Blue Screen of Death --Can't boot!

[yourkeylady]

My laptop is stuck in a booting loop. Everytime I try to boot a blue screen flashes and the computer restarts. I need to access the Registery Editor, but I don't have any XP recovery cds so I'm trying to get to Command Prompt. I've all the F8 advanced booting options, but my laptop just restarts. Is there another way to get to the Command Prompt?


Thanks
Tricia

 

[muthabored]

yourkeylady:

How far into the boot process does your laptop go?
I ask because I recently had this happen with a desktop.
I turned out to be the hard drive (the PC would post, display the XP logo, display the F8 advanced booting options - due to the fact that XP was being restarted incorrectly- and then reboot). I replaced the hard drive and then slaved the bad hard drive in the same PC (my intention was to run chkdsk) but even as the slave my PC repeatedly rebooted. With the newly installed hard drive and a fresh copy of XP, the constant reboot loop stopped.
Incidently, I put the bad hard drive in another PC and that PC rebooted constantly as well.

 

[yourkeylady]

Yeah, that sounds a lot like my problem. It'll show the Windows XP loading screen for about 3 seconds and then reboot. I don't have another laptop to check the hard drive with, but I don't think that's the problem. I had this error before about a month ago. I formatted and everything was fine. Now that the error is back I'm wondering if it could be a virus. Can a virus cause this problem?

Thanks
Tricia

 

[BadBigBen]

Can a virus cause this problem?

Yes... but also bad driver, bad system files, etc.

Your best bet would be to get a hold of a working XP CD that your liscense covers (ie. OEM if OEM KEY, Full, etc.)... and then do a repair install...

How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=315341

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[linney]

If you have SP2 installed you should have the Safe Mode boot option to turn off Automatic Restarts, allowing you to read the BSOD.

How to Use System Files to Create a Boot Disk to Guard Against Being Unable to Start Windows XP (Q314079)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q314/0/79.asp

Q305595 - HOW TO: Create a Boot Disk for an NTFS or FAT Partition in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q305/5/95.asp

You will have some access if you can load the XP Recovery Console onto the machine.

HOW TO: Install and Use the Recovery Console for Windows XP (Q307654)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q307/6/54.asp

310994 - Obtaining Windows XP Setup Boot Disks

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310994&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

You may have to download files from Microsoft to put onto Floppies to achieve this if you have no CD.

http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/wxprcons.htm

From the Recovery Console, try ChkDsk /r, look at the Fixboot and FixMbr commands.


An easy to follow recovery console description when unable to start computer due to corrupt registry.

http://www.digitalwebcast.com/2002/03_mar/tutorials/cw_boot_toot.htm

This is a layman's version of Q307545 in simple language.

 

[muthabored]

yourkeylady:

You said you had this error before about a month ago - which error are you referring to? From what I read, it seemed as though the laptop was in a booting loop and that you were unable to even get into Windows.
Do you have a diagnostics CD for your laptop that you could run?

 

[yourkeylady]

I gave up and called the Geek Squad!

He didn't find the problem and took it to Best Buy. I was hoping it was only a software error.

Thanks
Tricia

 

[muthabored]

yourkeylady:

Pls let us know how things turned out for you

 

[kwokkman]

This sound like a bad drive. Just because you are able to use it after a reinstall, don't mean it is not a bad drive. The reinstall will write data to the nonbad sector of the drive. Once a drive is bad, the bad sector will spread which will cause the same problem (in your case, 1 month). From experience, it is the drive.

 

[yourkeylady]

The computer was getting very hot at times. It was put in the refrigerator to cool off!
The geek squad couldn't fix it and said it was the hard drive. They also said it may be another problem that caused the hard drive to go bad. It's on it's way to averitech now.

Thanks
Tricia

 

[electronicsfreak]

First off never put a computer into refridgerator for a few reasons. Number one if its real hot and you do that humidity(water) will form inside of it. That can cause it to short. Number 2 things could spill inside of it. If you want to cool a laptop get an external attachment for them to cool it. It might have been just overheating and protection kicking in. Anyways ill post a link for the item i just mentioned.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&description=&srchInDesc=&minPrice=&maxPrice=

There is a point in wisdom and knowledge that when you reach it, you exceed what is considered possible - Jason Schoon