XP hangs after splash

[kmmcdanie]

Hello,

I have a Dell 8250 that when booting, hangs to a black screen directly after the splash screen. No error or beeping, just black screen. The only thing that was installed recently was the latest Java plugin from Sun's site. However I had restarted this machine several times after this install and this issue cropped up a couple of days later. No other changes or installs have been done.

It WILL boot into safe mode and let me run diagnostic startup but no combination will get past the splash screen. I also tried "last known configuration that worked" and it hangs in the same spot. When I try to access system restore from safe mode it tells me that system restore is unable to protect my computer restart and run system restore again. Restarting does not change this.

What can I try next? I mean if the boot record/sector was corrupted I would not be able to get into safe mode correct? And if it were a driver issue then windows would start in diagnostic mode correct? What else could be going on here?

Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Kathleen

 

[moonguppie]

It is probably a driver issue. It's uncommon for Windows to automatically start in protected mode. So next time you boot up switch to protected mode and remove the java pluggin and see if that does the trick. Your last saved configuration may be just as buggy as your current configuration, so is most likely the reason why restoring to the last know config didn't work.
After you remove the Java pluggin let me/us know if that did the trick. As to why the pluggin would cause conflicts, I am not sure. Does anyone else know?

Where's the ANY key!!!

 

[kmmcdanie]

Hi,

Just so it's clear. It wasn't booting into safe mode automatically. It would just come up to the screen telling you that windows did not complete loading and it gives you the chance to choose safe mode.

I guess I just don't understand why it still hangs when choosing start in various diagnostic modes from MSCONFIG. Is this supposed to remove the all drivers that are not crucial to windows? It will not boot normally into windows (without hanging) no matter what items I check or uncheck in selective startup under MSCONFIG.

Thanks
Kathleen