My Toshiba Laptop will not boot Windows XP in normal mode anymore

[Jeramie]

Alright so I know this isn't the proper place for this but I am at the end of
my rope.

I tried to google and look up the problem and see how to fix it but nothing
seems to work:

PROBLEM: My laptop is running Windows XP SP2 and has worked fine forever.
Recently (past 2 days it just doesn't want to load normally). It gets to the
Windows XP logo screen with the green bar scrolling across and just hangs
there forever. The bar always moves but really slow and there is no HD
activity.

I have not added any new hardware pieces to my system at all in like 2 years
so that isn't it. I haven't even installed anything recently either.

I CAN boot up in windows safe mode and with networking. I also have
attempted to system restore to a prior date with no success. I also did a
Last Known Configuration boot but the same thing happens.

Now I read that I should attempt a repair of my Windows folder however I
cannot do this. I have a recovery DVD with my laptop and it wants to erase
everything on the HD. There is no option to repair as this is a Toshiba
recovery disc and not a Windows XP disc (Although windows XP is on this disc
as well).

The only thing that really has come to mind as being strange on my system
was that around 2 weeks ago I had a few hard locks of my CPU. My system froze
mid WOW and I had to pull my battery off to be able to restart my comp. My
computer has also shutdown a few times recently due to overheating the CPU
(my cooling pad on my laptop died recently).

Anyone have any suggestions that don't involve erasing all my data or taking
my laptop apart and checking (I tried to pull mine apart once before and was
not successful)

My exact laptop is a Toshiba Satellite A100.

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

From Safe Mode you can run the Fast Wizard.

Save settings and data with the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard (FAST
wizard): Go To: http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/fast.htm

Saving to DVD then doing the factory restore will save everything but the
extra apps you have installed. Your ownership of such a limited system
recovery option is going to necessitate creating a backup routine of some
kind anyway. This is not going to be the last time you ever find a problem
that takes a repair.

--
Please use the Communities guidelines when posting.
http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales/help/help_en-us.htm
Use the "Ratings" feature. It helps the new users.
Mark L. Ferguson MS-MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Mark.Ferguson

 

[Jeramie]

Well before I saw your reply I ended up using the Toshiba Recovery disc to
attempt to fix my problem.

After I did a factory restore (which formats the drive and reinstalls
Windows XP and the proper Toshiba drivers for my laptop). My computer
rebooted and then froze on the same Windows XP loading screen with green
status bar. However instead of before where the bar moved slowly, the bar
completely is frozen in place and there is no HD activity and it appears to
be a hard lock.

This is directly after the recovery. I haven't even booted into Windows for
the first time or anything its on the reboot after the recovery.

I'm getting very frustrated now.

I contacted Toshiba and they pretty much didn't help except to take it to
one of their local dealers to take a look at. They told me my Recovery disc
might be corrupted yet I opened it from the package like it was new today,
because I never used it before.

 

[AJR]

A successful Safe Mode boot indicates a driver problem - have you had any
difficulty with a progrm or utility recently?

Regarding "...I haven't even installed anything recently either...." - have
you made any changes - downloaded from the internet?

Use "msconfig" to unselect startup items and by selecting one, or several,
at a time to isolate a culprit.


\

 

[Jeramie]

Well I didn't make any changes but I have no idea what my wife or my family
could have done.

In any event I have attempted a recovery ( Format HD and restore the laptop
to factory default settings) with no success. I stated in my other post my
computer now locks up in the same place even after a recovery. I haven't
attempted to start it in safe mode again yet though.

I'm reformatting the drive the long way and doing a restore again and I hope
that will take care of the problem.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Well before I saw your reply I ended up using the Toshiba Recovery disc to
attempt to fix my problem.

After I did a factory restore (which formats the drive and reinstalls
Windows XP and the proper Toshiba drivers for my laptop). My computer
rebooted and then froze on the same Windows XP loading screen with green
status bar. However instead of before where the bar moved slowly, the bar
completely is frozen in place and there is no HD activity and it appears
to
be a hard lock.

This is directly after the recovery. I haven't even booted into Windows
for
the first time or anything its on the reboot after the recovery.

I'm getting very frustrated now.

I contacted Toshiba and they pretty much didn't help except to take it to
one of their local dealers to take a look at. They told me my Recovery
disc
might be corrupted yet I opened it from the package like it was new today,
because I never used it before.

I personally doubt this has anything to do with the recovery disk. It
sounds to me more like hardware failure, and you've mentioned that the
laptop has overheated repeatedly, to the point where it shuts down. This
would also indicate fan or cooling system failure.

CPUs and other board components don't like having that kind of heat happen
to them, and it's quite possible that the problems you are experiencing are
partial CPU or RAM failure. This can't be fixed with software.

Unfortunately, the only practical way to fix that is to replace components,
and as prices of laptops have plummeted since you bought yours, you may find
that replacement with a better one is competitive with the cost of repairs.

HTH
-pk