Windows XP incomplete bootup

[malcolm yarnold]

Using Windows XP home, lost use of Google Earth so after trying many possible solutions I system restored back to a July 2013 date. Now will only boot to stage offering me the choice of my 3 accounts (2 being administrator category) Unable to select and open any account as mouse curser is frozen and imobile to mouse movement or use of keyboard arrows.

Would much appreciate your advice

[Plastic Nev]

Hi Malcolm and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help.

 

Have you tried safe mode?

 

From power on, tap the F8 key untill the advanced options screen comes on, use the up down keys to select Safe Mode, or Safe Mode with networking, and the press the enter key.

It should run but with oversized graphics, this is normal. you can then get back into system restore and try another date prior to the July one.

 

Let us know how you get on please.

 

Nev.

[malcolm yarnold]

Thanks Nev, I should have said that I have tried an ordinary Safe Mode boot and one directing it to boot from CD Drive in which I had loaded my Kaspersky recovery disc with the same result of only booting as far as giving me a choice of my 3 accounts .As before, mouse curser frozen immobile and keyboard arrow keys inoperative.

Being new to forum I hope that I have replied correctly.

Malcolm

[Plastic Nev]

Being new to forum I hope that I have replied correctly.

Malcolm

 

Hi Malcolm, absolutely spot on, no problem with your reply.

 

Now to try and get a bit further with the problem, As yet I don't know if this is a desktop computer or laptop, and make and model would be good to know as well please.

For now though do you know how much RAM is installed and also where it is and how to remove it?

It just may be a RAM problem so we need to try that first, so if you do know how to remove the RAM modules or as commonly known "Sticks", take it or them out, check and clean the contacts and then replace them, then try again, let us know how you get on please.

 

Nev.

[malcolm yarnold]

Hi Nev. I run en elderly (c 2005) Desktop put together by a local IT company, it is based on an AMD Sempron 64 bit 3000 chip with RAM upgraded from 512MB to 1GB, up to now it has worked pretty well despite having got somewhat slow. As to opening the box and working with the hardware I am afraid I would not know where to start, I have relied on a local IT expert for that up to now. I was hoping that this glitch could be fixed by a software solution that I could accomplish.

M.

[Plastic Nev]

Hi Malcolm.

OK about reluctance to go inside the case, we will try further as at the moment it may well be software, but the full operating system.

When it was first built for you did they give you the full Microsoft XP disk? If so we can try what is known as an XP repair, however we do need that disk, and not any form of rescue or recovery disk.

If you don't have one, is there anywhere you can borrow one, a friend perhaps?

 

Nev.

[malcolm yarnold]

Yes Nev, I do have the original disc that loaded XP. However, does it matter that I have since had XP reloaded on the advice of a repair technician who claimed that it was the only way to fix a problem I then had. I do not have a disc to match the reload only the original one. (PS I tried to post this reply yesterday but it appears to have gone astray)

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, it now depends on two things, first is what service pack is included on the disk itself or is it the basic Windows XP only?

Secondly, what service packs are already installed, as in Sp1, or SP2 or SP3.

 

If the disk is the basic or SP1 as I suspect it may be, a system repair may not be possible. The disk can be slipstreamed up to SP3 level but will require another computer to do that in order to burn the new slipstreamed disk.

Otherwise it may mean a complete re-install, which will lose all your data.

 

The technician who did the previous repair will already have that disk no doubt,hence why he could. As yet I don't want to recommend doing that again as it will cost you money, we are trying to do this for you for free.

 

I am also hoping one of our admins may be home soon and on line as he may know a little more, or even be able to come up with something that can save a lot of messing perhaps.

 

Nev.

[malcolm yarnold]

Thanks for your efforts Nev. The WindowsXP disc I have says on it " Includes Service Pack 2. Version 2002" As you say perhaps one of your "admins" may be able to come up with something. It is lucky though that I had previously backed up all my important data ,pictures and music on my Wife's new laptop so that I could learn to use Windows7 on it! Points the moral of always backup just in case.

Kind regards

Malcolm

[KenB]

Hi Malcolm,

 

I did reply to this thread much earlier today and the post seems to have disappeared !!

So here is a second attempt:

 

In your first post you stated that

Unable to select and open any account as mouse curser is frozen

 

I assume that this is the screen you are having problems with?

http://www.petri.co.il/images/xp_welcome_screen.jpg

 

If so .... do you have a PS2 connection at the back of your tower?

It looks like this....the green one is for the mouse

http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/p/ps2.jpg

 

If you are using PS2 already - do you have a USB mouse to try ?

[malcolm yarnold]

Thanks for taking an interest KenB. That indeed is the screen giving me trouble. My mouse is currently plugged into the green PS2 port. I borrowed and tried a USB mouse as you suggested, unfortunatally with no success.

M.

[KenB]

Hi Malcolm,

 

So neither mouse works.

I know you are reluctant to go inside the case but honestly there is nothing to fear.

It is just a circuit board with some connections.

 

I would like you to take the CMOS battery out for a minute and then replace it.

The + side is on top ......... this is important.

It looks like this:

 

http://pctechnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/remove-battery.jpg

 

This is a simple procedure.

If you can do this it will reset the BIOS and possibly fix the mouse problem.

 

If you are going to take a look inside the case switch the machine off at the wall socket first.

The side panel is usually removed by taking 2 or 3 screws out from the back edge of the machine.

 

 

===============

 

Is your keyboard active?

does it light up the LEDs when booting ?

