tigris_nl said:
The f5 button worked!
However, after going into Safe Mode, I still can't get passed the Welcome
screen. Still the same problem there....I enter my password, the pc loads
my
settings, the desktop flashes , saves my settings and and I'm back to the
Welcome screen.
I know my password is correct, because it always loads my settings and I
never change that password. When I try under the guest account (no
password
required) the same loop occurs....so I think that deleting my admin
password
would not change anything...right?
My pc has an Asus motherboard PSGD1-VM. I have the original CD of Win XP
Pro...it came with the pc when I had it made. The company that made it
was
bought out, so going to them for help is not an option.
I notice I have a lot more options in the advanced menu.....should I try
"Last known good config"?
Nass: the f8 button does nothing, even under the device menu....I've
tried
countless times
Thanks so much for your help Anna and nass!!!!
Jen:
By all means try the "Last Known Good Configuration..." menu item. If that
works in that you're able to achieve a bootable, functional system, then
well & good. Make sure you re:check your system for any malware and
download/install whatever Microsoft critical updates are available for your
system. Also, at a minimum (should the system not presently contain it),
install SP2. Work with the system for a while to determine all is well and
then download/install SP3 at some later date.
But if the LKGC... does not resolve your problem(s)...
1. Insert your XP installation CD and boot to the CD.
2. At the "Welcome to Setup" screen, press R to enter the Recovery Console.
3. You'll be prompted to enter your Administrator password and the number of
your Windows installation. That number will probably be 1.
4. At the command prompt type chkdsk /r and press Enter.
Should your problem arise from a not-too-terribly corrupted OS and doesn't
involve a hardware issue, the chkdsk process will (hopefully) correct the
problem.
But if it doesn't...
I would suggest running a Repair install of the OS.
I assume you've never done this before so here's some general info on the
process...
Undertaking a Repair install of the OS is a relatively straightforward
process. It would be roughly akin to making a fresh install of the OS, but
in nearly every case your existing programs & user-created data would be
retained. Notice I said "nearly". While it would be a rather rare situation
where data would be lost or corrupted as a result of the Repair install, and
as unlikely as it may be, it *could* happen.
So if there are any programs and/or other data on your present drive that
are absolutely crucial to you and you could not tolerate their loss, then I
would strongly suggest that before undertaking this Repair install operation
that you first either make a "clone" of your existing HDD (using a disk
imaging or disk cloning program) or, if that's not practical, install the
HDD in another machine as a secondary HDD so that you can pull off whatever
data you want onto some removable media, e.g., flash drive, USB external
HDD, CD, etc.
Again, while it's a relatively rare event that a loss or corruption of data
will occur even when the Repair install is unsuccessful, it *can* happen. So
I want you to be aware of this. I should also mention that there's a similar
possibility of further data corruption when the chkdsk /r command is invoked
(as suggested above). Again, while the danger of such is slight, it's still
a possibility.
There are a number of websites that contain detailed information on the
Repair install process. Let me assure you that it's not a difficult process
and not terribly time-consuming. As I've indicated it's roughly similar to
making a fresh install of the XP OS. If you do a Google search on "XP repair
install", you'll be pointed to many of these websites that contain
step-by-step instructions for undertaking a Repair install. Here are a
few...
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm#RI
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=138
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winxppro/installxpcdrepair/indexfullpage.htm
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341
Again, to emphasize. Running a Repair install is virtually identical to
fresh-installing the XP OS on one's system.
Assuming the Repair install is successful, you should use your A-V program
to immediately check out your PC for any virus infestation. Also, as
previously indicated, should your XP installation CD not contain SP2,
download & install that Service Pack. Work with the system for a while and
if all is well download & install Service Pack 3. Then download/install all
the MS critical updates since SP3 was released.
Anyway, give this Repair install of the OS some thought if you can't get
your system back to a functional state any other way. Understand that even
if the problem originates from a corrupted OS, i.e., no hardware issue is
involved, the Repair install is not always successful. And in the final
analysis there may be no other recourse but to fresh-install the OS.
Just one other thing...
Although it doesn't sound like your problem may have arisen as a consequence
of some hardware problem, it is conceivable that you're dealing with such
here and not just a corruption of the OS. Where a hardware-type problem may
be the culprit, it's usually the HDD that's defective although it's entirely
possible some other major component of your system may be at the root of the
problem you're experiencing. In any event, it's possible that you may be
dealing with a defective HDD so it probably would be wise to check out the
HDD with a HDD diagnostic utility you can (usually) download from the
website of the disk's manufacturer. It's very easy to use - the downloaded
program allows you to create either a bootable floppy disk or bootable CD
containing the HDD diagnostic program. So keep the preceding in mind as a
possibility and give it some consideration should the other approaches not
resolve your problem(s).
Anna
