[vittra]

I just came home for christmas and my parents showed me that their computer is failing to boot.

It posts normally, runs the windows splash screen, and then comes up to a black screen with a mouse cursor and hourglass, then 30 seconds later to just a mouse cursor - it can sit for an hour and never loads anything else. In safe mode, any type, it does the same thing but with the version number across the top and 'safe mode' in each corner.

In any mode there is no taskbar and no response from the start button, right clicking or ctrl+alt+del

I have tried, after making a backup of course, replacing explorer.exe and taskman.exe as well as the entire system and system32 folders(except config in system32 which is protected). I have loaded the hard drive in my own computer and it does the same thing. I ran scandisk on it while it was in my windows pc and it didn't tell me anything. The drive is divided into 3 partitions and I only scanned the C drive.

This is my parents computer and I do not have a hardware listing, it is relatively new but not high end, I can look for model numbers on anything that is relevant.

I have slaved the drive into another computer and backed up any data, I am just trying to avoid a full reformat and having to reinstall all the software.

any thoughts?

[Hobbit007]

try run a windows repair using the windows cd, but first try this: connect the hdd back and boot from windows cd, after windows has loaded need drivers, press F2 to run recovery console, select 1 for installed hdd and enter administrator password, at command prompt type, chkdsk /f and "enter" when that is completed type "chkdsk /r and "enter". let the check disk run should take bout 2 hours then type "fixboot" and say yes.

that should help, if not boot from cd again at first option screen select install windows, it should look for previous instalations, wen windows is found select repair option using "r" to run GUI repair installation that way non of the programs will be deleted but the windows repaired.

[defuse3388]

Yes the repair option is a good thing to do as it will repair the required files and hopefully solve your problem.

[1Channel]

Hi;

On Dec 15th I posted the exact same symptoms, not only here but on another web post as well. In both cases I got no replies. At least you got some good replies.

I have already done most of what they suggested except not in the same order.

My question is, did these help? My biggest mystery is that with a new disk and a full re-install, the computer works fine - until I turn it off. Then it's back to the black screen again. Why is this happening?

Thanks for any reply,

Charlie

[Jtoast]

1Channel...
If a problem is still there after a clean install..and by clean I mean repartition, reformat and reinstall windows, its probably a hardware issue. I would check RAM and the powersupply as they can both give you some pretty funky problems to solve when they start going bad.

Vittra...
You might also run SFC /scannow to check for corrupted system files while you're in the recovery console anyway.

[vittra]

okay, I tried running 'chkdsk /f' and it says no such command, ran 'chkdsk /p' and then 'chkdsk /r', the two available options. tried 'sfc /scannow' as suggested, also no such command.

tried a repair installation and it thought it worked, now when I boot I get a blue windows screen that says 'restarting setup' and then it goes again to the black screen.

now after 2-3 minutes on the black screen the computer resets itself, which it wasn't doing before.

any suggestions before I do a full format and install?

[Jtoast]

Sorry, SFC works in safe mode but not recovery console. Wasn't thinking. Chkdsk /f and chkdsk /p do the same thing...one works from inside windows, the other is from outside.

Lets see...you've ran chkdsk /r (which includes a /p), Fixboot, fixmbr, and tried a repair installation....all failed.

Yea, I think a full format/reinstall would be my next step if my data was backed up.