XP Boot up- stuck in a loop

[cliffi]

My Sony Vaio Notebook, model PCG-9K1M,won't fully boot up..

It used to until I was trying to connect it to a router using a wirless card which when I plugged it in the computer just switched off.

It now starts with the black screen saying that it wasn't shut down properly last time and do you want to start it in safe mode. I click return (I have tried the other options with no success) and it starts to load XP...then it just clicks off and automatically goes through the same boot up process again and again.

 

I would like to know what could be the cause of this fault and whether life can be breathed back into the laptop. Any advice would be gratefully recieved. Cheers Cliff

[Dalo Harkin]

Sounds like the card you put in fried something on the MOBO and it was shut down to prevent damage (this sometimes resets the BIOS)

you will need to enter the BIOS and set the first boot device to HDD as it will currently be set to CD/DVDROM

It will tell you how to enter the BIOS when the PC starts its normally del or a F key :)

[cliffi]

Many thanks for the reply.

I did as suggested but alas it continued with the boot up and crash loop.

Is this likely to be motherboard related, or RAM or hard drive?

[Jelly Bean]

Have you removed the card you fitted?

[cliffi]

Yes I removed the card.

It was a Belkin wireless adaptor that plugged into one of the external ports.

Cheers

[Jelly Bean]

We are not sure of what could of caused this at the moment.

 

Did you connect the card via USB?

 

Have you tried restarting and repeatedly tapping F8 and choose safe mode or last known good config that worked?

 

Do either of these options work?

[Dalo Harkin]

From what you have said and tried, I would only think that a problem with the HDD or the MOBO, RAM could be at fault

just out of interest was the belkin adapter a USB or PCMCIA?