Boot Failure: System Halted

[Mark Palumbo]

I woke up this morning and this is what my Windows XP Pro
machine had up on the monitor!

I tried rebooting, nothing...tried IPL, it returned to
the "Boot Failure: System Halted" message!

XP Pro is the only OS on this machine, it's actually a
fresh install. The machine is connected via cable modem
to the internet and has/had BlackIce firewall software
running.

Was my system hacked and compromised? Any ideas?

Thank you,
-Mark-

 

[Mike Brearley]

I'd say it sounds more like a bad hard drive. Open your case up and check
the cable connection between your motherbaord and hard drive. Unplug them
then plug them back in just to be sure they have a good connection. Try
booting again.

If you get the same error, check in your bios and see if it recognizes your
hard drive. If it doesn't, listen to see if the hard drive is making any
noise. Does it click, can you hear it spin up when you power the computer
on? Post back with results...

--
Posted 'as is'. If there are any spelling and/or grammar mistakes, they
were a direct result of my fingers and brain not being synchronized or my
lack of caffeine.

Mike Brearley

 

[Malke]

I'd say it sounds more like a bad hard drive. Open your case up and
check the cable connection between your motherbaord and hard drive.
Unplug them
then plug them back in just to be sure they have a good connection.
Try booting again.

If you get the same error, check in your bios and see if it recognizes
your
hard drive. If it doesn't, listen to see if the hard drive is making
any
noise. Does it click, can you hear it spin up when you power the
computer
on? Post back with results...

In addition to Mr. Brearley's excellent advice, download a diagnostic
utility from your hard drive mftr.'s website. You will use it to make a
bootable floppy. Run the diagnostic.

Malke

 

[Mark Palumbo]

Thank you very much, both of you!

I found my BIOS is NOT recognizing the HD. It sounds like
the drive spins up, however, there's no "head movement"
sounds as it tries to talk to the disk until after it
gives up, then there's a clunk sound. I reseated both
ends of the IDE cable and power cable and tried several
times with no luck.

I will see about diags, it's a Western Digital Caviar
Ultra drive that's less than 2 years old!

Thank you again!

 

[Plato]

I found my BIOS is NOT recognizing the HD. It sounds like
I will see about diags, it's a Western Digital Caviar

If your PC cant detect the HDD than neither will a diag util.

 

[Mike Brearley]

Sorry for not replying sooner... Seeing as the hard drive is not being
recognized at all at this point you have a few more radical things you can
try. (basically it's seen as what is there to lose, right?)

First, pull the drive out and give it a good smack with your hand (while
holding it in the other). Don't be shy, give it a pretty good smack, but
don't try knocking it into the next century. Now plug it back in and see
what happens.

If that doesn't work, here's one that seems odd, but it's worked for me
once. Put the drive in a sealed bag (make sure to remove as much air as
possible and seal it well. Put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
Take it out and immediately hook it up and try to boot to it.

If either of these work, have something available to back your system up to
ASAP. The freezing one may not give you much time. The smacking it one
will give you more time if it works, just as long as the heads don't rest in
the same spot where they locked up last time.

--
Posted 'as is'. If there are any spelling and/or grammar mistakes, they
were a direct result of my fingers and brain not being synchronized or my
lack of caffeine.

Mike Brearley