[le4358]

Hi there....hoping that someone maybe able to help me before i call a tech. I am not sure if this is an easy issue or not. As a background...I was working on the labtop ( running Win XP Home Edition) when everything froze. The curser would not move, so i shut down the computer and restarted again. This normally fixes everything for me...well not this time

When the computer comes up it says the following:

[I]" we apologize for the inconvenice, but windows did not start successfully. a recent hardware or software change might have caused this.

If your computer stopped responding, restarted unexpectedly, or was automatically shut down to protect your files and folders, choose Last Known Good Configuration to reveert to the most recent settings that worked.

If a previous startup attempt was interrupted due to a power failure or because the Power or Reset button was pressed , or if you aren't sure what cuased the problem, choose Start Windows Normally.

Safe Mode
SAfe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt

Last Know Good Configuration ( your most recent settings that worked)
Start Windows Normally

Use the up and down arrow keys to move the highlight to your choice.
Seconds until Windows Starts: 30 "



Than it times it for 30 seconds and reboots( I think that's the proper term) it self. The same screen comes on and this goes on and on. NO matter which option i choose it does the same thing. If you are familiar with this issue and are able to walk me thru it, I would greatly apreciate it.
Thank you
Le4358

[crushbone]

If you can get your Laptop to go into Safe Mode, then try the following:

Go to Start > Run and type in "MSCONFIG". Try using the diagnostic start up and reboot. If you still are running into the same problem, go back into safe mode, back into msconfig and selective start up. Try removing one check mark at a time and rebooting. Repeat as necessary. If you get it to boot, then the one that you unchecked has got the issue in it. You will then need to go into that tab and basically do the same thing. It's a long haul, but there's hope at the end of the tunnel.

Good Luck!

[junglejeff]

Once you select one of the choices hit enter and it should try to boot immediately. You might have a virus, but since it's a laptop it could be corruption due to hard drive surface damage.

If you can get a hold of a floppy or CD boot disk with virus removal software I would try that first.

You could also try the XP CD & try a repair O/S.

[le4358]

Thank you for your replys.

Crushbone- I choose Safe Mode and I got a long list of " multi(0) dishk(0) rdisk(0).....and on and on. Than a very quick blue screen came on and it rebooted itself automatically. So, I can't get into the start menu .

junglejeff-is there a virus software that i chould look into? I had norton virus installed!!! I guess nothing is 100%. If i install the xp cd and try to do a repair, is this something that is easy to do? I am clueless on this stuff!!!!! I just don't want to make it worse than it is.

[crushbone]

If you cannot solve this problem and in desperate need of using your Laptop, you could do a reformat but you will lose everything. I have provided some information below on how to reformat using Windows XP:

OK, while your computer is on, you have to insert your Windows XP CD and then restart your computer.
If the CD doesn't boot then you have to go into BIOS and change the settings to make your CD Bootable.
Windows will ask you what you would like to do, choose that you want to install Windows XP.
You will be asked if you wish to create a new partition. Select the partition you have and press "D" to delete the existing partition, and then press "L" to confirm that you wish to do this. This will completely delete everything off your computer.
You will need to create a new partition. To do this press "C". You will be asked which size you wish to create your partition, just press Enter to make your new partition the maximum size. Now, select the partition you have just created to install Windows XP on by pressing Enter.
Your computer will prompt you asking if you wish to do a quick installation or a regular installation. Either will work fine but I prefer to choose "quick" because it is much faster.
Now you will need to select: "Format the partition by using the "NTFS" file system.
Windows XP will now be installed. This may take some time and then your computer will reboot.
If your CD in your CD ROM drive starts to boot just leave it, you will then be taken to a Windows XP Screen. Windows will continue to install and at about 33 minutes remaining it will ask you a few questions and you will need to enter your Product Key. You can find this Key on the back of your CD or on your computer's case.
It will now continue to install Windows XP. After several minutes it will ask you what kind of settings you would like to install. Make sure you choose "typical" network settings.

Windows will now complete the installation. When you startup your computer you will have to install the drivers for all of your hardware

[le4358]

crushbone--thank you for the very detail description. It seems simple to follow. However, if I can avoid in loosing the info that i have saved on the laptop it would be great. I do have my desktop that I can use in the mean time. Most of the important stuff is on my desktop but there is a few things on the laptop that I didnt' get a chance to save. Also, i have both the desktop and the laptop on a network, if i reformat the labtop will i loose that? If I do loose it how hard is it to have it back and running on a network? Is it simple like the above directions provided? I am just trying to see if it's worth calling a tech and paying 100 plus dollars and have this done vs me trying to do it. I would love to learn it but at the same time I don't want to be stuck in not being able to follow some directions.
Thank you
le

[Stuart_Hall]

It sounds like a hard drive problem.

A possible solution is running the Windows XP Recovery Console. To do this you need to get to the Windows set-up screen and press r.

The program will ask you to specifiy a volume on the hard drive, in other words the partition on which Windows is installed. Typically this is C but if you have more than one partition set up you need to specify the one which has Windows on it.

You will get a prompt similar to DOS. You need to type in the following command:

chkdsk /p /r

the p and r are parameters for the command. They are not entirely necessary but if you enter them the scan will be more extensive. It will be slower though, your call, but i would leave them on.

The process can take a while, be patient and eventually you should get a message stating that errors were fixed on the drive.

Reboot and that should do it...

Hope this helps
Stuart

[le4358]

OK...YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING. I MEAN EVERYONE OF YOU. This is my second time posting an issue and each time i have had results. I have no idea what happen but the issue is resolved. As I was printing out "crushbone" directions i was also attempting the directions of "stuart hall". IT WORKED. I didn't even finish the process. Once the screeen came on with the info posted on the first message i pressed "r", I wasn't sure what he meant by "recovery console",. As usual the windows xp logo comes on but this time it didn't reboot. I pressed "r" again and magically the login page came on. Thank you very much. le

[crushbone]

That's good to hear. I'm glad that it's all sorted out.

[Stuart_Hall]

No problem, glad to be of help

[jenwigan]

i have had the exact same problem. the only diference is is that it would restart itself even if i had cliked any of the safe modes. all of a sudden the computer wont even start any more when i switch it on it js comes up with a black screen with a whit sybol _ flashing and will not do anything else! please can somebody help! many thanks jenny

[Stuart_Hall]

Do what I suggested above. Alternatively try resetting your BIOS defaults