computer with broken screen stuck in repair loop

[xzachxxi]

This computer was dropped and broken by TSA agents. the screen is cracked, nothing on the interior appears to be physically broken. it's an HP touchscreen ultrabook. it is stuck in a automatic repair loop. i can get into BIOS but i cannot boot from a disk into linux.

any idea what could be wrong?

 

[King Kevain]

Sounds like a damaged Hard Drive - can't read the drive to load the OS, but detects the drive - goes into recovery mode thinking you have corrupt files or no O/S installed. Hope you had it backed up

 

[xzachxxi]

but if it's just the hard drive why won't it boot with a linux live CD?

 

[King Kevain]

That depends, did you set the 1st Boot device to CD in BIOS or do you still have it set to HDD?

 

[xzachxxi]

bios set to CD