My HP Laptop is toast?.......Time for a bullet in forehead

That's it? Just the fingerprint reader cannot be detected? Mine does that often. Do you remember your password to get into windows without using the fingerprint reader? Have you tried shutting it off completely (not resuming from suspend) and trying it? There might be some ways around it, but... not that easy. Toast is a bit much. Reinstalling everything from scratch, that might be an option, but a bit extreme.

Anything upgraded recently? Tried safe mode? There's lots of options to choose from before going the drastic route.

Also, there's a technology forum on here.

 

There are a few options available to you. 1) Repair the fingerprint reader, it's completely independent of your hard disk, I don't see why you'd have to lose all your data. 2) You could send your HD for data recovery, it's rather expensive, but it all depends on how much the data within is worth to you. Imo you don't need to do this since your HD isn't actually spoilt.

Can you actually boot to windows? Vista has a built in failsafe whereby there is a mandatory password you need to assign to your user if you want to use fingerprint logon because the fingerprint logon might fail or you might lose your fingers or something. You could also send your laptop to a laptop repair shop and ask for a second opinion.

 

Is it just the fingerprint reader? If you can get on it now, I would backup your stuff, I'm no computer whiz so I dunno if that would even help

 

Consider an external hard disk and a disk imaging program such as Acronis Home. Takes about an hour to do a 100gb image 1x/week; you can do it while you sleep. Keep several backups, so that even if your HD suddenly goes south, you can swap in an identical one and restore all your programs, data, settings, everything.

 

I'd to the 350+GB external HD for sure, but I'd also do a 2 or 4gb USB thumb drive just specifically for E-mail address book, Internet bookmarks, and documents that ARE timely and important (as well as those being on the big HD).

The big HD for everything, the thumb drive you can take with you anywhere.

 

I learned my lesson too, back in 2006 my faithful Mac crashed completely. I had all of my valuable family photos and automotive photos on there. I spent close to 1k having the data picked of the drive picture by picture for 4 weeks. Painful, but I now have two backup drives (videos, pictures, music, and programs basically) and an Apple time machine. I'm prepared.

 

I realise this response is too late for you Peter but for next time or when something similar happens to anyone else download the ubuntu operating system (free) onto a bootable CD www.ubuntu.com. This is a linuxx based operating system that looks sort of like windows but can be run from a CD. You put the CD in (ensure you are booting from the CD through setup which you access as the computer first starts) and when it finishes running you have an operating computer

Now you plug in a USB hard drive and copy all the data files from your internal hard drive - make sure you get all the files you are need! Then you can go about restoring the issue with the computer with confidence that you aren't going to lose anything!!! And I have had to do this to my wifes laptop and it does work!!

 

I am partnered with HP/Compaq. PM me.

 

What do you do Steph?

 

Never had any of my Macs crash on me. Yet I have a massive backup drive.

 

The only laptop I have had die on me was the backlight on the screen of a Toshiba laptop. One suggestion of an external hard drive is a good one but I have had 3 external HD fail over the years so I would also suggest that you make backup DVD's of your data. And make multiple backups to play it safe.

 

Sales executive for HP/Compaq parts (typically for large, mainframe computers) amongst other things.

 

See if you can sign up to do one of those "I'm a PC" commercials

 

Don't mess with her, boys: she's got a Blade (server).

(Aka: the HP space heater. )

 

Pete, I hope my nerdy self provided you with enough help, for now. If not, you know what to do!

Pete or myself? Either way, I don't think I've seen that commercial, then again, I don't watch much tv anymore.

Hahahaha...that's so corny it's hilarious.

My favorites are the empty server racks because they look like time machines.