System Recovery and Recovery Media

[mandyh]

My Satellite L505D-S5987 was in proper working order at last use but when I turned it on today I got an improper shut down message.  When I try to start Windows normally - it just shuts off.  When I try to Launch Startup Repair, I get Error f3-f100-0004.  Have I lost everything?  What can I do? 

[Peter]

You should probably perform a System Recovery.

Recovering your laptop to its original, out-of-the-box state is a great way to eliminate software as a possible cause of the problem. Note that doing a system recovery will return the laptop to its default conditions, completely wiping your data. Information on how to perform a system recovery can be found in your user's guide. Hold '0' (zero) while booting to begin the process.

Are there files you would want to retrieve before proceeding?

[mandyh]

I was able to remove the hard drive, and pull my important files to another PC.  I tried holding 0 and it brought me to the boot manager which gave me no option to do a system recovery.  It was after I tried to do a system recovery that I got the Toshiba error mentioned above.  Does this seem to be just an OS issue that can be fixed by ordering Recovery CDs or is my laptop in need of a new hard drive?

[Jerry_Lippey]

Satellite L505D-S5987

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I was able to remove the hard drive, and pull my important files to another PC.

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That doesn't prove the hard drive is okay, but it sure adds credence to that belief. (There may be some other hardware problem, of course.)

I'd try restoring it from the recovery discs.

[aquickiefan]

Hi Mandy, were you able to figure out why you were receiving this particular error? If so, what did you have to end up doing to fix it? I am working on a notebook that is giving me this same error. I can't get into Windows at all, not even into Safe Mode. It also will not let me do a system recovery. Thanks in advance for replying.