Install / Reinstall / Recovery Console causes shut down

[ukadamwest]

having a problem with XP Pro installation...



Issue history / attempted resolutions



Laptop was/is running fine... XP Pro Boots up, shuts down, all software
operates as should.



attempted to admin the computer by running a defrag.. defrag runs for a
while, then whole computer shuts off, no warning, no blue screen, nothing in
the event log.. shut down like power cable is pulled.



system reboots fine, no error reporting that windows encountered a serious
error etc. run chkdsk /r from command prompt.. no problem.



thinking.. hmm problem with the windows file structure maybe !!



run sfc /scannow ... runs for a while.. to about 70-80% computer shuts off
again..



try booting into recovery console... asks for admin password (???) -
computer shuts off again.



reboot is fine..



try a repair install.. startup process begins to load.. computer shuts off
again



Flashed Bios.. run though all the above.. same results.



thinking oh well.. just reinstall everything...



start the install process.. starts to load the install process.. computer
shuts off again..



computer restarts fine, but loosing graphics drivers. let windows find and
install drivers.. restart.. computer runs as it was.. back to start...



from trouble shooting, it is apparant that the hardware itself is running
without issue, if a hardware problem existed it would not allow the OS to
run, all programs and functions without issue.



it seems that a problem exists somewhere in the windows file structure and
that every time something of an admin nature reaches that file (or lost file
perhaps) the o/s just shuts off.



so at the moment, can't repair install, reinstall, defrag, run sfc /scannow,
or enter the recovery console !!

 

[Leonard Grey]

You may have a problem with your power supply. A repair shop can check it.

 

[ukadamwest]

Negative.. It's a laptop, and battery is in.. and power supply is
constant.. if it were a problem with the power supply it would occur at any
time in operation..

the problem only occurs when the windows file structure is being accessed..
IE sfc/scannow / defrag / install / re-install

 

[Gerry]

Adam

nothing in the event log? Do you mean nothing that you think relates to
the problem or that there are no reports in the System log?

If the latter you should enable logging.

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308427/en-us

A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double
click on the error you want to copy. In the window, which appears is a
button resembling two pages. Click the button and close Event
Viewer.Now start your message (email) and do a paste into the body of
the message. Make sure this is the first paste after exiting from
Event Viewer.

Disable automatic restart on system failure. This should help by
allowing time to write down the STOP code properly. Right click on
the My Computer icon on the Desktop and select Properties, Advanced,
Start-Up and Recovery, System Failure and uncheck box before
Automatically Restart.

Do not re-enable automatic restart on system failure until you have
resolved the problem. Check for variants of the Stop Error message.

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[ukadamwest]

Gerry,

thanks for your reply, though seriously, the event viewer is enabled. the
only log that shows an error is an occasional 1098 error "windows cannot
query for the site" that the only even that ever shows an issue.

Automatic restart on system failure *is* disabled. There are no error
reports generated... quite simply, bear in mind this is a laptop, it behaves
like a desktop that someone has kicked the power lead out of the wall. it
just shuts off.

what is strange is that after the issue occurs it will reboot fresh and
quickly and run without issue for hours on end, only when i try to defrag,
run sfc /scannow, or boot into the recovery console, or try a fresh or repair
install does it behave like this..

My suspicion is that somewhere along the way the updates have caused an
issue with a hardware driver in the windows file structure.

in the meantime, i seem to have resolved the problem as i can now do
sfc/scannow, defrag and open the recovery console.. here FYI is a the process
that eanabled it.

restart the computer, turn off antivirus and firewall, turn off any
unnecessary services, go to manufacturers website, re-download *all* update
files and hardware driver updates new or old and go though install process
*not* rebooting after each one.. for any/all updates already installed
re-install and if the option box a newer, version of this exists, replace it..

reinstalled the athlon amd update from 2006..

flashed the bios, even though current version the same

then downlaod factory default setting file, and run it...

remove recovery console, edit the boot file to remove it also.

reinstall the recovery console

restart, try sfc /scannow.. checking against the windows oem disk (XP PRO
svc pack2) not from the i386 file on the c drive. ran through the scannow
fine..

shut down try to boot into recovery console .. works !!!

run fixboot,
run fixmbr,
run fixboot again
run fix mbr again

reboot.. system *seems* to be working fine.. ran a defrag.. even though
drives were not fragmented enough to require it.. ran ok..

one thing that was also happening before, was that the cooling fan was
running its tits off straight from boot to the point that people on the other
end of the phone could hear it !!, now after the above process completed..
laptop sits there quiet as mouse happy as anything... for the time being
!!!!!!!!!!!