[Turbopilot]

I agree with other posters that this sounds like a physical HDD failure (your symptoms are very similar to the ones I had last weekend, which were the result of a failing hard drive). If booting from your XP CD and installing (not selecting the repair option on the first screen, but selecting "install" and then telling it to repair your installation) doesn't work, as it didn't for me, you should use a drive utility to see if you have physical problems. You can download Hitachi's Drive Fitness Test here: Hitachi Downloads. You can download either a file that unzips to a bootable floppy or an .iso to burn to a bootable CD. The program works on any drive except a very few IBMs, although a couple functions are locked out on non-Hitachi drives. Nevertheless, it can tell you whether your drive has failed. If it has, get a new drive and install XP on it, move this one to a slave on your IDE bus, and get as much data off of it as you can before it completely eats itself.

As an aside to the jokers telling you to "get a Mac", I enjoy that kind of back-and-forth on tech threads as much as anybody but that kind of comment on a thread started by a guy with a real problem is obnoxious, to say nothing of unhelpful. He wants to get his computer going, not hear how much better your personal preference is - to say nothing of the fact that Macs use the exact same HD technology as every other computer and I'd be surprised if they ran any better than a PC does with a failed HD.

[baal2006]

Here's your answer..... http://www.madboot.com

make up the madboot diskette according to directions....in my experience it will boot up any computer...then give you plenty of options from there.

you're welcome

[Kaylee Frye]

One more thing you've probably already thought of (and is really unlikely to the problem, since it's failing at the exact same spot each time), but have you checked to see if any of your fans have gone out - particularly the power supply fan? I'm sure you know that when a fan goes out it can damage your system badly.

But at any rate, I think the advice here is good - slave your drive in and boot from another drive and see what you can find that way.

[KoRn]

Boot up with a Windows XP install CD, and choose repair option. Then boot into the Recovery Console and do a FIXBOOT and FIXMBR. Then reboot and see if you can get back on.

If not, your OS is likely corrupted and you will have to reinstall.

If you didn't keep good backups, try this with a USB Drive:

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

[pabianice]

Opened an unknown attachment, did we?

[RichardW]

I had to dump firefox because it became unstable. I suspect I'm not alone. I'm now using IE 7. So far it works great.

[RJS1950]

If you boot from the XP CD and select repair it may work if there is some corruption in the XP boot files. It sounds more like there is a problem with the hard drive. If you can boot from the CD and scan the HD with fix repair you might be able to isolate bad/corrupted sectors on the HD and then possibly do a repair or reload.

[Joan Kerrey]

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.

I haven't the slightest idea what the above post means. Having never had a problem with any computer, built by someone else, I've ever owned what I'd do is throw the computer, monitor and all software in the trash to recycle and buy a new one that was built by someone else.

[Gone_Postal]

I had the same problem
I looked into two problems first the Hard Drive I was able to use it as a slave and retain my infomation. My second problem was my graphic card seems to be damaged I put my old card in and my puter works fine.

[WaterDragon]

Have you tried unplugging the computer, then plugging it back in?

Before you try this, first unplug your peripherals, including your monitor from the computer.

[KoRn]

I was very busy when I first posted to you.

Another good thing to try in Recovery Console is:

CHKDSK /R

That will find and hopefully fix any hard disk errors you have.

[goldstategop]

Have you checked the power supply? When Windows can't boot up, check that hasn't gone bad. Also, look into your fan. If its not Windows, odds are good the problem is hardware related.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em, Down Hezbullies.)

[relictele]

My first hunch is a bad video card and/or motherboard. I had a similar issue about a year ago.

For confirmation or additional troubleshooting try the following:

1) Winternals - this is a boot-from-CD Windows-like environment. It will allow you to see if your video hardware is functioning. Once it boots up, you can also view/edit your disk configuration, edit registry, reset Admin password, etc. Not cheap but an enterprising lad like yourself may be able to locate a copy in a pinch.

2) Knoppix - this is a Linux distro that is self-contained on CD or DVD (knoppix.net). Again, no HD involvement hence no Windows involvement - this will allow you to check hardware operation (video, motherboard, etc.).

[Quix]

Dear FREEPERS,

I recently had the GEEK SQUAD at Best By wipe my main RAID drive and reinstall XP-P, fix some long standing niggly problems etc.

Since then, sometimes when calling up a posting window, ALL ONLY FR EXPERIENCES, the window will appear in black. THIS SEEMS TO PARTICULARLY HAPPEN WHEN I right click on the 'to post' button to open in a NEW WINDOW.

Usually the letters are unreadable. Often they will appear as the totally verticle line in white but not even consistently--spaces will appear as the verticle line as well as letters randomly.

It's really frustrating. I haven't figured out a consistent thing that triggers it other than it usually happens with the posting window but sometimes with the comments window.

Clicking on the "post" button can be a challenge as scrolling to it can result in all black but usually all white if I preview. I kind of have to jury rig clicking around and minimizing and unminimizing to get the "post" etc. buttons to appear again.

I don't know if something quirky has changed on FR about this time or if it's all my machine or what.

Any suggestions?

Thanks for all you do for us and The Republic.

LUB,
Quix

- = = = = =

BTW, I notice that post #2 on this thread asked why not go to Microsoft--their help system has improved lots. But it's still maddening and costly.

I've spent literally many hours of exasperating frustration on the phone to India. The Indian techs did their best and were quite diligent etc. But the whole experience over several calls and techs was absolutely infuriatingly exasperating as a communications experience. And that's with me being quite used to and quite familiar with the Indian accent.

I have a tech email into them now about a MS Word sorting failure. They are wanting me to talk to them on the phone. I'm resisting strongly out of sheer frustration.

The short of it is, NO THANKS. There's NO EXCUSE for a lot of the problems Microsoft's software tortures people with. NO EXCUSE WHATSOEVER. They have had massive amounts of money and the best brains money can buy for more than 10 years.

They could have AI software modules to ferret out problems and correct them automatically for customers by now. But even their tech assistance is extremely clunky. And their software is enormously clunkier.

I'd better stop before I get really wound up about Microsoft. The short of it is, DO NOT TELL ME TO GO TO MICROSOFT if you want a calm civil response.
-= = = =

Thanks in advance to the dear souls on here who labor so kindly and sacrificially to help the rest of us dunderheads.

BTW, I'm not a novice. Have had a computer or terminal in my home since 1976. Goodness, that's 30 years. Shocking.