Need some PC help urgent !

[TheBionicOrange]

I have a PC that until recently was working fine ... now whenever it gets to the Windows XP Pro splash screen it kind of "glitches" after about 4 seconds of being on screen and then makes the PC reboot. This happens every time.

Until just now I could start up in safe mode (although NOT with networking as that had the same affect as above) .. but now even safe mode gives me the same issue.

The last thing I did when the PC was OK was to download all relevant security patches from Microsoft.
Since then I get this problem ... so I am guessing one of the patches has screwed me up ??? dunno !

Any ideas ? Or does any of this sound familiar ? Or do you need more info ?

[kfcSmitty]

Boot in safe mode step by step verification and tell which error you stop on.

and if you manage to get into windows, you may want to run msconfig and remove all unnecessary items from startup, as that is whats most likely stopping you from booting into windows

[TheBionicOrange]

Yeah I already did that with MSCONFIG. I'll try and see if I have a "step by step" option ...

[TheBionicOrange]

I don't

I have :

SAFE MODE
SAFE MODE WITH NETWORKING
SAFE MODE WITH DOS PROMPT
LAST KNOWN GOOD SETTINGS
NORMAL

And before you ask ..... LAST KNOWN GOOD SETTINGS gives me the same trouble

[kfcSmitty]

use safe mode with dos prompt, and again, list where it stops

[TheBionicOrange]

I can't list where it stops ... I get the Windows splash screen and then my PC restarts !

[dglienna]

If you can get to a command prompt, you can try this:

sfc /scannow

which is System File Checker, on the XP CD.

Note, if you repair Windows, it wil hose your \Documents and Settings folder. Also, the Windows folder and \Program Files. There isn't even a way to get to the files outside of the \Windows folder from the recovery console.

[TheBionicOrange]

OK thanks for that DG.

I think I'll grab the disk from my other PC and put it in my machine, and set my existing disk to be a slave. That way I can get off all the programs I need.
Then I'll put things back how they were and do a clean install of Windows on it.

[Ideas Man]

If you have XPSP2 installed, there should be another boot option that tells it to stop automatically restarting when it encounters an error, if there is, choose that and see what the error message is.

[Ideas Man]

Note, if you repair Windows, it wil hose your \Documents and Settings folder. Also, the Windows folder and \Program Files. There isn't even a way to get to the files outside of the \Windows folder from the recovery console.

What do you mean hose your Documents and Settings folder? Repairing Windows does NOT touch your data, it recopies all the Windows files, nothing else. Everything will continue to work and your programs will still be installed and functional.

[TheBionicOrange]

What do you mean hose your Documents and Settings folder? Repairing Windows does NOT touch your data, it recopies all the Windows files, nothing else. Everything will continue to work and your programs will still be installed and functional.

I think that applies if you re-install rather than repair.

And no IdeasMan ... I don't have Service Pack 2 installed ... I didn't actually get that far

[dglienna]

Right. I though XP would add new users to the \Documents and Settings folder like W2K does. You get a user.001 in addition to the old user. Not in XP, though. It, along with everything in the \Windows folder got hosed.

I was pretty upset, but got over it, so I was trying to save others from the grief,

[TheBionicOrange]

Thanks for the heads up .. but it won't be the first time I have had to do a rebuild !

God bless Microsoft !

How much is Linux these days ?