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windows xp no start


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#1
tatt2oed

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Hi, I'm a first time poster, so please bear with me. I have my brothers compaq s3010cl(with xp home edition sp2) machine I am trying to get running for him again. The problem first started a few days ago when he went to use the computer, I believe a screensaver may have been on, computer froze when the mouse was moved. He rebooted the machine, I think It would hang at the win xp screen. Tried rebooting to safe mode, A list of things from system32 would appear on the screen as they were loading, everything stops responding at the following line (multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\windows\system32\drivers\agp440.sys)
I have tried booting with the windows boot disks everything will load up to disk 6 then it will stop, tried booting from windows cd, it freezes before it gets to the welcome screen. Tried the quick restore from the hard disk, again freezes.
Can anyone tell me what direction to from here? Anyones input is appreciated!!!
Thanks in advance
Scott :tazz:
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#2
Retired Tech

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Start the System Restore tool at a command prompt

Look for a system checkpoint which is before the problem arose to restore from

1. Restart your computer, and keep tapping F8 during the initial start-up until you get options, select Safe Mode with a command prompt then press enter.

2. Log on to your computer with an administrator account or with an account that has administrator credentials.

3. Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER:


%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

4. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to restore your computer to an earlier state.

For additional information about the Safe mode with a command prompt, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

A description of the Safe mode boot options in Windows XP


http://support.micro....com/kb/315222/




If no change, (you may need to run sfc /scannow from a command prompt) sfc /scanonce is an alternative command which will then reboot to run

Click start then run, type sfc /scannow then press enter, you need the XP CD and get a blue progress bar, when the bar goes, reboot.

You can check for any improvement now, and then after each step until you have run through them all, if necessary


When it has loaded to the desktop, click start then run, type chkdsk /f /r then press enter, type Y to confirm for next boot, press enter then reboot.

This will take an hour, it will appear to load normally then either the monitor will show progress or the screen will go blank, do not disturb this.

When it gets to the desktop, the system files and the hard drive will be as they should

Click start, all programmes, accessories, system tools to run disc clean up, click more options then clean up restore points, click confirm, click OK. Then from system tools, run disc defragmenter.

Click start then run, type prefetch then press enter, click edit then select all, right click any file then click delete, confirm delete, then reboot

If no change, the next thing to do would be a repair install, this will leave data and settings intact

XP Repair

If you are unable to run XP Repair

Alternate XP Repair

Use the last one, Windows Installation CD to repair the current installation, which uses a slightly different method

Beyond this, it could be a hardware fault

The next steps are optional

Download and install Tune Up 2006 Trial

Run disc clean up then registry clean up then click optimize to run reg defrag, which needs a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to optimize the computer, select computer with an internet connection from the drop down menu, this also requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to accelerate downloads, select the speed just above your actual connection speed, this requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to run system advisor

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#3
The Skeptic

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May I just add to the comprehensive list offered by Keith:

If all failed, you can take off the hard disk and install it as a slave on another computer. Then:

1: Check it thouroughly with an updated antivirus and antispyware software such as Adawre SE and/or Spybot Search and Destroy.

2: Run chkdsk n: /f /r where n denotes the letter assigned to disk by the other computer.


Good Luck

Ami Yogev
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#4
tatt2oed

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I am unable to get to a command prompt. Computer hangs at (multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\windows\system32\drivers\agp440.sys)
before it gets to that screen. Is there something I am doing wrong? As for the removal of the harddrive, would I have to put as slave to another xp machine
or can I use one with 98? The only reason I ask is because my to xp machines are in desks that are very difficult to get the machines out without some "deconstruction" :tazz:
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#5
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If as soon as the PC starts to boot, you keep tapping the F8 key until you get options, it should work

If not

http://support.micro...kb;en-us;307545
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#6
The Skeptic

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The removed disk must be installed on a XP machine. I solved many problems this way. It actually enables the operation of clean-up, chsdsk, defrag, virus/malware scan and a number of other utilities on the HD of a unbootable computer. After treating the HD you return it as a master to the original computer.

Hi Keith. Excuse my interference.

Hello Y. A ............ No Problem
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#7
wannabe1

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Hi Guys...

