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Emergency Windows XP Computer Help Needed

Posted on 07/21/2006 7:30:18 AM PDT by savedbygrace

I need help.

Windows XP SP2 on my computer will not start. Earlier this morning, everything was going great, then Firefox locked up while doing a Google search. Locked up tight, and I had to press and hold the power button for several seconds to shut down.

Now, when I power up, everything goes well through POST until Windows tries to start up, then the screen goes black and all disk activity ceases. After waiting several minutes with nothing happening, pressing the power button for a fraction of a second shuts the computer down.

I've tried booting to Last Known Good Configuration - same result.

I've tried booting into Safe Mode - same results. When I boot so I can see each startup event happening, the last event that prints to the screen is:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS\FONTS\vgaoem.fon

Then, all disk activity ceases and nothing else happens.

I built this computer myself - it's a P4 2.4GHz with 1GB RAM on an Asus mobo.

I do not want to lose all the data on the boot drive. Some of it is not backed up since two days ago, including Quicken and QuickBooks.

One big obstacle is that I originally installed this from an early WinXP full install CD, before SP1, and I've updated through SP1 to SP2. So, booting from the install disc won't help. I do have an SP2 disc from Microsoft, but I doubt that is bootable.

Help!


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: bluescreenofdeath; buyamac; buyamacnoproblems; cdtrayiscupholder; ibuiltcomputermyself; internetexploder; newmacsarebetterhaha; osx; techsupport; usarmyrunsonmacs; winblows; windows; windowsisstilldos; winxpecttolose
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1 posted on 07/21/2006 7:30:21 AM PDT by savedbygrace
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To: savedbygrace

Kind of a strange place to post this. Why not go to Microsoft instead, or a tech site. If your really stuck, try a system restore.


2 posted on 07/21/2006 7:32:21 AM PDT by ritewingwarrior
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To: savedbygrace

I can't help...but here's a

bump for publicity


3 posted on 07/21/2006 7:32:37 AM PDT by VOA
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To: savedbygrace

You can do a system restore from safe mode. That will get you back to the point before you installed SP2.


4 posted on 07/21/2006 7:32:54 AM PDT by The_Victor (If all I want is a warm feeling, I should just wet my pants.)
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To: savedbygrace

5 posted on 07/21/2006 7:32:54 AM PDT by The Old Hoosier (Right makes might.)
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To: savedbygrace
I built this computer myself

Uh Oh.....

:)

Wish I had some advice, but I'm a bit computer illiterate. Money says you will have plenty of advice very, very soon.

6 posted on 07/21/2006 7:33:41 AM PDT by Chuck54 (Ann Coulter was right: Liberals - Born to Run)
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To: savedbygrace

Boot from the XP disc and selct the repair option.


7 posted on 07/21/2006 7:34:12 AM PDT by HEY4QDEMS (Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.)
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To: savedbygrace

Spotty hard drive? Try slaving the HD on another machine.


8 posted on 07/21/2006 7:34:13 AM PDT by rawcatslyentist (I'd rather be carrying a shotgun with Dick, than riding shotgun with a Kennedyl!)
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To: savedbygrace

ritewingwarrior has a point...
As you obviously are getting on the net...use Google as your friend.
I usually can find needed info at MSWindows site (as convoluted as
their texts may be) or get solutions from tech blogs (while keeping up
my radar for bogus/malicious offers of assistance).

Bood luck!


9 posted on 07/21/2006 7:35:43 AM PDT by VOA
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To: savedbygrace

If yoru disk activity ceases you may actually have a hardware problem rather than an OS problem.


10 posted on 07/21/2006 7:35:45 AM PDT by Prysson
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To: savedbygrace

I'm pretty sure you can get to safe mode by tapping F8 during bootup. Then you might actually be able to restore successfully.


11 posted on 07/21/2006 7:36:04 AM PDT by mysterio
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To: savedbygrace

You'll get your best support in a newsgroup. That's where all the real geeks are.


12 posted on 07/21/2006 7:36:58 AM PDT by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s...you weren't really there.)
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To: savedbygrace

bttt


13 posted on 07/21/2006 7:38:09 AM PDT by firewalk
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To: The_Victor

How? Safe Mode has the same result - black screen, no further disk activity. Game over.


14 posted on 07/21/2006 7:39:21 AM PDT by savedbygrace (SECURE THE BORDERS FIRST (I'M YELLING ON PURPOSE))
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To: ChildOfThe60s

No, I'm not a real Geek. But, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.........


15 posted on 07/21/2006 7:39:44 AM PDT by WakeUpAndVote (Got towel?)
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To: HEY4QDEMS

Which XP install disc? Will the original disc, pre-SP1, repair the SP2 system?


16 posted on 07/21/2006 7:40:27 AM PDT by savedbygrace (SECURE THE BORDERS FIRST (I'M YELLING ON PURPOSE))
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To: savedbygrace

If it's a HDD issue, you'll have to slave it on another machine and extract the data you need. If it's a Windows issue, your best bet is to boot from the XP OS CD and use the repair option. When you get to the DOS screen, run a chkdsk /f and see what you get.

I've had machines blow up and a simple chkdsk with the /f switch will make it all better.

After you get into the GUI, run scandisk and defrag and scan the hell out of the HDD with a virus scanner (I still use AVG http://free.grisoft.com). Then go out to http://www.sysinternals.com and download the TCPView and Autoruns programs. Check for open ports (indicate a possible trojan) with the TCPView program and use the Autoruns program to find the stuff that starts on boot. That'll get you started.


17 posted on 07/21/2006 7:40:28 AM PDT by rarestia ("One man with a gun can control 100 without one." - Lenin / Molwn Labe!)
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To: VOA

I goog;ed for a number of search terms for at least 30 minutes without success before posting this thread.


18 posted on 07/21/2006 7:41:57 AM PDT by savedbygrace (SECURE THE BORDERS FIRST (I'M YELLING ON PURPOSE))
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To: mysterio

Yes, I can, but it ends with the same result. Black screen, no disk activity.


19 posted on 07/21/2006 7:42:32 AM PDT by savedbygrace (SECURE THE BORDERS FIRST (I'M YELLING ON PURPOSE))
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To: savedbygrace

If there is nothing else wrong with your system you should be able to boot with the original CD and run the second repair option. If this works you can then update using the SP2 CD. You will have to update everything added to XP since SP2 but MS will take care of that for you.

I just finished spending over a week fighting a set of problems including what you describe. I could get up and running doing what I described above but that didn't cure the overall problem. The final solution was when I destroyed my operating system partition. I did something stupid to cause that but it worked out well in the end.

I should have done this a lot earlier but I was too stubborn. I reformatted my operating system partition and made a fresh XP installation. I'm still catching up on adding all of my programs.

The repair process is easier if you have a bootable CD with SP2 slipstreamed. That's not any help now though.


20 posted on 07/21/2006 7:42:44 AM PDT by FreePaul
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