Tough Welcome Screen Reboot issue

[Guest]

Hello all - I have a very difficult issue I am facing:

A person recently added RAM to a system I am working on (this is the only
change the person indicates they made, but I am not at all certain of this -
the hard drive had a few viruses on it, and it appears that alcohol 120% had
been installed at some point because I received a "xmasbus.sys loading, press
esc to cancel" when I attempt to boot into safe mode).

At any rate: here's what I DO know for certain:

When I attempt to boot normally, the system comes up, POSTs, goes past the
Windows logo screen and enters the Windows Welcome screen (displaying three
users). However, the screen accepts no input, and the computer restarts.

When I attempt to boot into SAFE MODE: I get to the welcome screen and it
DOES accept input, but just AS SOON AS I CLICK a username, the system
restarts.

I'm guessing this might have something to do with video drivers,etc., but I
don't know how to reset the drivers since I can't get into windows or safe
mode. I already ran recovery console and (during early troubleshooting) ran
fixboot, which, with the information I have now - I understand why it didn't
help.

The system runs fine while in recovery console. The drive runs fine while
hooked to a different computer as a data drive. I can remove all the PCI
cards and the issue still exists. I can insert one RAM or all RAM and
everything runs fine. I have changed out power supplies as a test and also
have changed out the video card. Same problem with same symptoms - nothing
changes.

Since the system runs fine virtually forever at recovery console and the
safe mode welcome screen - I figure this can't be a processor or RAM issue.
Since the drive works fine in another system - I figure this can't be a drive
issue. Since new video cards and power supplies don't change the issue, I
figure this can't be a power or video card issue. This pretty much leaves me
to believe we are looking at a driver issue of some type, but then why would
it affect Safe Mode?

Any help of any kind would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Skitrees

 

[Jim]

Try "bootmgr /rebuild" in the recovery console.

 

[Guest]

Jim,

Thanks for the quick reply. Before I run the bootmgr /rebuild - what does
it do? Does it simply recreate the boot.ini file? If so - I forgot to
mention that I created and XP boot floppy which contained a new boot.ini,
ntdetect, and ntldr.

If not - please let me know what it does and I'll give it a shot.

Thanks!!!
Skitrees

 

[Jim]

Basically it recreates your boot.ini. I would give it a try, even if
you do havea backup.

 

[Mac]

Any chance it's hitting a BSOD and doing an auto-reboot?

Tough one indeed

 

[Guest]

Mac,

I don't think so - the screen doesn't really even blink or flash off - it
just acts like I reached over and hit the reset switch. Goes straight to a
black screen and then POSTs again. I've never seen anything quite like this,
and I had taken pride on my experience - guess this is what was given to me
to learn a lesson in humility!!

Thanks,
Skitrees

 

[Mac]

I assume you've checked the event log?

Sounds more and more like some hardware failure - Mobo?

Sorry to not offer more help...

 

[Guest]

Mac,

What file does event viewer store the data in? Since I can't get into
Windows either way - I can't access the event viewer normally, and I've not
been able to get in and export the file or anything.

Hey - I appreciate the ideas and stuff - this has just really got me stumped.

Thanks,
Skitrees