[malcolm yarnold]

windowsXP incomplete bootup

 

Hi KenB

Num lock,Caps lock, and Scroll lock flash on and off during bootup, Num lock then stays on .

Been inside case, found nothing like your picture but took out the nearest to it for a few minutes and replaced it

( see pictures attached) [ATTACH=CONFIG]1073.vB5-legacyid=2019[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]1075.vB5-legacyid=2020[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]1072.vB5-legacyid=2021[/ATTACH] Still unable to move curser to select accounts.

M.

Edited October 9, 2013 by malcolm yarnold

[KenB]

Num lock then stays on .

Can you turn this off and try the mouse again ?

 

Your CMOS battery is shown in the bottom right picture with RTS on it.

I assume that this had no effect ?

 

Alternatively - try unplugging the keyboard and boot up again.

Try the mouse to click on your User Name now.

[malcolm yarnold]

I have tried turning off Num lock by pressing the key to no effect.

Taking out the CMOS battery for a few minutes and putting it back had no effect.

Tried booting up with the keyboard unplugged resulted in an error message on screen :-

"No keyboard detected! Press F1 to continue" which was catch 22 for me!

M.

[KenB]

Hi Malcolm,

 

I am trying to avoid doing a repair install.

I am fairly sure that if we could get the mouse / keyboard functioning you would be able to boot up.

 

Can you access the BIOS ?

This is usually F2 or DEL key after first switching on.

Try alternating between the two about once per second immediately after you switch on.

 

If you can access the BIOS then it is probably a BIOS setting that is causing the mouse / keyboard problem.

[malcolm yarnold]

Yes Ken, it brings up a screen " BIOS SETUP UTILITY" upon which the arrow keys are functional.

M.

[KenB]

Hi Malcolm

 

In the BIOS - is there any indication which one it is .............. AMI / Award / Phoenix for instance.

Take a look around and see if there is an option to Reset:

It could be something like ...... Reset to default, Load factory defaults, Clear BIOS settings, Load setup defaults

 

Use the arrow keys.

 

If you can't locate this - post the BIOS type and I will see if I can.

[malcolm yarnold]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1076.vB5-legacyid=2024[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]1077.vB5-legacyid=2025[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]1078.vB5-legacyid=2026[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]1079.vB5-legacyid=2027[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]1080.vB5-legacyid=2028[/ATTACH]

 

I presume it is AMI as it calls itself "American Megatrends Inc. I tried in the "EXIT" screen and selected "load setup defaults"then as instructed I used key F5 to accept this and then F10 to exit. Sadly the fault persists!

M.

[KenB]

Hi Malcolm

 

Thanks for the pictures - very helpful.

 

Go into BIOS again and click on Advanced > click on Onboard Devices Configuration

You should see Legacy USB Support

This should be "Enabled"

 

If it isn't then click on this and change it.

 

You will need to Save and Exit - use the F10 key.

 

============

 

EDIT:

Just noticed .....

First picture shows "Primary IDE Master" = [not detected]

This should show the Hard Disk.

 

Check that the broad grey cable is properly connected to both the Hard Drive itself and the main circuit board.

Also check that the power connection to the Hard Drive is OK

The image below may help you with the connections:

 

http://www.easy-computer-tech.com/images/IDE-HDD.gif

[malcolm yarnold]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1085.vB5-legacyid=2034[/ATTACH] My onboard devices configuration screen has no "Legacy USB Support" as such the only reference to USB is to a couple of ports that look to be enabled? I will defer going into the case again to check connections for tomorrows daylight! Many thanks for all your efforts so far Ken, much appreciated.

M.

[KenB]

Get back to me again tomorrow Malcolm :)

 

Looking at your latest photo - SATA is mentioned.

We need to know what your HDD is [ SATA or IDE ]

If you have a broad grey cable [ about 2 inches wide ] inside the case you have an IDE drive.

A much smaller cable to the Hard Drive will be SATA.

 

When you boot up you should see on screen a list of items ........... including the Hard Drive detected.

Here it says "Master .......IBM DTLA etc "

 

The image shows a Phoenix BIOS ( yours will be similar )

The Hard Drive is detected

http://www.3dnews.ru/documents/7035/post.jpg

[malcolm yarnold]

Getting confused here Ken, as some of your latest posts and mine vanish from the thread come back and then disappear again.

To sum up I see no "Legacy USB Support, only a ref. to a couple of ports that I presume are enabled.

I do have the broad grey cable and will check it and other hard drive connections. I think I briefly saw in one of your latest posts a picture of a screen and a suggestion of something else that i could try, unfortunately it seems to have vanished!

M

[malcolm yarnold]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1089.vB5-legacyid=2037[/ATTACH]

 

I think that you mentioned that I should see something about hard drive detected, on screen, during bootup. The above is all that I see prior to loading. Don't know if it is significant?

m.

[KenB]

Hi Malcolm

 

some of your latest posts and mine vanish from the thread

We are in the process of moving the board to another server whilst trying to keep the forums open.

I have had a few of my posts go missing ....... hopefully things are more stable now.

 

Do you see the pic in my post #22 ( my last post to you ) ?

 

I do have the broad grey cable

This confirms that you have an IDE drive :)

 

I will look a little deeper into your specific BIOS.

 

In the mean time can you check out the connections again please and then let me know if, when you boot up you can see that the Hard Drive has been recognised.

You should see something like this pic

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/POST2.png