Win XP will not boot

[Runfox]

My wife's computer has me a bit baffled. I got a blue screen but didn't catch the error code, when I tried to restart, it came to the option window, Safe Mode, Last previous working version , blah blah.. Start normal in blank seconds. Well no matter the choice I make it goes a second or two likes it will start, then the computer does a reset back to the option screen again.

I tried a windows repair, looked like it was good. I had it back in windows until the next restart, then same old option screen , no start. My son suggested a bad boot sector on the HD. I took the HD out and hocked it up to my computer as a secondary drive, under properties did a windows error check, no problems found. Put the hard drive back in my wife's computer, it starts fine. Turn it off, secure hard drive back in case , close it up, start up, same thing back to option screen , endless loop.

It's like if I do anything to it some how, it is good for one start , then when I think it is ok, next start it's the same thing, option screen no start.
I don't think the hardware or hard drive have any problem, nothing has changed there . The only thing I have changed right before this was to swap out monitors .It seems like a problem with Windowx XP I cant quite figure out.

MY last resort would be install another spare hard drive I have, install windows on it, then place her old drive as the secondary to save the data off it. I hate to do that as she is real protective of her computer , always afraid I might mess it up and loose her data.

I did a search of windows wont boot, but couldn't really find any similar problems.
After some web searching I see some possible problems, bad Boot.ini file or bad or corrupt registry. I would think the windows repair install I performed successfully would have fixed any of that though.

 

[Trotter]

Did you do a repair or a restore? A repair looks exactly like it is doing a new installation, whereas a restore does its thing and reboots.

A repair should have fixed the problem.

 

[Runfox]

I did a windows REPAIR , which does look exactly like a reinstall. And it did work one time, got into windows , looked good, next start up, same thing, option screen , no boot.
I found this resource after a web search,
10 things you can do when Windows XP won't boot

1) I don't have a windows stat up disk, 2) Last known configuration doesn't work, 3) Use system restore. Well I cant get it to boot in safe mode as is. However I can put it on my computer as a secondary drive, run error check , then put it back in her computer and hope I get one good start up and try that.

 

[-RockMan-]

Ok, would you please hook up the hdd inside another pc and begin backing the files to flash drive, cd or dvd ?
Once your done put the hdd back inisde her pc and begin formatting the hdd.
Do not choose quick format as windows xp does a sloppy job of formatting with that option and during the end of installation you will encounter some problems again while using xp for the next few days.

If I were you I would try downloaing system mechanic 9 professional trial and have it scanned the hdd slowly to see if it picks up any problems.
Also look at XP's error log found in the control panl under system management or whatever it's called and see if XP starts saying hdd error at 9:00am 12:00pm and etc.
If it's consistant with repeated errors coming from the hdd youur hard drive might be failing.

If you go to Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more! and look at the hdd's for under 50.00 it can be easily replaced if money is not an issue for you.

 

[Runfox]

Thanks for all the help and advice , I really appreciate it.
MikefuryXp I get what your saying , the hard drive may be failing. I agree.
Well I put her drive in my computer, did another win error check, try to repair bad sectors checked, let it run through all 6 phases. Put it back in her comp, was able to boot in safe mode as expected, did a restore to a previous good spot, restart, windows back up to normal.

My wife was very happy, so good for now. I will download that System Mechanic 9 and check it out. And yeah a new hard drive would be a good idea, and I'll look at one of my other extra drives for now , might have one large enough to install so she can back all her stuff up, than maybe a reformat/ reinstall .

 

[Runfox]

Downloaded System Mechanic trail, ran it, it did some nice optimize work on registry and such. Ill have to see about getting a new HD and backing up her current HD. Again thanks for all your help, I'm still learning here as I go, I have to be the "System Administrator" for my computer and my wife's so there is always some problem or challenge that comes up to learn from.

 

[Hampton]

boot files were proly to blame.. from the sounds of it.. I was thinking it could be memory going bad.. sometimes bad GPU's do all that too

 

[Runfox]

I think I found the problem.
Original problem, comp would not boot, thought it was bad HD or boot sector, swapped out that HD for known working drive, boot fine
Later I remove back up drive, same problem, computer would not boot.
I am thinking common problem, motherboard. CMOS often acts strange, keeps defaulting to a floppy drive that is not there, I correct it, next time it would not boot, CMOS shows boot order sequence with floppy first, I correct that.
Computer originally had MEM 1 stick 512 MB DDR400, 1 stick 126 DDR400
I found another stick of 512MB DDR400 and added it, total 1128mb.
Comp started a few times then back to no boot.
Im thinking motherboard is not happy, remove odd mem stick of 128, leaving 2 sticks 512, 1GIG total. Computer boots right up , fast as lightning.
I think the odd 128 mem stick was my problem.