As long as we're slinging suggestions, and correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't this...multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\windows\system32\drivers\agp440.sys...indicate that the machine is trying to boot from the wrong partition? Or is it indicative of a hidden partition that Compaq is using? Just curious...

wannabe1

Edited by wannabe1, 26 November 2005 - 03:54 PM.

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#8
tatt2oed

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In regard to my previous post, If I try to boot with the windows cd it will load the drivers and at the bottom of the screen it will say starting windows, it hangs there and will go no further, As far as safe mode goes, also hangs. Any ideas? Will a clean install remedy?

Thanks far everyones help so far!! :tazz:
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#9
gerryf

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well, a clean install will certainly remedy things, but I am curious as to what Wannabe brought up....the second partion.

First, Windows XP WILL boot from a second partition, so that is not an issue, but why is it on the second partition? Who installed Windows on this machine the first time?

I suspect that Compaq did this, and the first partition is hidden with recovery software on it, but I am curious
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#10
gerryf

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Just out of curiousity, what version of bios does this computer have?
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#11
tatt2oed

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I believe compaq put a system restore as a partition. In order to that you would press f10 during the boot up. that also did not work. In the mean time my brother used the "ultimate boot cd" and said he had formated the drive, but actually it was just the restore part of the partition. Everything is still there from the windows partition. :tazz:
As for the bios, its phoenix coreversion v6.0 Bios revision 3.03 1\24\03
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#12
HenkeS

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Hi All,
Kieth's list will certainly help some people, but not Tatt2oed and not me (having a problem that looks pretty much like Tatt2oeds problem).
I (we) cannot start in safe mode. Hangs after agp440.sys.
Also hangs while trying Recovery Console or repair using windows setup.
Hardware must be OK because I can access my harddisk (on board RAID) using XP from from a partition on other disk.
So, what happens after agp44.sys?
Are there tools available to fix a corrupted registry on the corrupted installation, while using another installation of XP?
Can it have it's cause in the RAID controller that is not signed (but worked in XP SP2)?
Can I fix the corrupted installation by using parts of the installation that is working fine?
Let's dig further....
Regards,
Henk.
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#13
wannabe1

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HenkeS...

Do you also receive the error below? (Note the bold item) Is your machine also a Compaq?

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\windows\system32\drivers\agp440.sys

wannabe1
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#14
jenniferck

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I am also having a problem with a Windows XP system taking over 20 minutes to boot up. The system does boot up completely, but once there it is impossible to navigate anywhere and hangs up on every application (if I can even get anything open). The computer is only a couple of months old with a 3.2 GHZ processor and 1GB of RAM. Is there a virus on the computer? How can I fix this? Do I have to re-install the OS?

I have tried starting in safe mode and tried a system restore. Both were unsuccessful.

PLEASE HELP!

Thanks :tazz:
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#15
cor-ne-li-us

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Hi All,

I hope adding my two cents helps - I am having the exact same problem as described here (I have another thread going that I started aweek ago, but am getting nowhere!) I have a Dell Dimension 4600 running Windows XP SP2. My problem started on 11/19/05 after I did a Windows Security Update. My system seemed to run fine after that update, but later in the day I went back to the machine and tried to get from the screensaver to the desktop. Thats where I got hung up. The system totally locked up. When I tried to restart the machine, I got hung up at Windows Is Starting Up.

I have tried to start in Safe Mode and have only been able to get in once (after literally dozens of tries.) When I did finally get in, I could log in to Admin, but couldn't run anything. Then the PC locked again.

One little side note - dont know if it means anything. I have five profiles set up on this machine. When I did get in to Safe Mode the one time, I was able to access the My Documents file on four of the five profiles by using the Windows Explorer (and was able to back up the data to an external HD.) The fifth profile gave me an "Access Denied" type error, even though I was logged in as Admin. Weird!!!

I ran the Windows Install from the CD and did a repair. But the system still hangs on the Windows Is Starting Up screen.

Yesterday I booted to the Utilities Partition and ran hardware tests all day. All the hardware is passing the tests.

I thought this problem was unique to me, but am seeing more and more of this EXACT complaint on G2G. Could a Windows security update have caused this??? :tazz:

Edited by cor-ne-li-us, 28 November 2005 - 03:37 PM.

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