boot up problem

[smokey]

Using Windows XP Pro SP3 with MS Office
When trying to start computer it goes to the screen to select safe mode;
start from last working etc; or to start normally.
Have tried all these and it still won't start properly. It gets the Windows
page up as if loading and then drops out (no signal to monitor) and returns
to this start screen again. When it does this there is a blue screen that is
there for a very short time with writing. It is too fast to even get a
chance to read it.
I have a ASUS P4S800-MX motherboard.
Is this a hardware problem. I have a video card and don't think this is a
problem as I have removed it and connected to the motherboard and have the
same problem as before.

Any ideas?

 

[Jose]

Using Windows XP Pro SP3 with MS Office
When trying to start computer it goes to the screen to select safe mode;
start from last working etc; or to start normally.
Have tried all these and it still won't start properly.  It gets the Windows
page up as if loading and then drops out (no signal to monitor) and returns
to this start screen again.  When it does this there is a blue screen that is
there for a very short time with writing.  It is too fast to even get a
chance to read it.
I have a ASUS P4S800-MX motherboard.  
Is this a hardware problem.  I have a video card and don't think this is a
problem as I have removed it and connected to the motherboard and have the
same problem as before.

Any ideas?

Sounds like you are seeing the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD).

What do you think happened since the last time it booted? Power
interruption, hardware change, software update, new software install,
etc.

Do you know your XP version and Service Pack and what is it?

If you can only boot in some kind of Safe Mode, choose the option:

Disable automatic restart on system failure so you can see the BSOD.

Here are some BSOD blue screen of death examples showing information
you need to provide:

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/images/Windows_XP_BSOD.png
http://techrepublic.com.com/i/tr/downloads/images/bsod_a.jpg

Send the information pointed to with the red arrows (3-4 lines
total). Skip the boring text unless it looks important to you. We
know what a BSOD looks like, we need to know the other information
that is specific to your BSOD.

In the meantime, you need to get booted on something.

Either come up with a genuine bootable XP installation CD (not a
system recovery CD that may have come with your system), or make
yourself a bootable XP Recovery Console CD (no XP media required).

If you don't have a genuine bootable XP installation CD, make a
bootable Recovery Console CD using a working system:

You can make a bootable Recovery Console CD by downloading an ISO file
and burning it to a CD.

The bootable ISO image file you need to download is called:

xp_rec_con.iso

Download the ISO file from here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?ueyyzfymmig

Use this free and easy program to create your bootable CD:

http://www.imgburn.com/

It would be a good idea to test your bootable CD on a computer that is
working.

You may need to adjust the computer BIOS settings to use the CD ROM
drive as the first boot device instead of the hard disk. These
adjustments are made before Windows tries to load. If you miss it,
you will have to reboot the system again.

When you boot on the CD, follow the prompts:

Press any key to boot from CD...

The Windows Setup... will proceed.

Press 'R' to enter the Recovery Console.

Select the installation you want to access (usually 1: C:\WINDOWS)

You may be asked to enter the Administrator password (usually empty).

You should be in the C:\WINDOWS folder. This is the same as the C:
\WINDOWS folder you see in explorer.

RC allows basic file commands - copy, rename, replace, delete, cd,
chkdsk, fixboot, fixmbr, etc.

Boot your system on the RC, then we will fix it.

 

[db]

it seems that if you cannot
access any modes then your
only option is

to boot up with an xp cd and
login to the recovery console.

then at the system disk prompt
you might try running the following
commands:

chkdsk /f
fixboot

then "exit" and reboot without
cd.

--
db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- @Hotmail.com
- nntp Postologist
~ "share the nirvana" - dbZen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[smokey]

Jose

Running Win XP Pro Ver 2002, SP3

Got the BCOD up & supply the following info:-
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

STOP: 0x00000050 (0xEC6B738D, 0x00000000, 0x866EC08C, 0x00000000)

I have had problems with my CD/DVD drives not working, they won't read or
burn. I have been using an external CD/DVD drive.

