[analyst]

the problem:
when I try to boot up WinXP starts, shows the splash screen, goes blank for about 20 secs, a rapid bsod blinks and thing crashes out and so the cycle repeats indefinitely.

I don't have time to read the bsod.

I have loaded the recovery console to do a repair, but now I have no idea what to do with it.

Any helpful suggestions appreciated.

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• Start your system and at the Second post screen tap on F8 to get to the Boot Menu
• Use the Arrow Keys to Scroll down to the line that says "Auto Start On Error" and highlight it.
• Click Enter to disable it
• The system should reboot and if not then do so.
• When the BSOD shows it will stop so that you can reply with the STOP ERROR and any parameters.

[rshaffer61]

• Start your system and at the Second post screen tap on F8 to get to the Boot Menu
• Use the Arrow Keys to Scroll down to the line that says "Auto Start On Error" and highlight it.
• Click Enter to disable it
• The system should reboot and if not then do so.
• When the BSOD shows it will stop so that you can reply with the STOP ERROR and any parameters.

[analyst]

hmmmm, thanks but . . .
been there, done that, long time ago.

There is no "Auto Start On Error".

Just fyi, the screen reads precisely:

Windows Advanced Option Menu
Please select an option:

Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt

Enable Boot Logging
Enable VGA Mode
Last known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked)
Directory Services Restore Mode (Windows Domain Controllers Only)
Debugging Mode

Start Windows Normally
Reboot
Return to OS Choices Menu

Use the up and down arrow keys to move the highlight to your choice

and thats the lot, any other suggestions please?

[rshaffer61]

Try this one:
Last known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked)

[analyst]

well, it was so obvious, I'd kind of assumed you'd guess I would have already tried that too, some time back. No luck there anyway.

[rshaffer61]

OK well then here's the instructions for a Restore and Repair Installation using the recovery console.


If you have Windows XP CD...

1. Boot from the CD.
2. When the text-based part of Setup begins, follow the prompts. Select the repair or recover option by pressing R:



3. You'll find yourself at this screen:



4. Once you are at the Recovery Console you will be given at least one choice of Windows installations. Normally the choice you want is the number 1 choice. Click the number 1 key at the "top" of the keyboard and click enter.

NOTE: at this point your numbers to the right of your keyboard are turned off. If you insist on using these keys for your numbers remember to hit the Numbers Lock key before clicking a number over there or your computer will automatically reboot and you will have to wait through the previous steps to get back to the console.

5. You will be given a message asking for the administrator password. Unless someone or something has messed with your computer there is no password so you just click the Enter key.

6. This will bring you to a prompt that says:

C:\WINDOWS>

7. Type:

cd \

Press Enter

Note: between "cd" and "" there should be a "blank space" otherwise the command won't work

8. The prompt should now say:

C:\>

9. Type:

cd system~1\_resto~1

Press Enter.

Note: If it gives an error "Access Denied" while accessing the folder, follow the method below

Type: cd \

Press Enter

Type: cd windows\system32\config

Press Enter

Type: ren system system.bak

Press Enter

(note the spaces between ren and system, and then between system and system.bak)

Type: exit

Press Enter

now the computer should restart, then follow steps 1-6

10. Type:

dir

Press Enter

NOTE: When you hit enter it will list all the restore points folders like "rp1", "rp2" we have to see the last restore point to copy the file from a recent backup. If the restore points have more than one page then you have keep on hitting the key to view the last restore point folder.

NOTE: It is a good rule of thumb to choose the files from the restore point folder which the second to the last one.

11. Type:

cd rp{with the second to the last restore point number }

Press Enter

Example: cd rp9. if rp10 is the last restore point

12. Type:

cd snapshot

Press Enter.

NOTICE: Now the command prompt will look like this:

c:\system~1\resto~1\rp9\snapshot

Note : restore point 9 assumed for clarity of the content.


13. Type:

copy _registry_machine_system c:\windows\system32\config\system

Press Enter

14. Type:

Exit

Press Enter.

Final note : If the above procedure won't solve the problem, repeat all steps, but in step 13 type:

copy _registry_machine_software c:\windows\system32\config\software

Alternatively, select different restore point.



If you don't have Windows CD...

Download Windows Recovery Console: http://www.thecomput...om/files/rc.iso
Download, and install free Imgburn: http://www.imgburn.c...hp?act=download
Using Imgburn, burn rc.iso to a CD.
Boot to the CD...let it finish loading.
When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.

Follow steps 3 - 14.

Thanks to Broni for the instructions






Repair Installation Instructions

· Insert your Windows XP CD in your CD-ROM and then Restart your computer.

