[den01]

Hi – i hope you can help me here.

Dell Dimension 8400 boots with black screen and in safe mode booting hangs on at agpcpq.sys.

I don’t have xp, as it didn’t come with the pc.

What i can do please to boot pc in any means, as i want to make backup first before format the drive (if i have to do that); also, i was looking can i attach this dell hd to my other pc as secondary and pick up data – but i cannot as the dell’s hd cables are completely different.

I did download things from dell’s website – but i cannot do anything with it (as it seems)...

Thank you for help. Regards. D

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hi den01,

How long did you let it try to boot in safe mode after it stopped at the agpcpg driver. And how many times did you try, sometimes if you keep trying it will engage. Safe mode or normal mode.

Sometimes it can take 5 or 10 minutes.

Same as booting normally with this problem.

If you get into safe mode or normal windows.
Run check disk.

Open My Computer.
Right click c drive.
Click properties.
Click the tools tab.
Click check now.
Check the automatically fix errors box.
Check the scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.
Click yes on the screen that pops up.
Restart the computer.

Post any progress when you can.

Edited by cmpm, 01 April 2009 - 07:16 AM.

[cmpm]

hi den01,

How long did you let it try to boot in safe mode after it stopped at the agpcpg driver. And how many times did you try, sometimes if you keep trying it will engage. Safe mode or normal mode.

Sometimes it can take 5 or 10 minutes.

Same as booting normally with this problem.

If you get into safe mode or normal windows.
Run check disk.

Open My Computer.
Right click c drive.
Click properties.
Click the tools tab.
Click check now.
Check the automatically fix errors box.
Check the scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.
Click yes on the screen that pops up.
Restart the computer.

Post any progress when you can.

Edited by cmpm, 01 April 2009 - 07:16 AM.

[den01]

Hi - thank you for the reply...

Yes - I have left it few times as for few minutes to boot either in safe mode (hangs on agpcpq.sys) or normal (hangs on black screen)

I am of course planning to do all the checks (and repairs), but unfortunately I cannot load xp in either way - and unfortunately that’s the problem...

This is my daughter's pc and she's got all her uny staff on it (and she is going mad as she needs some projects urgently...); she cannot remember what might happens before this problem (but I know that she didn’t do anything stupid)...

I'll try to leave it for the next boot (trying both normal and safe boot) a bit longer so we'll see how it goes.

And, btw, this is first time I see the hd with these cables... (well, I put few hds in my life but never see this ones) - when she's got old one, I was always able to just attach her hd as slave to my pc, recover the data and format the hd... however, now with this dell's hd I am stuck with "waiting to something happen" to boot this one...

Thank you... will post back if any luck with "waiting"... Regards. D

[rshaffer61]

Hey guys, I have done some research on this and there seems to be a common problem with this issue.

IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE MACHINES THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO THAT XP HAS BEEN SETUP ON A FAT32 PARTITION. THATS THE PROBLEM

FIX: COMMAND PROMT, TYPE IN CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS

USE WHAT EVER WAY YOU CAN TO GET TO A COMMAND PROMPT. LIVE FILE SYSTEM ON DISK OR BOOT DISK JUST MAKE SURE THAT THE BOOT DISK CONTAINS CONVERT PROGRAM IN IT.

I'm not sure how to get to command prompt or even if you can get to the recovery console to do this but this seems to be the fix for the problem

[cmpm]

bytheway den01, if you do get it started, safe or not,
backup the needed data before running checkdisk,
I should have said that in the first post.

Anyway, keep trying to reboot as well as wait.
Sometimes it will wake up.

[cmpm]

Another option would be to try a different graphics card.
If you have another that will fit the slot.

[den01]

Thanks guys...

to cmpm: i am still waiting on safe boot... graphic card... will try it when this option runs out (will unplug my card and hopefully will fit in this dell’s one...

to rshaffer61: thank you... i have browse few articles about it (and quite few more); the hd is ntfs as i know (and didn’t try this option yet)...

Unfortunately, i dont have any xp home cd (i have my own xp sp2 pro), so i cannot do the xp repair from cd boot...

... and these cables (???)... is there any way to attach this to “normal” ps ....

Will post back as soon as try above thingies. Regards. D

[rshaffer61]

The hd cable you asked about is probably a sata drive.
Ide has the wide grey ribbon and the new sata is just larger then a telephone line.
I'm sure this is what you are seeing
If you're file system is NTFS already then the fix I posted will not work.
Replacing the video card may be the way to go.

Edited by rshaffer61, 01 April 2009 - 08:20 AM.

[den01]

You are right... on my pc is with the big flat gray one... this one is tiny...

Well... will try to do the card now... will post back.

Thanks. D

[rshaffer61]

Also just FYI, while i was researching this problem the Dell computers seem to be the ones with the most issues with this problem. By my calculations about 80%

Edited by rshaffer61, 01 April 2009 - 08:33 AM.

[cmpm]

pci express graphics card I'm sure as well

Which means an agp card won't work.

Keeping a regular pci graphics card around will fit any computer,
and comes in handy.

---

den01, there should be a way to repair your computer.
If you call Dell they will send a restore disk, but you will loose the data.
Trying the XP Pro for a repair install is worth a shot as a last resort.

Dell is so [bleep] picky though, it has to have everything just right, or it complains.

[den01]

Hmmm... i can’t believe it: none of my cards cannot fit on dell’s slots (?!?!?!)...

I agree, i have read quite a few articles about it... and most of them are related to dell...

... and you can feel so helpless: you cannot go into xp by any means, you cannot attach hd to anything else... (if there is no data she needs it, i would wipe everything clean, but in this case...)

Ok... here are the options:
- I don’t have dell’s cd (i have my own, and i know that one of my friends have xp home sp3 – but i don’t think this can help me either... can it?
- Don’t have any graphic card can fit in dell’s box...
- Have no way of attaching hd to my pc as slave one...
- I cannot find any useful article to point me to the solution (which will not include format hd...)

Please give me any idea... thanks. D

[rshaffer61]

If your friend has a xp home then yes it can be used.
All we need to do is to get to recovery console where we can run several different options to try and fix this problem
The first of which would be a sfc /scannow
This will check the system files and hopefully be able to fix the driver problem by replacing the problem file with a good one
It does not remove any personal data files
The other option is running a chkdsk /f and a chkdsk /r
This will check the physical hd itself and make sure there are no issues with it
It will also check file status and make sure everything is correct there

[cmpm]

An adapter would work to hook up the hard drive to your computer.
But that's money to spend.

BestBuy or MicroCenter should have it.

One of these-

http://www.tigerdire...e...&CatId=3770

I would do the Usb for sure unless the internal is a lot cheaper, like 4 bucks or something.

[den01]

Thanks – ok... give me pl 10-15 min... have go to his place (few min by car)...

Just before i come back to tell you what i can do easy (ie what is my knowledge...)... i did quite a lot of new installs and xp repairs and there is no problems i can think of that are not clear for me... so maybe, when i get back, to try xp repair... (his system is home one, but sp3... )

Also, i did quite few factory system restoring on pc’s as well as on laptops, and i am familiar with that as well..

However, just to inform you: i never used recovery console... this is probably useful to know for you, if you think that (through your experience) there are some uneasy points for someone who will do this (if we do anything there) for the first time...

Well... any time before i didn’t have problems with saving the data...

Be back in 10-15 min... thank you very much... D