XP Start-up problem

[Jonny5isalive]

Hi and Happy New Year. Thanks to all who helped me with my last problem, sorry I didn't get back to you. I sorted it in the end.

 

I have a new problem now! VLC Player was playing up on my other pc so I uninstalled it. After re-starting Windows, a black boot screen keeps coming up and won't even let me start Windows in any of the Safe Modes.

 

After picking any of the choices, I get a screen of scrolling white sentences, maybe 20 or 30, one after another showing C:\Partition0 (or 1) \Documents and settings\User1\DRIVERS.mup and other variations of DRIVERS or drivers.

 

After 20 seconds or so, the computer must reset itself and it comes up with the black BIOS screen with the usual info and the option to go into Set-up with the DEL button, then brings up the boot choices again.

 

I'm not sure what has caused this or how to rectify it.

 

I've had these sentences come up in the past, but always been able to start up in Safe Mode then use System Restore to resolve the problem in the past.

 

Any help would be most useful. Many thanks, Jon-Paul.

[DirtyPolo]

Hello Jonn, are you runnig windows XP SP3?

 

If so, it seems that this maybe a registry problem, but I am not sure how to correct it without a repair installation as it wont let you boot in any mode.

 

I'll try find out all I can for you and in the meantime if anyone else can shed some more light on your problem, please do as I'm quite busy at the moment but I'll do what I can to help and find out information.

 

It also seems ot be a device problem for others, If you can, unplug all unneeded peripherals so that all you have in mouse, keyboard and monitor, and then try start up and see what happens,

 

Another question, do you have a Linksys USB Network Adapter or anything similar installed?

Edited January 3, 2009 by DirtyPolo

[Jonny5isalive]

Hi, thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Yes it's SP3. I'll try it again after unplugging everything. As for the USB Network Adapter, I'm not too sure what this is, but Nothing that I've installed is made by Linksys. I haven't got anything externally connected apart from a USB ADSL modem.

 

I know I have a USB host controller internally installed but not sure of the brand of it from memory.

[DirtyPolo]

okay well, try the unplugging everything idea and then get back to us with the results, thanks :)

[Tootech]

If it a registry problem, and not a hard drive fault, it may be possible to run a registry repair from the Recovery Console.

 

Have a look here:

 

How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting

 

You will need your XP CD if you have one, if not you can download the Recovery Console ISO from here

 

http://www.thecomputerparamedic.com/files/rc.iso

 

Burn it to disk, boot from it and follow the Microsoft instructions.

 

If you get stuck come back for more help.

Edited January 4, 2009 by Tootech

[Jonny5isalive]

Hi, I've tried what you suggested, no joy I'm afraid after unplugging unnecesssary cables. It's still restarting itself after the messages come up.

 

I've been on to thecomputerparamedic.com site and found the info about the Recovery Console. I can't see an option to download only, however, but to download AND install on the current pc (my working machine). Is this what you meant? Then to burn to a disc from the machine I'm typing from?

 

Thanks, J.P.

[Jonny5isalive]

I've found the i386 file it mentions but I don't know what to do from there, sorry.

[BeeCeeBee]

Hi Jonny,

 

I cannot get into Tootech's link for some reason so I am afraid to comment. Generally you will be ok if you do not try to open the console just burn it.

 

However, what browser are you using as download options appear differently?

[Jonny5isalive]

Hi, I couldn't click on the link either. Copying it and pasting it doesn't work either, so just typed .com and found it from there. The page doesn't display correctly on my browser (IE8 beta), even in Compatability mode. There's no option as far as I can see to download and install a Recovery Console.

 

Anyway, I'm pretty confused now, haha. What am I looking for within the i386 file?

I searched and the computer found it at C:\Windows\Driver Cache\i386.

 

I'm puzzled as to what to do next, please help.

[Jonny5isalive]

I've tried typing C:\WINDOWS\Driver Cache\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons , as instructed in the file path under START>RUN and says Windows cannot find the file.

 

I'm now baffled.

[Jonny5isalive]

I've burned the whole contents of file i386 onto disc. Is the recovery console in here? and can I use it to boot the non-working pc up?

 

Many thanks, J.P.

[RandyL]

Jonny it needs to burned to a disk as an ISO file.

 

Look here to see if you have the right file.

[Jonny5isalive]

That's the file I've got, thanks for getting back to me.

[DirtyPolo]

Hey Jonny, the next step onc eyou have burned that file to a disk is to go back and read the link that tootech posted earlier, this one:

 

How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting

 

Be sure to read the summary first as it contains important information.

