My computer usually crashes for a while after an update. This time it's worse. It crashes first thing upon waking from hibernation every day. The video is also fuzzy and slightly pixelated for a minute, then it clears up. Sometimes after the crash, I'll get a message floating on the screen "Set resolution to 1280 x 1024" or something like that. The screen has been set the same since I purchased the computer. I did try resetting the resolution, and I am still crashing. I followed the procedure for malware and came up ok.

Anybody help?

Ok, first, let's try booting to the Recovery Console and running a chkdsk. Put your Windows CD in the drive, and boot to it. When the setup loads, press R to enter the Recovery Console. You will need to log onto the Windows installation (Should be the one labeled C:\Windows, usually number one unless you have a weird configuration,) and enter the Admin password (if any.) Then at the prompt type "Chkdsk /r" (without the quotes) and let it scan. See if it detects any errors and report back what you find.

When I put my Windows CD in the drive, it pushed me toward re-installing Windows--says it will take about 40 minutes. Is that supposed to happen? I got nervous and bailed.

What brand is your computer? Dell? Hp? Emachines? Custom built?

I know that some retailers don't like to send the original Windows CD with the computer - they create they're own recovery CD's. Which I find really annoying. I would guess that you have one of those, by the sounds of it. If it didn't give you an option to boot to the Recovery Console, I would say almost definitely.

here is what it should look like -w/how to-
doing a repair

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/How-to-repa...ws-XP-t138.html

This all seems dangerous. It's not like I can't boot. And I can boot into safe mode and I was even able to run chkdsk from the cmd prompt and my computer. I'm just crashing and occasionallypixelated.

My boot disk gave me the setup that CMPM linked to, above.

But now, I don't know what I did, but I'm stuck in a loop when I try to reboot. I got to the point where the boot disk asked me to accept the agreement, and I declined. It seemed the only way to back me out. Noow, every time I restart, it is pushing me to re installing Windows XP Pro. If I quick arrrow down to the second choice (Windows XP Media Edition--which I is what I was using), then it boots and I have my normal problems.

My system is Medion, Pentium 4, 512 RAM, XP Media Edition Version 2002 Service pack 3

The XP Media Center Setup calls itself XP Pro, even tho you use a MCE disc. That's because XP MCE was based on XP Pro. If you can boot to Safe Mode, I would try running a repair install of Windows - you go as if you're setting up Windows, and then press R to repair the installation instead of formatting it.

I tried. I don't know if I did it right as it did not happen exactly as in the link posted by cmpm. Now, when I reboot, after the Pentium 4 screen splash, I get a small menu saying "Please select operating system to start." There are three choices: The one my computer defaults to is "Windows XP Professional," which wants to do another complete re install. Then there are two "Windows XP Media." If I select either of the first two, I get like a brand new computer. None of my settings are there, no desk top, none of my files or software and I would have to start from scratch. Thankfully, when I tried the last selection, I got my desktop and files back, but I had to re-update explorer and a few other updates. I still crash and it's still pixelated and now Windows Media Player says it has an internal application error and will not open. I'm getting worried as the re install of Windows seems to have made things worse.

This post has been edited by jones082: Nov 30 2008, 01:06 PM

I'm still crashing, can anyone help? The system is saying "Video Signal out of range. Set resolution to 1280 x 1024." I reset it and I'm ok for a bit (except that everything is certainly a lot smaller), then I crash again and get "System has recovered from a serious error." Whatever I've done so far has lessened the static and pixelated screen, but I still could sure use some help.

When you restored your machine, are you sure that you got the proper video drivers? It sounds like the resolution is messed up, and that can be adjusted, and this can cause problems.......It also may be a sign that your videocard is possibly going..........

Brian

I updated the nvidia driver, still crashing. Saying computer recovered from a serious error and event entered in error log. I have a feeling that it is some kind of conflict caused by an update. Is there any way to check the video card? Is there a way to use the error log to figure out what is up?

Were you able to start windows in safe mode PRIOR to attempting an update of the driver?

Brian

This post has been edited by **Brian**: Dec 4 2008, 03:22 PM

Yes, I was able to start in safe mode all along. I have not tried recently.