T410 Crashed and now black screen with flashing cursor when I start-up

[smwhite]

My t410 was working fine and then crashed suddenly. I then turned it back on and got the BSOD several times, hit F8 and tried to repair the laptop - it said it could not be repaired and to try system restore point. I did the system restore point to July 31. I restarted the laptop and still got the BSOD. I then did function F8 and tried the factory reset/restore. I restarted the laptop and got to the install windows screen, proceeded to select language and name the laptop, then it shut off again.

I tried to turn it on and now all I get is a black screen with a blinking cursor in the upper left of the screen - and it hangs on this screen permanently. I turned it off and restarted and got the same result. I can hit the blue thinkvantage button during the initial startup - but I am not sure what I should do at this point.

The laptop is 3 years old, and I have had no problems up until this point. I do not need the data on it, I just want it to function.

[Ron_9972 Support Specialist]

In order to troubleshoot your problem, can you let us know: 

Are you able to get into BIOS by pressing F1 at the ThinkPad screen? 

Do you have anything attached like a flash drive, etc.? 

Have you recently installed any new hardware or software?

Do you have a Repair & Recovery DVD?

[smwhite]

I can get into BIOS by hitting the blue think vantage button.

I have not downloaded anything.

No flash drive or any device attached.

I do not have my own repair and recovery DVD. I have one from my wife's company for windows 7 for Cisco. I tired to install and it says there is not enough room on the computer hard drive and to remove files to create space. I assume it has not removed the previous windows and is trying to install an additional version?

[Ron_9972 Support Specialist]

What OS are you using?  Can you check in BIOS to make sure you are booting from your harddrive?   

You can also try running PC Doctor by following these steps:

To run PC-Doctor, do as follows:

1. Turn off the computer, and then turn it on again.

2. When the ThinkPad® logo comes up, immediately press the ThinkVantage

button. The Rescue and Recovery workspace opens.

3. Click Diagnose hardware.

[smwhite]

I was running Windows 7.

Yes I was booting from hardware.

I tried the diagnose hardware option - but it never progresses from 0% complete.

[Ron_9972 Support Specialist]

Can you boot into safe mode?

[tripplec]

You had it 3 years and did not create the recovery DVD's for it!

When they go as in you description it is usually some hardware failure. It could be the HD or system board. Generic DVD's had microsoft memory diagnositic on it. If you have one it usually at the bottom of one of the screens after it boots up. I am not sure but when you find it run it (nothing to install as its on the DVD). If it runs then you off to a good start and passes even better. Not a memory failure and likely the motherboard is ok since a lot is function to run the memtest utility.

That pretty well leaves the HD as the most likely cause and far more skills to run tests without a working operating systems.

[smwhite]

I tried the R and R CD for Windows 7. It loads the R+R interface via the CD, and attempts to repair the system, it says it is successful and it will restart. It restarts and then attempts the same exact repair sequence. I repeated this process of repair and restart 5 times, and still the same result. I removed the CD, and restarted, and got the blinking white cursor in the top left again.

I tried changing the BIOS Boot Drive, tried all of them HDD 0, HDD 1, HDD 2, USB and got the same exact result - blinking white cursor in the top left. The R+R CD only works when the BIOS Boot is set to USB.

I tried again with the R+R CD and attempted to restore to previous version (only option that now shows is August 4) and it completes the process and attempts to restart, but it just reverts back to the R+R interface again with the same troubleshooting options.

I removed the CD and went through all Boot options again, and still I only get a blinking cursor in the upper left. Is my hard drive toasted? Is there a longer warranty on the hard drive.

I actually looked up my purchase date for the laptop and it was December 2010/January 11 delivery - so it is not 3 years old.

[smwhite]

No - cannot boot into safe mode.

[tripplec]

Well if the HDD is working as it appears it is you should verify that the boot partitioin on it is actually active. If so and it is in the boot order is must attempt to load the OS.