 

basically your next step is to start up the problematic PC, and boot from the CD you burned.

 

It should all be explained in that microsoft website link above and in Tootech's post.

 

Just come back and ask any questions you need answering before and after :)

[Jonny5isalive]

Right, done all that and it's gone through the steps of loading files etc and stopped at a black screen that wahts me to type something. What do I need to type here?

 

C:\> ?

 

I'm trying to repair the registry as this is what I'm told is stopping Windows starting.

 

Many thanks.

[Jonny5isalive]

Ok, thanks. I've got so far with it. I'll let you know if it works or if I get stumped again, which is more likely!

[Jonny5isalive]

Just had a look at the article and it says not to use this procedure on an OEM product, which, as luck would have it, my non-working pc IS.

 

So what's the difference between OEM and any other? It's written on the label of the case of my other machine, but not on the label of this one...

[DirtyPolo]

So am I correct in reading that you are using an OEM version of windows on your non-working system?

 

If so then the problem is that with OEM versions it may create unknown passwords and or user names, which may end up with you not being able to log back into your account afterwards.

[DirtyPolo]

Right, done all that and it's gone through the steps of loading files etc and stopped at a black screen that wahts me to type something. What do I need to type here?

 

C:\> ?

 

I'm trying to repair the registry as this is what I'm told is stopping Windows starting.

 

Many thanks.

 

Have you done step 5 of those instructions?:

 

5) At the Recovery Console command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line:

md tmp

copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\tmp\system.bak

copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\windows\tmp\software.bak

copy c:\windows\system32\config\sam c:\windows\tmp\sam.bak

copy c:\windows\system32\config\security c:\windows\tmp\security.bak

copy c:\windows\system32\config\default c:\windows\tmp\default.bak

 

delete c:\windows\system32\config\system

delete c:\windows\system32\config\software

delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam

delete c:\windows\system32\config\security

delete c:\windows\system32\config\default

 

copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system

copy c:\windows\repair\software c:\windows\system32\config\software

copy c:\windows\repair\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam

copy c:\windows\repair\security c:\windows\system32\config\security

copy c:\windows\repair\default c:\windows\system32\config\default

 

 

 

if you have done all this and then type exit which will close it down and your computer will restart

Then you continue on to Step Two which is below Step One on that website.

Just continue to follow those instructions until you have done everything and then report back to us with the results :)

[Jonny5isalive]

Yes, it's got OEM Product written on the CoA sticker.

 

I did the steps below after booting from the disc, but was not asked for an Administrator password etc.

 

1. When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.
   
2. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the installation that you want to access from the Recovery Console.
   
3. When you are prompted to do so, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.
   

I didn't begin to type anything as shown in step 5.

 

So does this mean it's now unwise to continue with the Recovery Console route? If so, what else can I do to fix the problem? I don't fancy 'buggering it up' beyond repair.

 

Thanks, J.P.

[DirtyPolo]

Okay well if your product is an OEM version then I would not advise using the method posted previously to fix your problem and wait for an alternative fix.

[Tootech]

I'm afraid that there's no easy way to get around this.

 

You can use a bootable CD such as BART or Knoppix to access the hard drive directly and move the registry files about. Thing is it is not so well documented as the MS method, so we are best sticking with what we have.

 

I have used this method often to recover from a corrupt system, some being OEM installs, and as it stands it really is your only option unless you have an XP CD for the computer.

 

Run through the instructions DirtyPolo has posted. That will back up your existing registry files and insert the standard set of registry files instead.

 

Reboot your PC to Safe Mode - that's important, when you log on a box pops up telling you Windows is running in Safe Mode - you have two options, Yes or No.

 

Click NO, and wait, System Restore will run and you can restore your computer to a time prior to the VLC player uninstall.

[Jonny5isalive]

Hi again. I'm still having problems unfortunately. I sought help with the problem of repairing the registry using Recovery Console from a guy who's meant to be 'handy' with computers. As it turns out, his standard answer to rectifying problems is to re-install XP, no matter what the problem. After trying several times with Microsoft's procedure to repair the registry with no success, we tried his plan. So here I am with a brand new install of XP, my pc looking as bare and naked as the day it was made. After all the setup procedure we restart the pc and all is fine. I didn't make any changes and didn't install any software or hardware and switched it off.

 

The next time I switched it on all went well. It got past the bios setup screen and the black XP screen where the the progress bar moves along, then that's it, nothing. The screen remains black and it does this every thime I start it up. I left it to it's own devices for at least 15 mins but still nothing.

 

Any ideas anyone?