failing to start XP Pro

[Geoff]

Recently my computer failed to load Win XP Pro SP2 (seemingly a problem with
a video card, BSOD referred to an ATI driver). Fitted another video card and
received basically the same BSOD message this time referring to the new
video card driver. The Windows splash screen would show, then the computer
would go into a continous loop of wanting to Start Windows Normally (?) and
would not allow me to make any other choices such as safe mode etc. I then
went into the BIOS settings and change the first boot device to CD (the
second being the hard drive), placed the XP Pro disc into the CD reader
(with a view to doing a "Repair" installation) BUT the computer continued to
go to the XP splash screen thence to the continual loop of wanting to Start
Windows Normally, back to splash screen to Start Windows Normally, ad
infinitum now ad nauseam! Whats happening?

 

[Thee Chicago Wolf]

Recently my computer failed to load Win XP Pro SP2 (seemingly a problem with

a video card, BSOD referred to an ATI driver). Fitted another video card and
received basically the same BSOD message this time referring to the new
video card driver. The Windows splash screen would show, then the computer
would go into a continous loop of wanting to Start Windows Normally (?) and
would not allow me to make any other choices such as safe mode etc. I then
went into the BIOS settings and change the first boot device to CD (the
second being the hard drive), placed the XP Pro disc into the CD reader
(with a view to doing a "Repair" installation) BUT the computer continued to
go to the XP splash screen thence to the continual loop of wanting to Start
Windows Normally, back to splash screen to Start Windows Normally, ad
infinitum now ad nauseam! Whats happening?

The BSOD will always have some kind of error code. It would be helpful
if you told us what that code was.

- Thee Chicago Wolf

 

[Brian A.]

Recently my computer failed to load Win XP Pro SP2 (seemingly a problem with
a video card, BSOD referred to an ATI driver). Fitted another video card and
received basically the same BSOD message this time referring to the new
video card driver. The Windows splash screen would show, then the computer
would go into a continous loop of wanting to Start Windows Normally (?) and
would not allow me to make any other choices such as safe mode etc. I then
went into the BIOS settings and change the first boot device to CD (the
second being the hard drive), placed the XP Pro disc into the CD reader
(with a view to doing a "Repair" installation) BUT the computer continued to
go to the XP splash screen thence to the continual loop of wanting to Start
Windows Normally, back to splash screen to Start Windows Normally, ad
infinitum now ad nauseam! Whats happening?

After setting the CD drive in the BIOS as the first drive to boot from, did
you Save and Exit? If no, you need to save the change, then exit.
If you saved and exited, when booting with the XP CD in the drive did you "Press
any key" when prompted to do so? If not, keep an eye out for the prompt and
when prompted do so.

If all of the above was done, see if any of these helps:
How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

How to start the System Restore tool at a command prompt in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304449/

Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314058

How to enable an administrator to log on automatically in Recovery Console
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;312149

How to install the Windows Recovery Console
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;216417

How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307654

How to remove Windows Recovery Console
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;555032

--

Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

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