might be helpful to know that I'm running Windows 7 on an HPG61.

[Iceglow]

normally when windows 7 spits the BSOD at you, you should ignore the system repair menu on the reboot and just select start windows normally instead. This will work 90% of the times you do it.

I don't understand why your SD card reader would allow your entire windows machine to be smurfed. Overload a couple of key processes sure, could see that but resetting the same key processes would be enough of a "fix"

You're making it harder than it needs to be.

[Peegee]

You want to retain your data, and it's a laptop, and system repair doesn't work

question - does your laptop have a dvd drive? Boot up something like a linux distro (I think knoppix std) - then you can plug in a usb drive to back up your data

[NorthernChaosGod]

So after leaving it alone all night last night and all day today, I came up with a Windows 7 repair disc and an HP specific repair disc and a Puppy Linux disc all to try and solve this trout.

My computer booted up fine.

I'm backing up everything to be safe, I don't understand how it had so many problems yesterday and runs fine right now. If it happens again I might just do a clean install since I'll have everything backed up.

[o_O]

Well I was gonna tell you to get a Linux live CD to get in and back up your stuff, but I see you've got that one covered.

I'd be wary that there might be a hardware issue here; The pattern of the blinking on the capslock/numlock keys is actually a diagnostic code, telling you why the machine won't start up. Older PCs used a similar mechanism, only it was a series of beeps from the PC speaker. Unfortunately there are a number of different problems it could be, so I don't suppose you remember the pattern?

You can have a look <a href="http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01443366&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN">here</a> to see if you can match a diagnosis from memory, otherwise make sure you note down the pattern if it happens again. If it doesn't happen again, it was probably just telling you the battery was drained.

[NorthernChaosGod]

Oh, wow. I didn't know that was a diagnostic code. I distinctly remember them blinking more than twice, but not sure how many times. I'll keep this in mind in case anything happens again.

[Citizen Bleys]

I can guarantee it's not a Windows issue; What you described with the num lock key flashing is called a POST failure, which occurs before your OS even thinks of loading. Before your BIOS and bootloader even. Are all of your fans running? Was an even coat of thermal paste applied to your CPU before installing the CPU fan? Perhaps you need a new (and preferably beefier) PSU?