Windows XP incomplete bootup

[malcolm yarnold]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1090.vB5-legacyid=2038[/ATTACH]

 

Re. the Sats / IDE question, is this info from my BIOS significant?

M.

[KenB]

Hi Malcolm

 

We seem to be cross-posting :)

 

Let's try to sort out which hard drive you have.

Looking at your post #24 you pic shows a Maxtor 6L160M0 drive.

This is a SATA drive.

 

Are you sure that the broad grey cable goes to the hard drive ?

It could be connected to the CDROM drive or even a floppy drive if you have one.

[malcolm yarnold]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1088.vB5-legacyid=2039[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]1091.vB5-legacyid=2040[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]1092.vB5-legacyid=2041[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]1093.vB5-legacyid=2042[/ATTACH]

 

If I press "del" during bootup I get this further detail on screen.Don't know it it helps?

M.

[KenB]

Hi Malcolm,

 

I would still like confirmation as to what type of Hard Drive you have.

( I suspect it is SATA - although you mentioned a broad grey cable earlier )

Check to see exactly where that cable goes please.

 

Also .........

 

You have a message on that last screen that says "CMOS Checksum Bad"

This usually indicates a low powered CMOS battery.

http://www.geeksinphoenix.com/blog/images/CMOS-Battery-3.jpg

 

It would be worth spending a couple of pounds and getting a new one.

They are usually CR2032

Available at jewellers / Halfords / and computer shop

 

The CMOS battery is on the motherboard ( I think you took this out earlier )

It maintains the time and date and also some BIOS data.

 

If you are replacing it - switch off at the wall socket and touch the metal chassis of the tower first before you go inside the case.

[malcolm yarnold]

xxxxx

[malcolm yarnold]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1074.vB5-legacyid=2043[/ATTACH]

 

This shows the broad grey cable and presumably the hard drive. Will line up a replacement CMOS battery.

M.

[KenB]

Hi Malcolm

 

Thanks for the photo - it explains a lot.

 

Take a look at mine ( cropped down version of yours )

 

The red box I have drawn indicates your Hard Drive.

It is SATA.

It has small red wires going to it - not a broad grey cable.

 

The device at the very bottom with a broad grey cable going to it is your CDROM Drive.

 

The other grey cable looks as if it is connected to a Floppy Drive.

If you have one then this explains this cable

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1094.vB5-legacyid=2044[/ATTACH]

 

Let me know when you have replaced the CMOS battery.

We can continue from there :)

[malcolm yarnold]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1095.vB5-legacyid=2045[/ATTACH]

 

Hard drive as purchased specified as 120Gb 7200 Maxtor.

Got the above screen detail from the BIOS set up. Will fit new CR2032 tomorrow

(had a spare for our kitchen scales!)

M.

[KenB]

Hi Malcolm

 

I posted just before you did - have you seen my last post ?

 

Also ....

In your last pic you have highlighted .....Onboard SATA-IDE .......... [RAID]

The other option is SATA

 

RAID ( as I understand it ) is used for multiple hard drives.

You only have one.

It would be worth setting this to SATA - which is what you have.

F10 will Save and Exit.

 

It is not worth doing this until you have the new CMOS battery in place.

[malcolm yarnold]

system at first only displays up to #20,usually will not display the subsequent posts that I know have been submitted until I have posted a "reply" as I am now doing.

M

[malcolm yarnold]

Now up to date to your post #34 re RAID etc . Will follow advice re CR2032,check connections and if necessary try switch from RAID to SATA tomorrow when have daylight to work inside case.

M.

[RandyL]

Hi Malcom.

The forum only displays 20 threads per page. At the top and bottom of the page you can change to a different page.

[KenB]

Hi Malcolm

 

As Randy says - there is a page option at the bottom right ( and at the top too )

[malcolm yarnold]

As usual as I write this I am only able to see up to and including #20.

I have put a new CR2032 battery in place and checked all plugs are securely in place - the fault still persists.

I then switched from RAID to SATA ( now offered the choice of SATA-IDE so I presume that RAID the same as IDE) Anyway with "onboard set at SATA- the fault is still there)

M. ( I expect that as usual when I post this reply I will be able to view all the posts)

[malcolm yarnold]

Thanks,now understand how to change to the latest page, sorry to have been a bit slow on the uptake!

M.

[Plastic Nev]

Hi Malcolm,

Firstly to say thanks to Ken for stepping in and helping out here, however I wish I had thought of looking in the BIOS, doing that has helped us all have a better understanding of what is at least going on.

 

Although Ken may have more idea's first and by all means look into those before going too far.

 

However my thoughts now would be to actually remove the hard drive, and via an adapter connect it to another computer. Using that other computer, various checks can be carried out which would help in further diagnosis.

 

Though the idea of doing so may be a little fearful for you, it is certainly not a difficult or even dangerous task if instructions are followed, and also at least for the checks, no data will be lost. The only cost may be in buying the required adapter if one can't be borrowed.

