PC Problems!

[mjbailey21 10+ year member]

PC seems stuck!

***I don't remember any hardware/software changes made last night before I shut down the PC.

I wake up this morning before work to turn on my computer to see it asking me whether I want to boot up in safe mode, safe mode with networking, last known good config., or start windows normally (most of you are familiar with this screen).

So I choose to start windows normally.

It restarts the PC and goes back to the same screen.

I try another option.

Same thing.

I throw in my Windows XP CD to "repair". The blue windows setup screen comes up and flies through all that junk in the bottom right hand corner. When its done and says "setup is starting up windows..", it does nothing. This screen stays there forever. The hard drive is not spinning, the LED is not blinking, nothing is moving.

I reset CMOS and messed around in the bios. I put in a different HD and it still does the same thing.

Any ideas?

Would appreciate anything,

Matt

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[mjbailey21 10+ year member]

bumpers!

 

[flakko 5,000+ posts]

wait so you put in a different HD and it still does that? how old is it? im thinking hardware problem... have you tried reinstalling windows? that seems to solve everything sofware related lol

 

[Expy2K 10+ year member]

I haven't seen your *** on here in a long time..

The same thing happened to me a while back it was my BIOS not even recon. the drives..

as if that helps tho..

 

[mjbailey21 10+ year member]

Yeah long time no see man.

Flakko: I tried to mess with reinstalling/repairing windows, but it stops after getting to the part that says "setup is starting windows" in the windows blue and white setup screen.

NOT the BSOD.

 

[flakko 5,000+ posts]

if that happened to me, and i tried another clean hard drive, i would just trash the system... i say its the mobo thats causing it.

edit: but im just takin a shot in the dark, dont know exactly whats going on.

 

[Raven 10+ year member]

The last instance of that I had dealt with was a hardware problem, where the fan over a customer's heatsink had failed and was making the processor overheat. Considering you swapped hard drives it couldn't be a software error IMO.

Another problem I've encountered that will do that is fried RAM. If you have it available, try different RAM as well.

Hope that helps.

 

[flakko 5,000+ posts]

The last instance of that I had dealt with was a hardware problem, where the fan over a customer's heatsink had failed and was making the processor overheat. Considering you swapped hard drives it couldn't be a software error IMO.
Another problem I've encountered that will do that is fried RAM. If you have it available, try different RAM as well.

Hope that helps.

if the ram was fried wouldnt there be like a loud beep when he starts his computer up? thats happened to me before... the ram was hot as a mofo. gave me a blister

 

[Loudrango112 10+ year member]

It could be a crap load of things, CPU, Memory, MB or hard drive.

All the times I have had this happen to me and my customers is with 80% of the time its the memory/RAM. Try turning off the PC for a while letting it sit, turn it back on and boot right into the windows cd try to reinstall windows (DO not format or change the partition, this will result in the loss of all your data).

If that fails try takin out a stick of memory (that is if you have 2) if you only have one... try takin it from another pc, friends... family.

 

[Loudrango112 10+ year member]

if the ram was fried wouldnt there be like a loud beep when he starts his computer up? thats happened to me before... the ram was hot as a mofo. gave me a blister

Not always, and actually about 3/4 the time that memory is bad POST doesnt even see it. Its when the memory is ACTUALLY being used that you have problems... IE installing windows... running programs or games... and so forth.

 

[mjbailey21 10+ year member]

bump

any other ideas guys?

i appreciate the help, trying everything.

 

[flakko 5,000+ posts]

if its not software, its hardware. if its not hardware or software....its satan

 

[AcidicDreams 10+ year member]

yah alot of gripping at straws here... is there info on the HD that is important to get... if so swap in a new HD, format it and run windows install... if that works then most likely you could back up the stuff on the first HD onto the new one unless the FAT is toast... of course you'd usually get a different error if the FAT is toast but in any case....

If you can't load windows onto the second, formatted drive unplug everything but the 1 HD, CPU, RAM, VC... if it still doesn't boot you've got serious issues... you can download RAM stress tests that boot off floppies to check the RAM, you could swap in another CPU and VC to test those but my guess is still the HD... after that I'd look into the RAM...

 

[AcidicDreams 10+ year member]

reading your issue again affirms my ideas... try formatting and running a clean install on a new HD... if that works backup the info from the other drive (which may or may not work) and try formatting it....

if you get back up and running that way it would be a good idea to watch the event logs in windows for disk errors...

 

[flakko 5,000+ posts]

I put in a different HD and it still does the same thing.

he did try another HD