I have not had any power problems. All I have was when I was using the
computer, it rebooted and came up with the present problem. I found how to
get the BCOD up and Googled 'PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA'. I removed the
video card and connected the monitor to the motherboard. Did not fix the
problem.

I have two RAM cards,a 512 and 1 GB. Both have been in for about 18 months.
I removed the 512 and the computer booted up OK. This was last Friday and I
assumed the 512 was buggered. The computer has been working OK since then
until I went to start it up this afternoon. It show the same errors.

I have tried to swap around the RAM's, including an 256 card, still will not
boot up.

I am currently using a laptop which is using the same version of windows.
Can I make a bootable Recovery Console CD from it?

Any suggestions.

 

[Jose]

Jose

Running Win XP Pro Ver 2002, SP3

Got the BCOD up & supply the following info:-
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

STOP: 0x00000050 (0xEC6B738D, 0x00000000, 0x866EC08C, 0x00000000)

I have had problems with my CD/DVD drives not working, they won't read or
burn.  I have been using an external CD/DVD drive.

I have not had any power problems.  All I have was when I was using the
computer, it rebooted and came up with the present problem.  I found how to
get the BCOD up and Googled 'PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA'.  I removed the
video card and connected the monitor to the motherboard.  Did not fix the
problem.

I have two RAM cards,a 512 and 1 GB.  Both have been in for about 18 months.
 I removed the 512 and the computer booted up OK.  This was last Friday and I
assumed the 512 was buggered.  The computer has been working OK since then
until I went to start it up this afternoon.  It show the same errors.

I have tried to swap around the RAM's, including an 256 card, still will not
boot up.

I am currently using a laptop which is using the same version of windows. 
Can I make a bootable Recovery Console CD from it?

Any suggestions.

If you can download and can burn a CD, most certainly. It is very
general purpose and not machine specific.

Read above for instructions on how to make your own bootable Recovery
Console CD and you can create and test it in a working computer. If
you don't understand my copy/paste directions, let me know.

For suspicious RAM, you can create another bootable CD with memtest86+
on it and test on the afflicted machine - all the RAM, one stick at a
time, etc. To me, even one memtest86+ error qualifies as a failure
and means replace the RAM.

Run the memtest86+ on the afflicted system while you are creating the
RC disc on your good system (multi task).

Both of these CDs are good things to have anyway in your computer CD
collection.

Run a test of your RAM with memtest86+ (I know it is boring and will
cost you a CD).

The memtest will not run under Windows, so you will need to download
the ISO file and create a bootable CD, boot on that and then run the
memtest program.

The file and instructions are here:

http://www.memtest.org/

If someone suggests that you run memtest86, you can say that you know
memtest86+ supercedes memtest86 and here's why:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memtest86

 

[smokey]

Jose

Thanks for your assistance - it is appreciated.

I burnt a Recovery Console CD as you suggented and tried to run it. I went
ito the BIOS and noticed the primary CD/DVD drive was enabled and the hard
drive was also enabled. I booted the system with the disc in but nothing
changed - it wnet to the normal screen about booting from Safe Mode, normally
etc. I went ito the BIOS again and changed the CD/DVD drive to the secondary
one and re-booted. Well it went to the normal first screen listing the hard
drive and CD/DVD drives and then it went to the other screen listing memory
IDE drives etc and I thought 'this is it' and waited for it to then print
across the screen about pressing any key to boot from the CD, but alas it
went to the screen about loading from Safe Mode etc.

As I have mentioned I have been having problems with the two CD/DVD drives
not working properly. Would this be the problem - should I purchase a new
one and replace it in stead of these two drives. I have an external CD/DVD
drive I have been using. Can I disable the CD/DVD drive in the BIOS and use
the external CD/DVD drive. If so, how do you do that as it is connected thru
the USB connection. I noticed in the BIOS about the USB the is a number of
option, but unsure which one I would use.

Smokey

 

[smokey]

I have had problems with my CD/DVD drives not working, they won't read or
burn. I have been using an external CD/DVD drive.

