XP Disaster!

[LordRose]

Hello all. I hope Im not intruding asking for help out of the blue, but I really am stuck. I know nothing really about computers, so I hope people will have some patience.

 

This morning I booted the computer like normal and tried to open a programme too early so it crashed. I was'nt able to get to shut down or anything so I had to turn it off at the plug.

 

When Ive tried to go back on it beeps, but misses out the usual first page outlining drives etc. Instead there is a black screen with a cursor for around a second, followed by the windows safe mode options.

 

I have tried every option on the list, and none of them work. If I try safe mode then the normal wall of text comes down the screen, stops and then restarts itself after showing a blue screen which only displays for a split second, way to quickly to read. It beeps and then returns back to the safe mode options again.

 

If I try running XP normally, the logo and loading bar appears for quite a while like normal, gets to around about the same time each time, and then like the safe mode, displays a screen very quickly that is unreadable, and then beeps and restarts.

 

I understand that by turning the power off, its probably shorted something out. What though would it be? Is it the mother board, the harddrive or something else? I have very little knowledge in repairing computers, and would like to get away with not having to ponce about with any installation CD's if I can get away with it.

 

Many thanks to you all in advance.

[snow]

Hello LordRose, you're not intruding at all, welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help :)

 

When your hard drive suddenly lost power it could have sustained damage to itself, or corrupted some of the files that are necessary for Windows to work.

 

If the computer bleeps when you turn it on, and is re-starting itself automatically, this might indicate that the hard drive has become damaged.

 

If you go into your system's BIOS at startup, do you see the hard drive listed there?

 

Do you still have the original XP install disk that came with the computer?

 

What make and model of computer is it?

[LordRose]

Thanks snow for your welcome and help.

 

In the BIOS, all the usual drives are on there, although I wouldnt risk touching anything in the BIOS lol. I dont have the disc as its not my computer (was my girlfriends) hence why im trying to sort it out as quick as possible before she finds out haha.

 

Iam burning an XP disc as I write this to try and use this to format then reinstall XP. If that doesnt work I guess the only other thing to do would be to buy a new harddrive? The computer hasnt got a make, her brother built it from scratch from a load of random pieces. The harddrive is Samsung, the motherboard from a company called Living something or other (never heard of it.)

[snow]

Thanks snow for your welcome and help.

 

No problem :)

 

Before we can continue however, I need to ask where exactly you have obtained the copy of Windows XP that you are burning to disk?

 

If the system was home built, then I suppose a retail version must have been bought and installed on it?

Edited July 26, 2009 by snow

[LordRose]

Im not too sure, its just one someone has put on Torrent file shares. One problem I have is that I have no idea what service pack it is, I believe its SP1, but Id do a whole harddrive format of the old windows anyway, just in case.

[snow]

In all likelihood it sounds as though the hard disk is dead. The best thing to do would be try a different drive, and obtain a Legal copy of Windows.

 

its just one someone has put on Torrent file shares.

 

Because you have broken forum rules 3 and 4;

 

3. No advice or help will be offered with regard to P2P (Peer to Peer, torrents etc) programs or software obtained via that medium unless a member specifically states that they require help on removing such software.

4. References, questions, signatures or subjects posted with regard to or containing software cracks, rips, hacks, warez, porn, non-genuine, pirated and illegal software etc, may be removed, the thread closed and the originating poster possibly being banned.

No further assistance can be offered. This thread is now closed.