[jeeplette]

We are having a problem with one of our computers (obviously not the one I am posting this on). When we came home today, the screen had an error message that said "reboot and select proper boot device or insert boot media in selected boot device and press a key". We pressed a key and the same messag came up. We restarted the computer (manually) then it went to the screen where it says to choose Safe Mode or Normal Mode (and all the other choices) and when we tried to start it any of those ways, it goes through the screen where it says Windows XP and the little bar that tells you it's loading and when that's done, it just has a black screen with the mouse pointer and that's it. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

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The first thing i would try is a chkdsk from the recovery console.

[djgotee]

The first thing i would try is a chkdsk from the recovery console.

[jeeplette]

I have no idea what that means...lol. Can I get that in layman's terms?

[djgotee]

Ok sorry, Do you have an XP Cd that came with the computer? Or is it a restore disk from the manufacturer?

[Retired Tech]

Try here

http://support.micro...kb;en-us;307545

If you have floppy disc drive

http://www.microsoft...&displaylang=en

http://support.micro...kb;en-us;314503

[jeeplette]

We bought XP by itself (we built the computer) so, to answer the question, yes, we have the disk...lol.

[djgotee]

Keith has suggested good proceedures to follow. You might want to take a look at these.

If you want to do a chkdsk, insert your disk and boot off of it (you might have to go to bios and set the first boot priority to boot off the CD drive.) Getting into your bios youll have to tap either of these keys while starting the computer : delete, f1, f2. Try each one until your find the one that lets you enter the bios.

Once the boot priority is set, boot off your XP disk. This will get you to the recovery console. I cant remember the exact chiose of your selection, but i think its "select "r' at the welcome screen (to repiar Xp using the recovery consule) Once in the rec console youll select the OS you are using then give the password , if any and when at the C:\ prompt, write chkdsk. It will run through a routine. then reboot and se if the computer starts.

[jeeplette]

What are we supposed to put when it says "which windows installation would you like to log onto?"

[djgotee]

It will list all windows installations, you want to choose the one you use. What chioses does it give? If you only have one installation, choose it.

[jeeplette]

We're dorks....we didn't understand that it was giving us a choice. We went through the routine and restarted and it did the same thing (black screen with pointer only).

[djgotee]

We went through the routine

Does this mean you did a chkdsk?

[jeeplette]

We got to the screen that gave us a choice of which OS to use. There was only one (WINDOWS) and it was #1, so we put 1 and pressed Enter and the the C: prompt came up and we typed chkdsk and it ran the disk, then we typed EXIT and pressed Enter and it automatically rebooted to the screen where you choose Safe Mode or Normal mode or whatever and we chose Normal. It went through the XP screen and then went black with pointer only.

[djgotee]

Ok and you already said you tryed safe mode (your post #1). It wouldnt hort to try for safemode again.

However, i pointed out b4 that keith wrote down some links of proceedures for you to try, or at least look at. Read them carefully and go through step by step.
Your problem sounds similar to:

http://support.micro...kb;en-us;314503

But look at all the sites keith gave.

[jeeplette]

Does the Windows disk work the same as a boot disk (or is it the same thing)?

[djgotee]

Yes , keith sugested making floppy disks because he might have thought that you did not have your XP CD. Both ways can get you to the recovery console (i think)
I have not used the floppy disks myself to verify this.

Edited by djgotee, 03 June 2005 - 07:22 PM.