can't start windows after power failure

[OR]

OS: Windows XP professional. I leave my computer running through the day and
switch it off at night. One day when the computer was running all by itself,
there were several power cuts/failures from the power company and now my
computer won't start windows. The logon sequence reaches as far as the
black screen after Post and Boot from cd: I see Windows Advanced Options
Menu flashing past, but no error message. Then the computer shuts down and
reboots all by itself. This goes on and on and it is very difficult to shut
down the computer. One has to pull out the power lead.

Any suggestions what has gone wrong and how to solve it. I hope I dont have
to reinstall Windows

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

OS: Windows XP professional. I leave my computer running through the day
and switch it off at night. One day when the computer was running all by
itself, there were several power cuts/failures from the power company and
now my computer won't start windows. The logon sequence reaches as far as
the black screen after Post and Boot from cd: I see Windows Advanced
Options Menu flashing past, but no error message. Then the computer shuts
down and reboots all by itself. This goes on and on and it is very
difficult to shut down the computer. One has to pull out the power lead.

Any suggestions what has gone wrong and how to solve it. I hope I dont
have to reinstall Windows

Press F8 repeatedly during the early boot sequence, then try booting
into Safe Mode or "Last known good configuration".

 

[OR]

news:[email protected]...

Press F8 repeatedly during the early boot sequence, then try booting
into Safe Mode or "Last known good configuration".

Can't get into Safe Mode. The menu just flashes past. The computer reboots
before I can do it.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Can't get into Safe Mode. The menu just flashes past. The computer reboots
before I can do it.

If you pressed F8 rapidly and repeatedly during the boot-up
stage and if the machine did not pause with the usual boot-up
selection menu then your boot environment may be damaged. You
could try to boot the machine with a WinXP boot diskette. Here is
how to make one:
1. Format a floppy disk on some other WinXP PC.
2. Copy these files from the i386 folder of your WinXP CD to
the floppy disk:
i386\ntldr
i386ntdetect.com
3. Click Start / Run and type this command:
notepad a:\boot.ini
Now paste the following lines into notepad:
[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin
Watch out - the last line is a long line!
Save and close the file.
4. Change the BIOS boot order of your own PC so that it uses
the floppy disk drive as its primary boot device, then boot
your PC from the floppy disk.

 

[Anna]

Press F8 repeatedly during the early boot sequence, then try booting
into Safe Mode or "Last known good configuration".

Can't get into Safe Mode. The menu just flashes past. The computer reboots
before I can do it.

If you pressed F8 rapidly and repeatedly during the boot-up
stage and if the machine did not pause with the usual boot-up
selection menu then your boot environment may be damaged. You
could try to boot the machine with a WinXP boot diskette. Here is
how to make one:
1. Format a floppy disk on some other WinXP PC.
2. Copy these files from the i386 folder of your WinXP CD to
the floppy disk:
i386\ntldr
i386ntdetect.com
3. Click Start / Run and type this command:
notepad a:\boot.ini
Now paste the following lines into notepad:
[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin
Watch out - the last line is a long line!
Save and close the file.
4. Change the BIOS boot order of your own PC so that it uses
the floppy disk drive as its primary boot device, then boot
your PC from the floppy disk.

OR:
It's possible this may be a hardware-related issue that's causing your
problem due to the A/C power failure (and possible power
surge(s)/fluctuations) that you recently experienced. But for the moment
we'll assume you're dealing with a corrupted OS brought on by those
power-related issues.

Assuming Pegasus's suggestion is a no-go...

And further assuming you have an XP Pro installation CD that will permit you
to undertake a Repair install, do so...

I trust you understand we're talking about the "second" repair install of
the XP OS that one can undertake using the XP OS installation CD, *not* what
Microsoft terms the Repair install when you first get to the Welcome to
Setup screen after booting to the XP installation CD. (That *first* Repair
option will merely let you access the Recovery Console - the "second"
Repair, in effect, reinstalls the OS on your system).

I'm assuming you have some familiarity with this process. (It's roughly akin
to fresh-installing the OS yet not tampering with existing programs,
user-created data, etc. that presently exists on your system.) But if you
need further details, so indicate.

Since you obviously have access to another computer, it would also be a good
idea in the meantime to download the HDD diagnostic utility that's usually
available from the website of the manufacturer of your HDD and check out the
disk. In most cases this bootable diagnostic program can be installed on
either a floppy disk or a CD.

If the Repair install is a no-go it could very well be a hardware problem
that's involved here.

Just one other thing...
Before you undertake any further measures with your PC in order to correct
the problem - whether it's what I suggested, or Pegasus's suggestion, or
anyone else's proposed course of action - if there is any user-created data
on the HDD that's absolutely crucial to you and which you could not tolerate
its loss - then before you do *anything* further re that system, either
install the HDD as a secondary HDD in another computer or in a USB or other
external enclosure and attempt to access its contents so that you can copy
off the data you need. Then you can play around with it.
Anna

 

[w_tom]

Can't get into Safe Mode. The menu just flashes past. Thecomputerreboots
before I can do it.

Not entirely clear that the computer is even trying to boot an OS.
First a program called the BIOS executes to test and setup only
hardware. Does the BIOS execute? When BIOS completes, then something
appears to announce the OS is booting such as "Loading Operating
System". Does it get that far? If not, then "reading the F8
keypress" software would not execute.

Computer's BIOS also has a setup function started by pressing F2 or
F12 or Del key or, ... unique to each manufacturer. (Key cannot be
provided because basic facts such as computer manufacturer were not
provided. Your answers are only as useful as information you
provide.) Is BIOS setup pages accessible? IOW above paragraphs first
ask if the BIOS is even executing or completing - long before OS would
be loaded.

Second, more responsible computer manufacturers provide
comprehensive hardware diagnostics just for your problem - for free.
Diagnostics boot from the hard drive (completely independent of the
OS), or from the manufacturer provided CD-Rom. Diagnostics verify
integrity of all hardware without any Windows complications. IOW draw
a line between hardware and software. Diagnostics tests only
hardware. When hardware tests good, then move on to analyze software
(Operating System). Break a problem down into parts; then analyze
each part separately.

If your computers manufacturer is less responsible, then download
diagnostics from third parties or component manufacturers. Again,
those diagnostics should boot directly from a CD or floppy disk. Just
another suggestion so that your next post can provide useful
information; so that better informed posters can reply fruitfully -
without wild speculation such as 'it might be this or might be that'.