[tiffany856]

Computer starts and gets up to a screen that say:
"We apologize ...... but windows did not start sucessfully. A recent hardware or software change may have caused this. If your computer stopped responding, restarted unexpectedly or was automattically shut down to protect your files folder chase last known configuration. If a previous startup attempt was interupted due to power failure or because power or reset button was pressed, or if you aren't sure what caused the problem choose Start Windows Normally." It goes into a count down.

Nothing will start windows. Not safe mode, safe mode with networking, safe mode with command prompt, last known good configuration. Just keeps coming back to this screen.

[etaf]

can you post the make and model of PC
do you have a recovery CD / windows CD?

if a laptop - take the battery out and leave for a few mins

[tiffany856]

PC -Medion M3 Composer 5100. Have a Application and Support Dics ( includes System Recovery ) and Operating System Installation, CD Windows XP Home Edition SP1a

[etaf]

The operating system Installation CD - may be the one we want
Boot from that CD
and run the recovery consule and run chkdsk /r

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tuto...torial117.html
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/art.../wxprcons.html

[tiffany856]

turned on PC put in disc and it ran through some stuff and came to
start windows. it is a blue screen with
STOP: c000021 unknown hard error
\systemRoot\system32\ntdll.dll

[tiffany856]

had the oppurtunity early on in the load process to hit F6 for something, didn't pay to close attention

[etaf]

you sure the CD was booting?

http://support.microsoft.com/default...&Product=winxp

[tiffany856]

yes, it asked to hit any key to boot from cd. I hit any key

[etaf]

try the recovery CD - not sure exactly what the operating system CD would be - expected it to be a windows CD

[tiffany856]

put it in, comes to screen with 3 choices, 1. Recovery of start-up files / 2. Recovery of system driver files / 3. Restoring the factory settings (danger Will Robinson, all data will be erased)

[etaf]

OK at least now we know the CD will boot up a menu

Do you have a CD writer on another machine and a way to copy data
We could run a Live CD from UBUNTU http://www.ubuntu.com/ create the CD
put that into the faulty machine - run from CD and it should run an operating system
Now you should be able to connect a thumbdrive, or USB drive onto the machine and copy your data off

it would be good to try and get chkdsk working off a windows CD

http://www.ubcd4win.com/
I have not tried to run chkdsk from here - but should be able to run under the diagnostic section
again need to create a bootable CD - see lefthand menu on the site on how to do that

[tiffany856]

downloaded, copied and put it in computer, does the same loop to the start windows normally/safe mode screen. I hear the cd drive spool up, but nothing happens.

[etaf]

downloaded, copied and put it in computer

what ?
both those Cds should have been created as bootable CD and nothing to do with windows.
So you must be booting windows off the harddrive and not from the CD

yes, it asked to hit any key to boot from cd. I hit any key

should have asked above

[tiffany856]

if I just let it go it gets into the loop, I hit F8 and got to the Boot Menu, I arrowed down to CDROM and same loop. When I look at the screen there is a cursor/arrow next to Hard Disk. This doesn't move when I arrow up or down past Hard Disk, Could I have done somthing wrong in the download and copy ( I recopied and did it again)

[etaf]

which did you download and create a CD from the ISO
UBCD or UBUNTU