Graham wrote:

>> The operating system is Windows XP SP3 fully updated. The machine worked
>> perfectly yesterday but failed to boot up successfully this morning.
>> Nothing was changed on the machine before it was switched off yesterday.
>>
>> On attempted reboots I get the screen which tells me windows did not
>> start successfully. I have tried all the obvious options with the
>> following results.
>>
>> 1. Let the timer run down - system freezes sometimes with a centimetre
>> wide white bar across the screen and sometimes not.
>>
>> 2. Select start windows normally - the timer stops then same as above.
>>
>> 3. Select start in safe mode (all three options) - starts to load drivers
>> then freezes always at the same place.The last driver listed on the
>> screen when the system freezes is:
>>
>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS\System32\Drivers\Mup.sys
>>
>> Is this likely to be an operating system problem or a disk problem and
>> does anyone no anything I can try to get the system to boot. I do not
>> have a Windows CD for this machine but I do have another machine running
>> the same system for which I do have a CD.

> System XP Home
>
> 4. Select last known good configuration: system freezes with a blank
> screen.

Sounds like hardware. You can troubleshoot this yourself:

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/...ardware_Tshoot

I would start with the hard drive, then the power supply, then the RAM.

Testing hardware failures often involves swapping out suspected parts with
known-good parts. If you can't do the testing yourself and/or are
uncomfortable opening your computer, take the machine to a professional
computer repair shop (not your local equivalent of
BigComputerStore/GeekSquad). If possible, have all your data backed up
before you take the machine into a shop.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

Graham wrote:

>
> "Malke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Graham wrote:
>>
>> Sounds like hardware. You can troubleshoot this yourself:
>>
>> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/...ardware_Tshoot
>>
>> I would start with the hard drive, then the power supply, then the RAM.
>
> Thanks for that Malke.
>
> I downloaded a diagnostic utility from the disc manufacturers website and
> made a bootable CD, ran it and it told me the disk was OK - no errors
> detected on both its quick and detailed scans.
>
> Not sure how to test the powersupply other than the fan is clean and
> running ok and the unit itself is quite cool.
>
> I downloaded and created a bootable CD for the memory checker you
> recommended and ran that. Immediately the bottom have of the screen turned
> red and the error count rose rapidly. From that I assumed the RAM card was
> faulty so I swapped it for one I know was working last time it was in that
> machine (swapped out a few years ago as part of an upgrade). The same
> thing happened. It is still running, currently on test 5 with close on
> 600k errors showing and rising.

OK, you either have bad RAM and/or the motherboard RAM slots are bad. If you
have any errors you might as well stop the test. You can test both sticks in
another computer to see if they are really bad or if it's your motherboard.
You can also put in 1 stick of new memory - or memory that is currently
working in another machine, not a stick that's been in the closet for a
while - and see what happens. If you get errors, you know that sadly it is
the mobo.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

Try this:

http://www.aitechsolutions.net/mupdotsysXPhang.html





"Graham" <h2gt2g42-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Graham" <h2gt2g42-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:hcidnZDKYJHSjXrXnZ2dnUVZ8g-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>> "Malke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Graham wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Malke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>> Graham wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Sounds like hardware. You can troubleshoot this yourself:
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/...ardware_Tshoot
>>>>>
>>>>> I would start with the hard drive, then the power supply, then the
>>>>> RAM.
>>>>
>> [Snip]
>>> OK, you either have bad RAM and/or the motherboard RAM slots are bad. If
>>> you
>>> have any errors you might as well stop the test. You can test both
>>> sticks in
>>> another computer to see if they are really bad or if it's your
>>> motherboard.
>>> You can also put in 1 stick of new memory - or memory that is currently
>>> working in another machine, not a stick that's been in the closet for a
>>> while - and see what happens. If you get errors, you know that sadly it
>>> is
>>> the mobo.
>>
>> Thanks again.
>>
>> Things have just gone from bad to worse. Come this morning the machine
>> would hardly make any progress through its boot sequence. It does the RAM
>> check then puts up the options to enter the bios setup or select the boot
>> option but at this point it would not let me select either and it moved
>> on to the next step where it identified the disc drive and the floppy
>> drive and there it froze. On doing a bit of research on boot problems I
>> came across mention of the possibility of a low or flat CMOS battery. So
>> more in hope than expectation I took mine out and tested it and found it
>> to be completely and I mean completely flat. I have replaced it with a
>> new one but this has not changed matters. From what I read I ought to
>> have got some warning of a flat battery but no.
>>
>> In your opinion can a flat CMOS battery explain the problem you have been
>> assisting me with and if so what next.
>
> Update.
>
> Having left the new CMOS battery out of the machine for an hour or so then
> putting it back in the machine now boots as far as it did before (Mup.sys)
> and we are back to the problem originally described. This looks as though
> it could have been a red herring!
>
> Graham.

