WinXP not starting up

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tom B
  • Start date Start date
T

Tom B

WinXp crashed and then refused to start up altogether
except in safe mode. I have tried everything I know to try
and fix this even going so far as to reformat my hard drive
and reinstall windows but even this does not work.

Hope somebody out there can help me.

Thanks
 
Tom B said:
WinXp crashed and then refused to start up altogether
except in safe mode. I have tried everything I know to try
and fix this even going so far as to reformat my hard drive
and reinstall windows but even this does not work.

Hope somebody out there can help me.

Thanks
Click to expand...

If Windows XP will not run normally after a reformat and reinstall
then you may have a hardware problem.

What exactly happens when you attempt to start up in normal mode? If
it only goes so far and then automatically reboots then there is
something that you can do to get a bit more information about the
problem.

Boot the computer into Safe Mode. Then open Control Panel - System -
Advanced and click on the Settings button in the Startup and Recovery
(bottom) section.

In the Startup and Recovery window click on the checkbox for
"automatically restart" to clear it. Click on Apply and OK as needed
to exit.

Shut down and restart the computer normally. The rebooting should
now be replaced by a Blue Screen Of Death STOP error message. The
contents of the STOP error, including all of the parameters, will be a
direct clue as to the underlying cause of your problems. Post that
information back here if you need further assistance.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
 
-----Original Message-----
If Windows XP will not run normally after a reformat and reinstall
then you may have a hardware problem.

What exactly happens when you attempt to start up in normal mode? If
it only goes so far and then automatically reboots then there is
something that you can do to get a bit more information about the
problem.

Boot the computer into Safe Mode. Then open Control Panel - System -
Advanced and click on the Settings button in the Startup and Recovery
(bottom) section.

In the Startup and Recovery window click on the checkbox for
"automatically restart" to clear it. Click on Apply and OK as needed
to exit.

Shut down and restart the computer normally. The rebooting should
now be replaced by a Blue Screen Of Death STOP error message. The
contents of the STOP error, including all of the parameters, will be a
direct clue as to the underlying cause of your problems. Post that
information back here if you need further assistance.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
.
Click to expand...

When starting up, it gets to the stage with the the Windows
logo and the little green status bar thingy underneath. It
does not automatically reboot, it just
freezes like that until the computer is restarted.

I tried your sugestion but in order to do this it requires
alerts to to be started which cannot be done in safe mode.

I also do not understand how it could be a hardware problem
if it manages to start up in safe mode. I have tried
disabling any non-essential hardware devices with no success.

Any other ideas apart from the large hammer which is on
standby?
 
You didn't define the crash but it's reasonable to assume it was hardware
related and all things being equal, by extension, whatever caused the system
to crash could also keep it from booting into Windows.

"I also do not understand how it could be a hardware problem
if it manages to start up in safe mode. I have tried
disabling any non-essential hardware devices with no success."

That's one of the reasons for having a Safe Mode, to help possibly diagnose
issues, including hardware issues that might prevent Windows from booting.

In addition to Ron's advice, here's some other diagnostic routes you can
follow, all of which you should be able to do from Safe Mode:
First, be sure your antivirus software has the latest definitions and run a
virus scan.

Second, download, install and run Ad Aware:
www.lavasoftusa.com

Open Control Panel, open Administrative Tools, open Event Viewer, look for
errors corresponding to the crash, double click the error, the information
contained within may give a clue as to the
source of the problem. If you don't understand the information inside, the
third button down in that dialog box will copy the information,
you can then paste it into a message and post it here and maybe we can
figure out what is going on.

Assuming you have an XP CD and not a recovery CD, place the XP CD in the
drive, when the setup screen appears, select "Check System Compatibility,"
the report it generates may point to problem hardware or software on your
system. If you do not have an XP CD, you can download this application
known as the Upgrade Advisor from the following site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/upgrading/advisor.asp
Note: If you have access to a broadband connection it might be best to
download using that as this is a rather large download.

Check for the latest drivers for your hardware, especially your graphics
card and soundcard and all peripherals connected to your system. Do not use
Windows Update for this, go to the device manufacturer's web sites and if
you install updated drivers, ignore the message about drivers being unsigned
by Microsoft. *Before installing any drivers, be sure you are well backed
up and it's probably a good idea to manually create a restore point in
System Restore in case you have problems as a result of the driver update
and note, System Restore is not a substitute for a backup. Start\All
Programs\Accessories\System Tools\System Restore
 
Your comment:
I also do not understand how it could be a hardware problem
if it manages to start up in safe mode.

In SAFE mode the drivers for MANY pieces of hardware do
not load. If a particular piece of hardware has a problem
but its driver doesn't load, Windows may be blissfully
unaware of the problem. The fact that your system DOES
come up in SAFE mode indicates a problem not central to
the core operating system, rather to something else, like
hardware. It could be that the driver is damaged . . .

Good Luck !
 
Mousey Mick said:
Your comment:
I also do not understand how it could be a hardware problem
if it manages to start up in safe mode.

In SAFE mode the drivers for MANY pieces of hardware do
not load.
Click to expand...


Mick's right, this really sounds like a driver problem.

What are you installing after WinXP?

Are you installing a Retail/OEM version of WinXP or from an OEM Recovery
Disc?
 
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