Windows XP is starting up

[Raymond Lynch]

I had to reinstall Windows XP Pro due to a virus and now after the black
screen with the blue squares has appeared in the boot process, I get a
screen similar to the shutdown screen but with the message "Windows XP is
starting up" whereas it used to go directly to the welcome screen. This
"start up" screen seems to hang for several minutes, after which the welcome
screen appears and everything then works normally.

I would appreciate any advice that can be given as to why this screen now
appears and why it is taking so much longer to boot.

Raymond Lynch

 

[Scott]

What does your boot.ini say?
Post contents?

 

[Guest]

How to perform a clean install after virus infection.

Clean install: BACKUP YOUR DATA, THIS WILL WIPE THE DRIVE CLEAN

In order to do a very clean install you may want to download and create a
(FKA) Low Level Format diskette. You should be able to get a LLF (HD format
utility that writes 0's to the drive) utility from your HD manufacture:

IBM(Hitachi)
http://www.hgst.com/hdd/support/download.htm

Seagate
http://www.seagate.com/support/disc/utils.html

Maxtor
http://www.maxtor.com/en/support/downloads/index.htm

Fujitsu
http://www.fel.fujitsu.com/home/drivers.asp?L=en&CID=1

Samsung
http://www.samsung.com/Products/HardDiskDrive/utilities/index.htm
FAQ: Low level format

Western Digital
http://support.wdc.com/download/index.asp

The reason is that some viruses and even Windows OS can leave traces of
itself on your HD, I have formatted numerous systems, set specificate
settings, re-formatted the unit using Windows XP OS and there it was most
settings where already set, this LLF utility will insure that the hard drive
be wiped clean for XP or any OS install. Be advised that this utility will
wipe all partitions from your drive so you will have to re-create them, no
biggy this is part of the OS installation process.

Insert XP CD into your CD-Rom drive (the BIOS must be set to boot from the
CD-Rom 1st), power down the PC. Before powering the PC on, unplug the
Internet connection, scanners, printers, any peripheral attached including
modems, wireless cards.

Power on PC, when windows starts create your partition(s) as desired
(example below), format your primary partition and install XP. Once the OS
has installed do not connect to the Internet, install your anti-virus and
firewall, connect to the Internet and do your live updates for your
anti-virus, firewall, then windows, after this has completed install the rest
of your SW and perform your updates to these.

Download the latest drivers for your peripherals, then install your
hardware, (note: some peripherals require that you first install the SW prior
to installing the hardware, consult your manufactures manual for
instructions).

 

[Raymond Lynch]

Thanks for your reply.here is a copy of my boot.ini

[bootloader]
timeout = 30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating system]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS = "Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect / noexecute=optin

Cheers

Ray Lynch

 

[Scott]

Hey Ray,
Your boot.ini is the same as mine EXCEPT for the " / noexecute=optin"
bit on the end.

Remove that bit and restart and I think you got it.
Lemme know if it works for you.
Cheers!

 

[Keith Willcocks]

Hey Ray,
Your boot.ini is the same as mine EXCEPT for the " / noexecute=optin"
bit on the end.

Remove that bit and restart and I think you got it.
Lemme know if it works for you.
Cheers!

Hi Scott,

Ray has gone away for the Bank Holiday weekend and I said I would monitor
this for him until then. I will make sure he tries your suggestion out as
soon as he returns. Curiously, I just looked at my boot.ini and it has the
" / noexecute=optin" bit like his and it runs ok.

Regards

Keith Willcocks

 

[Scott]

SP 1 or SP2?

 

[Keith Willcocks]

SP 1 or SP2?

He is on SP2 as am I.