XP's boot process just loops - help

[Paul]

For no reason when XP starts it just boots half way then returns to a screen
asking me if I want to book into safe mode/normal mode etc. I have tried
all options and the boot process just keeps looping.

How can I get back into Windows without reformatting?

I do have the original disks.

Can I somehow use them to get into system restore?

 

[rich]

-----Original Message-----
For no reason when XP starts it just boots half way then returns to a screen
asking me if I want to book into safe mode/normal mode etc. I have tried
all options and the boot process just keeps looping.

How can I get back into Windows without reformatting?

I do have the original disks.

Can I somehow use them to get into system restore?


.

remove all hardware peripherals
if you built the machine remove all pci cards and all but
one stick of ram.

310994

then chkdsk /r from recovery console(blank password for
admin)

of that fails try bootcfg /rebuild

307545

slave the hard drive to recover the data

as a last resort which could cause data loss,try fixboot
and fixmbr from recovery console.

 

[Kadaitcha Man]

For no reason when XP starts it just boots half way then returns to a
screen asking me if I want to book into safe mode/normal mode etc. I
have tried all options and the boot process just keeps looping.

How can I get back into Windows without reformatting?

I do have the original disks.

Can I somehow use them to get into system restore?

It isn't very polite to post the same message into multiple groups. It
wastes a lot of other people's time. Next time, learn to cross-post before
you ask.

 

[GSV Three Minds in a Can]

For no reason

Not possible .. there =must= be a reason. Could be anything from bad
memory to a failing disk drive. I'd try www.memtest86.com for a few
hours before I bothered trying to fix the software.

when XP starts it just boots half way then returns to a screen
asking me if I want to book into safe mode/normal mode etc. I have tried
all options and the boot process just keeps looping.

How can I get back into Windows without reformatting?

Repair install is what you need (probably). But check the hardware
first.
groups.google.com 'Windows XP how to do a repair install' will come up
with complete instructions for you.

I do have the original disks.
Good.

Can I somehow use them to get into system restore?

Repair install is a better bet, if even 'last known good' won't boot.
But check the hardware first, already.