Jump to content

Welcome to Geeks to Go - Register now for FREE

Need help with your computer or device? Want to learn new tech skills? You're in the right place!
Geeks to Go is a friendly community of tech experts who can solve any problem you have. Just create a free account and post your question. Our volunteers will reply quickly and guide you through the steps. Don't let tech troubles stop you. Join Geeks to Go now and get the support you need!

How it Works Create Account
Photo

XP Booting problem


  • Please log in to reply

#1
xcel

xcel

    New Member

  • Member
  • Pip
  • 7 posts
HI

I am getting the message during the start up " invalid parameter has been sent to a service or funtion."
I have the XP CD. Any ideas?
  • 0

Advertisements


#2
happyrock

happyrock

    Tech Moderator

  • Retired Staff
  • 9,285 posts
try this..


Repair XP Installation without Clean Install....

Configure your computer BIOS to start from the CD-ROM drive at bootup.

Insert your Windows XP (CD) into your CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive, and then restart your computer.

When the "Press any key to boot from CD" message is displayed on your screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.

When you see the following message displayed on the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER....

To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.....

At this point an option to press R to enter the Recovery Console is displayed.
Do not select this option.....

On the Windows XP Licensing Agreement screen, press F8 to agree to the license agreement.

Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press the R key to repair Windows XP......

Follow the instructions on the screen to complete Setup.....

This will repair XP and put everything back to as it first was.....
You will have to reinstall any Hotfixes and OS updates including SP1 and DX9, plus retweak most (but not all) things all over again.

The advantage here is that you will not have to spend hours reinstallindg all your programs again, as well as setting them up.........

Edited by happyrck, 07 December 2006 - 11:12 AM.

  • 0

#3
xcel

xcel

    New Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • Pip
  • 7 posts
Thanks happyrck.

Tried the CD wtih no luck. When it was done and booted up it had the same message. Any ideas?
  • 0

#4
happyrock

happyrock

    Tech Moderator

  • Retired Staff
  • 9,285 posts
did you install any hardware or software recently...if so remove the hardware....have you tried starting in safe mode....
  • 0

#5
xcel

xcel

    New Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • Pip
  • 7 posts
Have not installed any software/hardware lately and it will not start in safe mode either.
  • 0

#6
happyrock

happyrock

    Tech Moderator

  • Retired Staff
  • 9,285 posts
was this a working system at one time...

if you have data that you have no backup copy's of then you will have to remove the drive and slave it to a working computer to backup all the data...or get puppy linux and burn the iso image to a CD and then boot from it....it runs totally in RAM ...you would the "mount" the hard drive and burn to CD or a usb drive any data you can't live without...

http://www.puppylinu...e.php?page_id=1

if you don't have data that isn't backed up or you don't need then a new install of windows is probably the best option...when given the option.... do a quick format of the drive
  • 0

#7
xcel

xcel

    New Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • Pip
  • 7 posts
it was working. I have pictures on the computer I have not saved yet so i do not want to loose them if possible.
  • 0

#8
xcel

xcel

    New Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • Pip
  • 7 posts
Happyrck
Can you help me out with the saving data. You said to remove the drive, how easy is that? and how do i hook it up to another computer? I have a laptop I am using now.
  • 0

#9
happyrock

happyrock

    Tech Moderator

  • Retired Staff
  • 9,285 posts
you would have to go to the computer manufactures website ...in the support section...to get your specific models instructions...some are easy...once you figure out if you want to attempt it let me know and I will tell how to get the data off...
  • 0

#10
xcel

xcel

    New Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • Pip
  • 7 posts
I am ready to reload the OS but when I put in the XP cd, it will not give me the option to load from the cd. It has in the past but not any more. .
Dont know how to get it to let me boot from the CD
  • 0

#11
happyrock

happyrock

    Tech Moderator

  • Retired Staff
  • 9,285 posts
you will have to set the bios to boot from the cd drive first....as soon as you turn on the computer ..start tapping the delete key...about once per second ...once you get to the bios screen ...look around until you find the booting options..set the cd drive first...then the hard drive second...save your settings ..usually F10...but read the screen to be sure...
  • 0

#12
xcel

xcel

    New Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • Pip
  • 7 posts
I started the computer and tapped the delete key like you said. It did not do anything different. It did not get to any options for me to choose. I did see a screen flash and saw a message on it that said Keyboard failure. Could that have anything to do with this problem?
  • 0

#13
happyrock

happyrock

    Tech Moderator

  • Retired Staff
  • 9,285 posts
give me the make and model of your computer...

* Many computers out there are not configured to boot from the CDROM. If you cannot boot from the CDROM, this is probably due to the boot order of your computer being incorrect for CDROM booting.

You have two options...

1.) You can change this in the BIOS during POST, which is usually the very first screen displayed by your computer when you turn it on.

2.) Many newer computers have a selectable boot menu by tapping F8, F10 OR F12 right during/after the first POST screen. This will allow you to temporarily boot from a CDROM.


To enter your BIOS, most users here will press the DEL key.

Most users with Dell, Gateway, Sony & HP systems will press F2.

Many Toshiba laptops are F2 or require you hold the ESC key when you turn the system on. Your notebook will report an error and prompt to press F1 to enter setup. Do exactly that.

Compaq users will usually have to press F10.

IBM typically uses F1 or F2.

Other brands may have different keys to press to enter setup, but F1, F2, Del, Tab and CTRL+S or CTRL + ALT + S are the most common ones I'm familiar with. Often, the BIOS will display what button to press to "enter setup" during POST.


When you enter the BIOS setup, you need to change the boot order. The CDROM should be setup before the Hard Drive. Each BIOS is different.........

Edited by happyrck, 12 December 2006 - 08:27 AM.

  • 0






Similar Topics

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users

As Featured On:

Microsoft Yahoo BBC MSN PC Magazine Washington Post HP