Computer only boots up to blue "Windows XP" screen. Help!

[dannyual767]

My 2 yr old eMachines T2890 has worked great until yesterday. My wife tried to start the computer and it loaded past the black XP screen and then went to the blue Windows XP screen with the logo. It won't load up past that point . The mouse works, though. You can see the cursor moving.

I've tried control/alt/delete and it does nothing. I've tried hitting the "enter" key. I've tried restarting the computer. It sticks on the blue screen with the XP logo.

Does anyone have any ideas on what may be going on? Did I get a virus?


Danny

 

[baronvongogo]

Does it load into safe mode? press F6,F7 or F8 to get into safe mode press it when the pc starts up just keep pressing till it appears with a menu and choose safe mode.

 

[dannyual767]

baronvongogo, I did what you suggested and got into safe mode. Now the computer is doing the same thing only in safe mode. It is still on the blue screen with the Windows XP logo but the screen is very "pixelated" looking. It is stuck there and won't go any further.

 

[baronvongogo]

could be a possible hardware issue, although first I would try a repair of windows XP.

1.go into the BIOS by pressing delete at computer start up, then in the screen look around the settings for something which looks like this:

first boot device: hard drive
second boot device: cd rom
third boot device: floppy drive

change it so the first device is cd rom and put the hard drive as second.

Then press esc and then save and exit. once the pc starts up again insert the xp cd. At some point it will now prompt you saying press anykey to load cd-dvd press a key to load the windows cd.

2.Once the installation screen appears it should say detected version of windows click enter to carry on , at this point then press r to repair windows. I cant remember correctly so here is a link explaining it better its further down that page called How to Repair Install: ***Also removes Service Packs***:
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm

3.now once the repair is done it should hopefully look likes its installing windows again its not its just removing all the drivers which if you can get back into windows will have to install again.

Now in the event you still! have problems getting into windows I would presume its a hardware fault. If you wish to be talked through that then so be it just it can be difficult and means opening up your case etc

 

[dannyual767]

baronvongogo, before your last post, I decided to try something else. While the computer was starting up, I pressed F7 until I got the different options to come up (same screen with "safe mode" startup.) One of the options was something like this: "Start using the last known good setting."

I clicked on it and then the computer brought up another screen that now says this:

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
<Windows root>\system32\hal.dll.
Please re-install a copy of the above file.

It looks like my computer has lost something. Why and how? This is not the first time that a computer of mine has lost components. What causes this?

 

[baronvongogo]

ok that can be a common problem and an annoying one here are some links to possible solutions Iv put them in order of which I think may be affecting you:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;330184
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320252
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314477

here is a link to someone else's problem its where I go those from:
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/WinXP/Q_21091291.html

the replies and answers are at the bottom of the page dont click the view solutions button .

The windows repair method I posted may also work but if the above ones fix it then that would be better for you.

 

[dannyual767]

I tried to follow the instructions in link #1. When I inserted the Restore disc, the menu ended up being way different. One of the options was the more simple, non-destructive restore. I went through the entire process with 3 discs and then restarted the computer-same thing: blue screen with the Windows XP logo.

I'm now in the process of doing a destructive restore with backup. It will take another 30 mins or so and hopefully it will work but I don't hold out much hope. I think the computer is junk.

I'm quite frustrated.

 

[dannyual767]

Good news !!! It lives!!! It lives!!!

I'm running some of the many Big Fix updates right now but its working!

Whew! I'm happy its up and running again. Its only a little over 2 yrs old and I really did want to get some more use out of it.

Thanks for the help baronvongogo!

Danny

 

[EricB]

you lost your data though. you could have kept if you ran a repair. I would have ran a system restore to 30 days before first.

 

[dannyual767]

Yeah, I lost all of my data but I'm still happy that the computer is up and running.

I really do wish that I would've reread an earlier post by baronvongogo (his 2nd post in this thread) where he talks about a repair. I got tunnel vision on his 3rd post. Just proves once again how sorry my reading comprehension and memory are !