failing to start XP Pro

[Guest Geoff]

Recently my computer failed to load Win XP Pro SP2 (seemingly a problem with

a video card, BSOD referred to an ATI driver). Fitted another video card and

received basically the same BSOD message this time referring to the new

video card driver. The Windows splash screen would show, then the computer

would go into a continous loop of wanting to Start Windows Normally (?) and

would not allow me to make any other choices such as safe mode etc. I then

went into the BIOS settings and change the first boot device to CD (the

second being the hard drive), placed the XP Pro disc into the CD reader

(with a view to doing a "Repair" installation) BUT the computer continued to

go to the XP splash screen thence to the continual loop of wanting to Start

Windows Normally, back to splash screen to Start Windows Normally, ad

infinitum now ad nauseam! Whats happening?

[Guest Thee Chicago Wolf]

Re: failing to start XP Pro

 

>Recently my computer failed to load Win XP Pro SP2 (seemingly a problem with

>a video card, BSOD referred to an ATI driver). Fitted another video card and

>received basically the same BSOD message this time referring to the new

>video card driver. The Windows splash screen would show, then the computer

>would go into a continous loop of wanting to Start Windows Normally (?) and

>would not allow me to make any other choices such as safe mode etc. I then

>went into the BIOS settings and change the first boot device to CD (the

>second being the hard drive), placed the XP Pro disc into the CD reader

>(with a view to doing a "Repair" installation) BUT the computer continued to

>go to the XP splash screen thence to the continual loop of wanting to Start

>Windows Normally, back to splash screen to Start Windows Normally, ad

>infinitum now ad nauseam! Whats happening?

 

The BSOD will always have some kind of error code. It would be helpful

if you told us what that code was.

 

- Thee Chicago Wolf

[Guest Brian A.]

Re: failing to start XP Pro

 

"Geoff" <lvr181@maybehotmail.com> wrote in message

news:ucOQrdrBJHA.3396@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> Recently my computer failed to load Win XP Pro SP2 (seemingly a problem with

> a video card, BSOD referred to an ATI driver). Fitted another video card and

> received basically the same BSOD message this time referring to the new

> video card driver. The Windows splash screen would show, then the computer

> would go into a continous loop of wanting to Start Windows Normally (?) and

> would not allow me to make any other choices such as safe mode etc. I then

> went into the BIOS settings and change the first boot device to CD (the

> second being the hard drive), placed the XP Pro disc into the CD reader

> (with a view to doing a "Repair" installation) BUT the computer continued to

> go to the XP splash screen thence to the continual loop of wanting to Start

> Windows Normally, back to splash screen to Start Windows Normally, ad

> infinitum now ad nauseam! Whats happening?

>

>

 

After setting the CD drive in the BIOS as the first drive to boot from, did

you Save and Exit? If no, you need to save the change, then exit.

If you saved and exited, when booting with the XP CD in the drive did you "Press

any key" when prompted to do so? If not, keep an eye out for the prompt and

when prompted do so.

 

If all of the above was done, see if any of these helps:

How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341

 

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

 

How to start the System Restore tool at a command prompt in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304449/

 

Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314058

 

How to enable an administrator to log on automatically in Recovery Console

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;312149

 

How to install the Windows Recovery Console

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;216417

 

How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307654

 

How to remove Windows Recovery Console

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;555032

 

--

 

Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }

Conflicts start where information lacks.

http://basconotw.mvps.org/

 

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm

How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375