Windows XP home edition

[brenhargood]

I hope I am not posting this twice but can't see my original message. 18 months ago my husband bought a new pc but unfortunately only used it for approx first 6 months before he became ill. Over the last year I have started it up every now and then to check everything was OK and so it was until this week. On Monday a message appeared saying Bullguard had expired and to renew subscription. We have always used AVG free virus checker in the past, so I downloaded it and removed Bullguard. All was fine, virus checker scanned OK. I left the pc on but didn't check for a couple of days and then noticed the screen was blank. I tried rebooting by using the power button but cannot get past the XP 'flag' screen. I've tried several times and get the same result. I've tried the other options in the BIOS screen of starting up but again get the same results. I am computer literate as far as finding my way around a pc but haven't a clue when things go wrong. My husband used to look after all that but now is unable. Please can anyone help me. Thank you for allowing me to join this group.

 

Brenda

[BeeCeeBee]

Ok there may be other issues but we need to see if you can get into the PC at all.

 

Have you tried to boot into safe mode or try the "last good configuration" option.

 

Just restart the pc and begin tapping on the F8 key when it starts to boot.

 

If all goes well you should see this screen

 

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn266/FPCH/win2ksafemode2.jpg

 

Just navigate through it suing the arrows and enter key. Try "last know good configuration" first and if that doesn't work then safe mode. Safe mode will look different, the sceen will have large icons and will not be set to your resolution. That is normal.

 

Please try this and let us know how you make out and we will go from there.

[brenhargood]

Windows XP home edition

 

Hi,

 

Yes already tried all the options listed when pressing the F8 key and nothing has worked - just gets as far as the XP flag screen then goes back to the screensaver.

 

Thanks

 

Brenda

[BeeCeeBee]

Screensaver? I don't know what you mean.

 

Also when you say the flag screen which screen do you mean? Is it the one where XP seems to be loading?

[brenhargood]

My husband has a picture of an jet aircraft which appears on the screen before boot up - it's always been there. Yes the XP flag is the one before it starts to load only it doesn't!

Thanks

Brenda

[DirtyPolo]

Hi,

 

Yes already tried all the options listed when pressing the F8 key and nothing has worked - just gets as far as the XP flag screen then goes back to the screensaver.

 

Thanks

 

Brenda

 

I fail to believe this Brenda, as if you had tried the Safe Mode option, it would not need to show this "flag" that you say it hangs at.

 

Can you please try once more and select the Safe Mode option, and let us know what happens, as BeeCeeBee said, your screen may appear funny, but it's meant to be that way.

[brenhargood]

OK, sorry - when I try the safe mode, it comes up with a list which are partitions and drivers then it goes back to the start screen with the jet plane that appears before the XP flag.

[BeeCeeBee]

Brenda every computer is different and sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error to get to that black screen I showed you above. I know I need to do some fairly long slow taps on mine. Once you do, however, and select "Safe Mode" what you will see is another black screen with a scrolling list of items loading. You will then get to the safe mode screen where you will be asked whether you want to go to safe mode or do a system restore.

 

At this stage you may do either. If you select system restore you will wind up at a calender. If you select a date when you know things were operating fine this may solve the problem.

 

In either case we need to know that you can get to "safe mode" in order to try to help you without resorting to "drastic measures."

Edited February 28, 2009 by BeeCeeBee

[brenhargood]

Thanks BeeCeeBee but I have been into the screen you show above and chosen safe mode. I get a list but not a scrolling list and then clicks out back to the jet plane screen and starts trying to boot up all over again. I've tried all of the options on the screen you show above but none of them will boot the pc it just clicks back to the jet plane screen.

 

Brenda

[BeeCeeBee]

We are at the stage where we need to know what disks you have that came with the PC as well as the make and model of the machine.

 

We are looking for XP discs and manufacturers discs.

[brenhargood]

Can you tell me what disks I should be looking for - I've found a whole bunch of them - one says Product Recovery CD Rom Windows XP Home edition-Sp1a - could this be the one you mean?

 

Brenda

[BeeCeeBee]

That is the one yes now we need the make and model of the PC. There may be other disks that came from the manufacturer is there anything else with XP or the makers name on it?

[brenhargood]

Sorry, I got the wrong disk, the one I found was for an old pc. I have now located the box belonging to this pc and found Windows XP home Edition including Service Pack 2, MSI Drivers & Utilities and MSI Multimedia Beyond 3D Drivers and Utilities. The other disks are for Nero and some other add on software that came as a bundle.

[BeeCeeBee]

Ok that is good news now please get that make and model number for us!

[Plastic Nev]

So long as the label hasn't been removed, all the details we need should be underneath on the base of the machine, plus also there should be a Windows label there with the product code number on it too, we don't need the product code ourselves but you will.

[brenhargood]

These are numbers I found on the side of the pc:

 

Product key: Edited for security

Licence: X12-53761

 

It is an MSI-945PLN3-F SKT775 CORE 2 DUO Mother Board and an Intel Core 2 Duo processor.

 

Is there anything I've missed?

[Guest Wolfeymole]

Read the information in this link very very carefully Brenda, in fact print it off and read it at your leisure.

 

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install

[brenhargood]

Having been to the link, it scares me to death. I don't really understand what I should or should not be doing. Is this something that I should be doing myself or would I be better to take it to a repair shop?

[Plastic Nev]

Hi again Brenda, it is a bit daunting is the repair sequence, and even then it may not be the answer. I hope you understand that for us working at a distance and not hands on, we cannot see it all.

 

In this case as loath as we are to say so, it may be best to take it to someone you trust to have a look at it. From what you tell us, it could well be a fault on some part of the hardware instead of the operating system, but we have to start at the beginning, a tech guy can usually do all that in minutes.

 

Do go to someone local and reputable, and if possible stay away from the bigger retail stores. A local guy can usually do the job in house and cheaper. Most big retailers send them off elsewhere and charge an arm and a leg.

 

Best of luck and please let us know how you get on.

[brenhargood]

Thanks so much for all your help - I did actually ring the shop we bought it from this morning and they charge £50 to look at it. I thought if it was something simple I might have been able to do it myself but from what you say, this may not be the case and I would be better off paying the £50. The shop is local and they actually built the pc to specification so they know it well. I found the invoice too and it is not as old as I thought - we bought it in January 2008, which is probably just out of warranty!!!!

 

Brenda