XP Pro won't start - hangs at black screen

I recently discovered that the RAM I installed in my computer was set by the manufacturer to 2-3-3-6 timing instead of 3-3-3-8 timing which was what my BIOS had it set to, so I went and changed the values to 2-3-3-6. I restarted my computer but it wouldn't start. It started loading, did two beep like normal, but then just stopped at a black screen. So I went back and set the timings back to 3-3-3-8 but the same thing happens when I try to start it. I ran memtest86+ a couple times to make sure the RAM is still fine and the tests complete with no errors. I can hit F8 and access the menu to boot in safe mode, last good configuration, etc., but none of them do anything other than bring me to a black screen. How can I fix it? The microsoft site tells me to just do a repair installation of Windows XP but I think there must be a simpler way. Thanks for the help.

 

Remove your Ram cards fully (warning of electro-static charge here)
Remove the power cord from the back of your PC
Hold down the power button for 20 seconds (disperses all voltage)

Plug the ram (securely) back in
Plug the power (securely) back in

Go to bios, and run bios defaults.

If that does not help then there is a clear cmos option too. (but we'll try this first)

 

I did all of that and it still does the same thing. If I use the XP quick boot disk from http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm, it starts perfectly normally, but without it it does nothing.

 

Download Clear CMOS from here:
http://www.esupport.com/techsupport/UTILS/clrcmos11/clrcmos.exe

Put it on your floppy (actually I hope it fits)

Boot your PC to a Dos prompt

run clrcmos (just do a dir on that, I'm sure it's clrcmos)

 

How do I boot to a DOS prompt?

 

With the boot disk I can boot into safe mode with command prompt. Is that good enough?

 

As you mentioned bootdisk.com I thought you already had a boootable floppy or CD

 

Well I do have a bootable floppy but that brings me to windows XP normally, not a command prompt. Using that I can get to safe mode with command prompt but I don't know how to get to just a DOS screen. If I create an MS-DOS boot disk with the windows formatting program, it just hangs at a black screen with a flashing white dash in the upper left.

 

OK
Go to the DOS window in XP, using your Xp CD
Use the first repair option (R) and log into your username

Have the clrcmos on floppy ready
change to floppy drive (A
type clrcmos (confirm spelling)

This should still work

Whilst in the "R" area you may want to run chkdsk /r as well

 

Sorry A column came up with a smily face.

 

Additional Options, Miscellaneous Options, Disable smilies in text

 

Okay. I opened the recovery console thing and navigated to the floppy. But whenever I type "clrcmos" it says that it's not a command. I did dir and the file clrcmos.exe is there on the floppy but it won't let me run it. I'm doing a chkdsk /r right now.

 

Okay. I opened the recovery console and navigated to the floppy. But when I typed in clrcmos it told me that it wasn't a command. I did dir and the file clrcmos.exe was there on the floppy but it wouldn't let me run it. I have chkdsk /r going right now.

 

Sorry that double post.

 

Ok, I wasn't sure if the recovery console would allow it (but the repair option is still worth doing anyway)

You are better off downloading a bootdisk from bootdisk.com or elsewhere (google search create boot floppy) or using another PC to create a bootable floppy by right clicking on floppy (in My Computer) format, and create a boot floppy.
Then running clrcmos from there (as long as it is extracted fully) clrcmos.exe will work. I run it in DOS without error.

And as for smilies
http://forums.techguy.org/misc.php?do=showsmilies

Thanks nimd4