 

Nev.

[KenB]

Hi Malcolm / Nev

 

Malcolm - if changing from RAID to SATA did nothing then please change it back.

 

OK - this is what we have so far:

 

1. machine goes through part of the boot-up process.

 

2. It completes the POST process ( Power On Self Test )

 

3. The Hard Drive is actually a SATA drive.

 

4. All connections are OK

 

5. A change of CMOS battery makes no difference

( Malcolm - has the CMOS Checksum Bad error gone ? )

 

6. The keyboard and Mouse work when in the BIOS

 

7. The boot process stops at the Login Screen - no mouse or keyboard function.

 

Malcolm - can you please confirm all of the above please ?

 

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

 

[malcolm yarnold]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1097.vB5-legacyid=2047[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]1098.vB5-legacyid=2048[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]1099.vB5-legacyid=2049[/ATTACH]

 

Confirm all points except that error message "cymos checksum bad" is still there.

See picture but also note that one picture shows 3.30 voltage is at 3.29?

and see other picture indicating what is enabled or disabled ? significant.

M.

[KenB]

Hi Malcolm

 

The "Power ON" page refers to what will cause the machine to switch on and boot up.

PS2 Keyboard ( for instance ) if enabled would - if the machine was off initially - if you pressed a key cause the machine to switch on and boot up.

Not related to your problem.

 

The voltages:

The motherboard has 3 different voltages depending on what it is powering.

USB ports for instance, use 5v.

 

The values given - albeit done by software - are all OK

You will rarely see exactly 3.3v or 5v or 12v what you will see is something very close if the PSU is OK

In your case - these are all OK

 

Your last pic shows "Auto Detecting Secondary Master" - and finds the DVD CDROM

( this is correct )

 

What I don't see is The Primary Master - your Hard Drive.

 

I will take a look back at your posts to see if it is being detected - I assume that it is if you are getting as far as the Login stage.

Otherwise you would get an error relating to "No Bootable Device" or something similar.

 

Do you have a FULL XP installation disk ?

If so - we can try a Repair Install.

( I think this is where I came in :) )

[malcolm yarnold]

One slight correction to my answer to 6 in your 7 point confirmation list. There appears no provision to use a mouse while in BIOS,no cursor on screen, all done by use of arrow keys.

Re, XP installation discs, the only one I have is that used when I first bought the computer, it says on it "includes service pack 2 Version 2002". Since then when I had a problem I was persuaded by a repair man that the only solution was to have WindowsXP reinstalled! I do not have the disc used for that.

I see advertised by Amazon , so called Windows repair discs: -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Recovery-Repair-Discs-Windows-XP/dp/B00DYS6YMI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1381419514&sr=8-2&keywords=windows+xp+recovery+disk

 

Are these any use?

M

[KenB]

all done by use of arrow keys.

Sorry Malcolm - getting carried away - this is normal :)

 

I have is that used when I first bought the computer, it says on it "includes service pack 2 Version 2002".

XP is up to SP3

We could try using this disk to do a repair install.

You would end up with SP2 again and have to update to SP3.

You MAY ( and probably will ) get a message that a newer version is installed and it will not proceed any further.

 

If there is anything REALLY IMPORTANT on your hard drive we can probably get access using a adapter / caddy as suggested by Nev.

The repair install should not remove any files / photos / data ..... but we cannot TOTALLY guarantee this.

 

Do you wish to go down this route ?

[Plastic Nev]

As Ken mentioned, using the XP SP2 disk you have, you probably will get the message that a newer version is installed and it can't go further.

 

The way round that is to create what is known as a slipstreamed disk which is a new disk you burn yourself but has service pack 3 integrated, therefore that disk then should be able to carry out a repair of your system.

 

It may look complicated, but full instructions for creating a slipstreamed disk of your own is here, all you need though is another computer available to create and burn the slipstreamed disk. Along with a blank disk of course.

 

http://www.howtohaven.com/system/slipstream-xp-service-pack-3.shtml

 

 

Nev.

[malcolm yarnold]

No problem with possible loss of info from hard drive as all backed up on my wife's windows 7 laptop to enable my trying out 7.

Very wary of trying to create an XP SP3 installation/repair disc on windows 7 laptop,would prefer trying to use old XP SP2 disc and add SP3 later if possible.

If all else fails, would one of the advertised windows repair discs help?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Recovery-Repair-Discs-Windows-XP/dp/B00DYS6YMI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1381419514&sr=8-2&keywords=windows+xp+recovery+disk ( Tried to make it a hyper link but with no success, sorry!)

[KenB]

Hi Malcolm

 

I am not sure about that disk that you link to.

£10 will not get you a legal copy of XP.

They say it will restore to as new ??

 

If you have everything backed up - you could use your own disk and try the repair install ( probably fail )

If it does ....

Format and use your own disk to install XP SP2 then upgrade to SP3.

 

Cost = £0

 

What do you think ?