@ start up of my HP nx9010 there is an immediate error ----- A disk read error occurred Press Ctrl Alt Del This is a continous cycle---I do not have the password for setup!!!!

This likely has nothing to do with you "Setup", so you shouldn't have to go there. Not knowing the password to your "Setup" or BIOS is not a good thing on a laptop. Most laptops do not have a password reset button or pin, so if you should ever need to get in there to configure something for your computer to run better or for whatever reason - you probably won't be able to do this. Anyway..........a "disc read error" is often from your hard drive crashing, or it isn't properly connected to the motherboard or cable running between it and your motherboard. Most likely your laptop's motherboard has a spot to plug your hard drive directly into it. Sometimes you can get this error from a faulty stick of RAM (Memory) also.

If you are starting up your laptop without a CD / DVD in the drive then the cause of the problem is either:

1. The hard drive has a physical failure and must be replaced. (You can purchase a replacement at any good PC store or online. Be sure to purchase a like for like drive).

2. The Operating system you are using is corrupt, although you would normally get a message stating, "NTLDR Missing".

To re-install your operating system you will have to enter the Boot Setup on power - on. This is usually the DEL key, or the F2 / F12 key. It should falsh up at the beginning of the start up cycle. Ensure that you select your CD / DVD drive as your option 1 for boot.

Hope that helps.

This is not a password error, it is an error with your hard drive being read by the BIOS on the motherboard. This can occur if the interface between the hard drive and the motherboard is somehow disrupted, like a loose connection (check to make sure the HDD is peoperly seated in the interface). This might be an error with the master boot record on the HDD not allowing the HDD to boot. There might be damage to the drive itself in which the read/write heads have contacted the platters leaving the HDD disabled.

Try removing the HDD with all power off, and then re-install the drive. I've also seen this error crop up when the CMOS battery died. Try replacing the CMOS battery. The most likely cause is again HDD failure, the HDD doesn't always let you know if it is going to fail, the failure could be electronic and not mechanical.