Please help, Computer / XP won't load, continuous restart.

This is another desktop, In which I was trying to help solve the original problem, and now they're both the same way and I feel horrible about it.

The original computer kept restarting, and eventuallywith the help of members here, I assumed it was a bad video card or video drivers. SO, I took the DVD-ROM and the Hard drive out to allow they to continue using the DVD drive for work programs, and to try to get some files from the hard drive.

I installed the DVD Rom, and remembered that it would sometimes not open and it would spin very fast and read slowly, but it "worked". I put it in and installed some drivers for it.

The Hard drive froze the computer, so i immediately took it out and didn't try again.

The computer worked fine for about 2 dsays, then I was called, and they said now the 2nd machine is doing the same thing.

Now, instead of stoping on something about ivpmon, this machine freezes and restarts at "XXXXXX\System32\Config\System"

I am comepletely clueless now, and like I said I feel so bad about this, i thought i under stood and obviously did not.

 

I think the simplest method to fix the problem is to do an in-place repair of Windows, which will re-setup the video, see: http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm Also see John Will's Guide to Reinstall of Windows, listed above.

 

Thanks for the reply. I can get an XP disk by Next week. I'll follow the guide to see if I can save all the files, which is crucial. I don't have access to Widnows or a command prompt at all for these machines. So you don't recommend trying to connect either of these hard drives to another PC in the meantime?

 

The problems spread to a second PCs, so I don't recommend involving another PC. The in place re-install of Windows XP will not affect your data, but it is always best to have a backup of it, just it case things go wrong. To do that I recommend using a bootable CD, which you can obtain from: http://www.bootdisk.com/ Then copy the data to a CD or USB drive.

 

Ok, i will post again as soon as I get the XP disk. I'll attempt the boot disk data rec, later on today.

 

Any luck fixing the problem?

 

'm just now receiving the XP disk. Now i have to read all these posts to make sure I do it right. It is so vital to keep their personal data, if not, I'm sure no one will even care what happens to the machines.

Wish me luck, and any additional suggestions?

 

Ok, i have the disk and it has SP2 on it already. So, that eliminates the need for a Slipstream disk with the updates . I have tried several times, and I cannot get repair to become an option (Which i think was posted as meaning it requires a XP re-install) I have after everything else, tries to use the recovery console from the XP disk to get rid of the damaged boot.ini files as mentioned in the re-installation guide.


The Machine still continuously reboots still. The only think i didn't understant is the process where you use the boot configuration (Bootcfg) /Rebuild. After scanning, it asks questions, like :

Add installation to boot list?
Enter Load identifier
Enter OS Load options.

In my heart of hearts, i know the answer, but is there anything else i can do before a full install?

Edit - I don't seem to be able to access windows , right? So there's no need for those boot disks, that i would love to use.

 

I won't make another move, yet. I'll wait for a reply to this before I play "IT Guy" again. Btw, thanks yet again, Dan!

 

Just looking for any update, before erasing all their data

 

I cannot believe no one else responded. I am sorry the XP repair did not work. I would go to www.bootdisk.com and down a boot disk and copy the user's data to a CD or USB drive. Then perform a clean install to start fresh, see: http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

 

My god I feel so sick... I already re-installed Xp, just last night. Somehow I got under the impression from reading everything , that If we could not access windows, or get the repair option, we couldn't get to the data. I don't want to misquote anyone, so I'll just say I was wrong. But now I have to confess this.

Just to clearify , and prevent future failures, i "could" have retrieved their data? With the boot disk? And now after the reinstall, it's all lost? I can't even describe this disgust, because I actually put this off for so long, then just up and decided to do it.

And the 2nd PC, i think the Hard Drive has been fried. It's not reading on boot up, and I don't know if it's from the data cables, power supply or even the jumpers, but I assumed the drive was shot. That I won't get a chance to see until Monday, and I'll update.

 

Just checking back, for future ref.

 

Ahh.... It is as you've feared. You could have recovered all the data.

There are two disks that you should think about download. The first I concider a MUST HAVE because it has 100 tools for various tasks.. That would be the Ultimate Bood CD. You could have, not only backed up the informations, but could have ran a few virus scans to see if it was a malicious virus or something. You also could have ran several diagnostic tools..

Now the second disk is something that I would recommend because it's very user friendly, is small, AND let's you access NTFS(Windows) filesystems. It's a Puppy Linux Live CD. With it, you wouldn't have had any problems mounting the hard drive and copying the files off it. I would recommend 'Puppy linux 2.15 community addition' because it has so many tools.

Oh, and, next time you need to ask a question this big, feel free to send me an private message. I understand needing to get something done and not being able to get help. :-/

Have you wiped Both computers clean, or just the one?

 

I REALLY appreciate this. At the moment,I only wiped one PC clean. I didn't do the second, because i had trouble re-mounting the hard drive, and I suspect that it isn't working. I think someone may have removed or attached it while the pc was running.

However, someone else (unrelated) is experiencing a BSOD, after major virus removal, and need my "help". I'll spend the rest of this day working with the utilities you suggested and attempt recovery tonight if I can get this.

I try not to feel bad anymore, but everytime i come here it's right there in the back of my mind. I'll take you up on your offer, because I can't expect instant answers when thousands of posts are generated her on a regular basis.

I'll let you know how things work out