Graham wrote:

>
> "Graham" <h2gt2g42-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:hcidnZDKYJHSjXrXnZ2dnUVZ8g-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>> "Malke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Graham wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Malke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>> Graham wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Sounds like hardware. You can troubleshoot this yourself:
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/...ardware_Tshoot
>>>>>
>>>>> I would start with the hard drive, then the power supply, then the
>>>>> RAM.
>>>>
>> [Snip]
>>> OK, you either have bad RAM and/or the motherboard RAM slots are bad. If
>>> you
>>> have any errors you might as well stop the test. You can test both
>>> sticks in
>>> another computer to see if they are really bad or if it's your
>>> motherboard.
>>> You can also put in 1 stick of new memory - or memory that is currently
>>> working in another machine, not a stick that's been in the closet for a
>>> while - and see what happens. If you get errors, you know that sadly it
>>> is
>>> the mobo.
>>
>> Thanks again.
>>
>> Things have just gone from bad to worse. Come this morning the machine
>> would hardly make any progress through its boot sequence. It does the RAM
>> check then puts up the options to enter the bios setup or select the boot
>> option but at this point it would not let me select either and it moved
>> on to the next step where it identified the disc drive and the floppy
>> drive and there it froze. On doing a bit of research on boot problems I
>> came across mention of the possibility of a low or flat CMOS battery. So
>> more in hope than expectation I took mine out and tested it and found it
>> to be completely and I mean completely flat. I have replaced it with a
>> new one but this has not changed matters. From what I read I ought to
>> have got some warning of a flat battery but no.
>>
>> In your opinion can a flat CMOS battery explain the problem you have been
>> assisting me with and if so what next.
>
> Update.
>
> Having left the new CMOS battery out of the machine for an hour or so then
> putting it back in the machine now boots as far as it did before (Mup.sys)
> and we are back to the problem originally described. This looks as though
> it could have been a red herring!

IMO you have hardware failure, probably the motherboard. You can test this
yourself or take the machine to a competent local professional (not a
BigComputerStore/GeekSquad type of place). If the computer is under
warranty, contact its mftr.'s tech support.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

On Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:59:06 -0000, "Graham"
<h2gt2g42-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
>"Malke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Graham wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> "Graham" <h2gt2g42-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:hcidnZDKYJHSjXrXnZ2dnUVZ8g-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>
>>>> "Malke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>> Graham wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Malke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>> Graham wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sounds like hardware. You can troubleshoot this yourself:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/...ardware_Tshoot
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I would start with the hard drive, then the power supply, then the
>>>>>>> RAM.
>>>>>>
>>>> [Snip]
>>>>> OK, you either have bad RAM and/or the motherboard RAM slots are bad.
>
>WELL DONE SIR AND THANKS VERY MUCH!


Thats Ma`am . :-)



>
> After replacing the CMOS battery with a new one and got myself back into
>the BIOS set up I carried out another memory test with both memory sticks I
>have that are the right spec for that machine. Same result as before (all
>bad) with both sticks (sequentially) in the first RAM slot and no problems
>what so ever with either in the second slot. Put the highest spec/sized RAM
>stick in the second RAM slot, cleared the CMOS, reset the BIOS and rebooted.
>The machine came up straight away and is now running normally. So a bad RAM
>slot. How/why who knows?
>
>Thanks again and to all you other guys who suggested things. I worked my way
>through them as part of my process of elimination.
>
>Graham.

Jim wrote:
> On Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:59:06 -0000, "Graham"
> <h2gt2g42-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> "Malke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Graham wrote:
>>>
>>>> "Graham" <h2gt2g42-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:hcidnZDKYJHSjXrXnZ2dnUVZ8g-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>> "Malke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>> Graham wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Malke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>>> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>>> Graham wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Sounds like hardware. You can troubleshoot this yourself:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/...ardware_Tshoot
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I would start with the hard drive, then the power supply, then the
>>>>>>>> RAM.
>>>>> [Snip]
>>>>>> OK, you either have bad RAM and/or the motherboard RAM slots are bad.
>> WELL DONE SIR AND THANKS VERY MUCH!
>
>
> Thats Ma`am . :-)

Well when you see the name Jim in the from line, most people wouldn't
expect it to be a woman... ;-) Kinda like the boy named Sue, eh? I
once knew this guy who was a manager at a Eal-Mart Tire & Lube Express.
First time I met him I said to him after seeing his name tag, "Boy you
must have had an interesting childhood." His reply was "Yeah don't know
why my parents decided to call me April..."


--

Roy Smith
Windows XP Pro SP3

Jim wrote:
> On Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:59:06 -0000, "Graham"
> <h2gt2g42-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> "Malke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Graham wrote:
>>>
>>>> "Graham" <h2gt2g42-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:hcidnZDKYJHSjXrXnZ2dnUVZ8g-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>> "Malke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>> Graham wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Malke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>>> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>>> Graham wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Sounds like hardware. You can troubleshoot this yourself:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/...ardware_Tshoot
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I would start with the hard drive, then the power supply, then the
>>>>>>>> RAM.
>>>>> [Snip]
>>>>>> OK, you either have bad RAM and/or the motherboard RAM slots are bad.
>> WELL DONE SIR AND THANKS VERY MUCH!
>
>
> Thats Ma`am . :-)

Dang, sorry Jim. You'd think by now I should have learned to read other
replies before writing one myself... I can see that you were talking
about Malke and not yourself... Yummm yummm shoe leather for
breakfast.. ;-)

--

Roy Smith
Windows XP Pro SP3