· At the first post screen start tapping the Del key to enter System Bios
· Find the Advance Options or Boot Sequence screen.
· You will need to change the boot sequence so that the CDrom is first and the HD is second.
· Press F10 to Save and Exit and then press Enter to accept.
· The system will now reboot
· 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 and highlighted in the box, and then press the R key to repair Windows XP.
· Follow the instructions on the screen to complete Setup.

You can also go HERE
to read a step by step tutorial with screenshots.

[analyst]

It all goes well until point 13, then when I enter
"copy _registry_machine_system c:\windows\system32\config\system" or the alternative, all I get is:
The command is not recognized Type HELP for a list of supported commands.

what now?

[rshaffer61]

It seems you need to do a repair installation instead of trying a restore.
You can try a chkdsk /r from the recovery console to see if that will find and fix any errors.

[analyst]

chkdsk /r
The volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems.



I don't have an installation disk. I am running the repair console from a burned rc.iso, which I assume can not do a repair installation.

Edited by analyst, 19 November 2010 - 05:13 AM.

[rshaffer61]

chkdsk /r
The volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems.

This indicates a failing hard drive.
Your option at this point is to replace the drive.

What size is your present drive and I will check on the price of a replacement?
Is there data you need to get off the drive?
I can't guarantee you will be able to save any data but we can try a Linux Live cd to access the drive.

[analyst]

TBH I couldn't really care about the actual drive or any data on it, but I needed it to run Winxp with its product key on this OEM installation.

Strangely, I'm trying a Linux CD (ubuntu 10.04.1) right now, and it will not even complete the ubuntu boot, though I've got as far as the ubuntu screen and the 5 red/white dots which are constantly cycling but going nowhere. There's only 512mb ram in there at present, but I would have thought that was enough to get the cd to boot.

[rshaffer61]

A live cd doesn't depend on the hd and 512 is plenty enough to use for a regular Linux since it's limit is a gig or less anyway unless it is a 64 bit version.
Before I say for sure I would like to test your existing memory first.

If you have more than one RAM module installed, try starting computer with one RAM stick at a time.

NOTE Keep in mind, the manual check listed above is always superior to the software check, listed below. DO NOT proceed with memtest, if you can go with option A

B. If you have only one RAM stick installed...
...run memtest...

1. Download - Pre-Compiled Bootable ISO (.zip)
2. Unzip downloaded memtest86+-2.11.iso.zip file.
3. Inside, you'll find memtest86+-2.11.iso file.
4. Download, and install ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/
5. Insert blank CD into your CD drive.
6. Open ImgBurn, and click on Write image file to disc
7. Click on Browse for a file... icon:



8. Locate memtest86+-2.11.iso file, and click Open button.
9. Click on ImgBurn green arrow to start burning bootable memtest86 CD:



10. Once the CD is created, boot from it, and memtest will automatically start to run. You may have to change the boot sequence in your BIOS to make it work right.

To change Boot Sequence in your BIOS

Reboot the system and at the first post screen (where it is counting up memory) start tapping the DEL button
This will enter you into the Bios\Cmos area.
Find the Advanced area and click Enter
Look for Boot Sequence or Boot Options and highlight that click Enter
Now highlight the first drive and follow the directions on the bottom of the screen on how to modify it and change it to CDrom.
Change the second drive to the C or Main Drive
Once that is done then click F10 to Save and Exit
You will prompted to enter Y to verify Save and Exit. Click Y and the system will now reboot with the new settings.


The running program will look something like this depending on the size and number of ram modules installed:




It's recommended to run 5-6 passes. Each pass contains very same 8 tests.

This will show the progress of the test. It can take a while. Be patient, or leave it running overnight.



The following image is the test results area:



The most important item here is the “errors” line. If you see ANY errors, even one, most likely, you have bad RAM.

[analyst]

Right, I could do the memtest as described, it only has one stick of ram at present (fwiw - the Linux is not 64 bit anyway)

but as a quick check I have just swapped two sticks of ram (independently), and got the exact same result each time. The ubuntu CD does start its boot sequence and loads so far but halts at the very same point.

I know the CD is fine as I have run it on another machine, and then gone on to do a full install from it.

is it still worth doing the memtest?

[rshaffer61]

OK then if we take out the memory as being the issue then we move on to the next hardware which is the HD.
Run hard drive diagnostics: http://www.tacktech....ay.cfm?ttid=287
Make sure, you select tool, which is appropriate for the brand of your hard drive.
Depending on the program, it'll create bootable floppy, or bootable CD.
If downloaded file is of .iso type, use ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/ to burn .iso file to a CD (select "Write image file to disc" option), and make the CD bootable.

NOTE. If your hard drive is made by Toshiba, unfortunately, you're out of luck, because Toshiba doesn't provide any diagnostic tool.

Thanks to Broni for the instructions

[analyst]

hmmmph!!!
test failed