I burnt a Recovery Console CD as suggented and tried to run it. I went
ito the BIOS and noticed the primary CD/DVD drive was enabled and the hard
drive was also enabled. I booted the system with the disc in but nothing
changed - it wnet to the normal screen about booting from Safe Mode, normally
etc. I went ito the BIOS again and changed the CD/DVD drive to the secondary
one and re-booted. Well it went to the normal first screen listing the hard
drive and CD/DVD drives and then it went to the other screen listing memory
IDE drives etc and I thought 'this is it' and waited for it to then print
across the screen about pressing any key to boot from the CD, but alas it
went to the screen about loading from Safe Mode etc.

As I have mentioned I have been having problems with the two CD/DVD drives
not working properly. Would this be the problem - should I purchase a new
one and replace it in stead of these two drives. I have an external CD/DVD
drive I have been using. Can I disable the CD/DVD drive in the BIOS and use
the external CD/DVD drive. If so, how do you do that as it is connected thru
the USB connection. I noticed in the BIOS about the USB the is a number of
option, but unsure which one I would use.

Any suggestions????

 

[Paul]

I have had problems with my CD/DVD drives not working, they won't read or
burn. I have been using an external CD/DVD drive.

I burnt a Recovery Console CD as suggented and tried to run it. I went
ito the BIOS and noticed the primary CD/DVD drive was enabled and the hard
drive was also enabled. I booted the system with the disc in but nothing
changed - it wnet to the normal screen about booting from Safe Mode, normally
etc. I went ito the BIOS again and changed the CD/DVD drive to the secondary
one and re-booted. Well it went to the normal first screen listing the hard
drive and CD/DVD drives and then it went to the other screen listing memory
IDE drives etc and I thought 'this is it' and waited for it to then print
across the screen about pressing any key to boot from the CD, but alas it
went to the screen about loading from Safe Mode etc.

As I have mentioned I have been having problems with the two CD/DVD drives
not working properly. Would this be the problem - should I purchase a new
one and replace it in stead of these two drives. I have an external CD/DVD
drive I have been using. Can I disable the CD/DVD drive in the BIOS and use
the external CD/DVD drive. If so, how do you do that as it is connected thru
the USB connection. I noticed in the BIOS about the USB the is a number of
option, but unsure which one I would use.

Any suggestions???

If Windows is running on some PC, and you insert that newly burned disc,
do you see this as the only file listed ?

xp_rec_con.iso

Or do you see the following folder, which happens to be full of files ?

i386

The difference between those two, is how you chose to burn xp_rec_con.iso.
You need a program which parses an ISO9660 file and burns a bootable CD
from it. I use Nero for that purpose, as Windows doesn't have a built-in
capability. But there are other, freeware programs that can do it if
necessary. When I buy an optical burner, I try to buy one with Nero
bundled with the drive, as then I'm instantly ready.

If you're on a budget, see the Freeware section here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_optical_disc_authoring_software

When the disc is burned properly, check and see if the "i386" folder
is visible when the CD is listed on another Windows machine.

(When you download an ISO9660 file, you can examine the inside of it with
the 7ZIP program. That is how I know there is an i386 folder stored inside
the ISO9660.)

Paul

 

[smokey]

Paul

I have hace a look at the burnt recovery dics and it has the i386 folder
which is full of file, plus two other files WIN51 and WIN511C. As I have
said it will not boot from the two internal drives. How do I hake it boot
from an external drive that I have?

 

[smokey]

I have gone into the BIOS and the startup is follows:-
1 ATAPI CD-ROM [the primary CD/DVD Drive]
2 Remonavle /Drive [Disabled]
3 IDE Hard Drive [the hard drive]
4 Other Boot Device [INTI8 Device (Network)]

Is this the right order???
In relation to 4, I disabled this, but it still did not work. I have also
changed the primary CD/DVD drive to the secondary CD/DVD drive and rebooted
and this is where it went to the second screen listing everything including
IDE devices and then rebooted. It appears that the CD/DVD drives are not
working.

Any advice?