Computer automatically restarts before login screen

[sbressler]

@ OIDanTheManIO
I don't have any such setting in my BIOS. In fact, my BIOS doesn't seem to have many customizable settings at all, other than perhaps boot order

@ geekster
Yes, I understood from your first post what you were saying (I saw the tip at the website I listed above), but I don't have the second option of repairing once I enter the install.

 

[Vikas]

Try installing fresh copy of XP to another partition of your hard-disk. In case you have just one partition, choose a different folder name (setup will ask you whether you wish to overwrite the current installation or install in a different folder, give a different folder name e.g. Windows-New )

You should be able to access your file /other data this way.

Do check out all the options under F8 (including the VGA mode) before installing the fresh copy.

 

[sbressler]

I tried all the options under F8 that seemed relevant and it restarted for each.

 

[Apokalipse]

take out all hardware except what is necessary (motherboard, video, ram, CPU, and HDD so you can install windows)
then see if it will crash during install

 

[sbressler]

It is a laptop...that is not really easy. All I want to do is get Windows working, not reinstall it. In fact, I have no reason to believe that an install won't work, but that is not what I want to do.

 

[Vikas]

sbressler:

I don't know what is going on, but I really need a file off the computer and in Bart PE, there doesn't seem to be much way other than over the network to transfer a file. Can anyone help please?

If getting that file is on the top-priority then you shoud try to reinstall windows / install a fresh copy, just takes an hr.

--Vikas