Computer freezes at log on screen

[Lisa]

Let me give you some history real quick as to when this problem started. I
connected my hard drive data and power supply to my boyfriends computer (we
have the same exact computers). I thought my computer was messed up and
wanted to get my photo's off the hard drive. Anyway after doing, oddly my
computer started working again and his quit. It gets to the blue screen
right after the black screen with windows xp and scrolling bar on it. It just
stops responding. I have to manueling turn power off. I have went to all the
HP and microsoft websites and tried everything that they say could be causing
it. Everything short of a system restore which I dont want to do. I
unplugged and reseated every thing in the tower, CD ROM, DVD ROM, HD,
Battery, RAM etc. Still it does the same thing and freezes at that blue
screen. I also tried running the repair thing with the Recovery Console,
still no luck.

I am at a loss, usually I can figure these problems out, but I'm truely
stumped on this one.

Any help would be greatly appreciated and my boyfriend would love you
forever

 

[Touch Base]

Let me give you some history real quick as to when this problem started.

=====================================================
Hi Lisa,
On your boyfriends PC - Use your windows installation disk and open Recovery
Console

After selecting the windows installation, enter admin password if required,
Type at the C:> prompt chkdsk /r/f [note space after chkdsk]
press enter, let the repair process complete - could take a while depending
on the size of the drive.
When finished type exit PC will reboot

 

[Lisa]

Our windows xp came preinstalled on our computers, so we don't have a windows
xp cd. But we both made recovery cd's and when you load them the only option
is to do a system recovery. I had made a Recovery Console from his computer
when mine wasn't working. It does not have C:/Windows> as an option though.
It has something like I338 and MiniNT as the options. I chose both of those
one at a time and typed chkdsk /r and it ran through it pretty quick.
Should I try chkdsk /r/f after them?

 

[Lisa]

Ok I decided to go ahead and use the recovery console again, at the C:\MiniNt
prompt (I had read that somewhere where you could use either MniNt or Windows
prompt)...anyway I typed chkdsk /r/f this time after the prompt..again it
didn't take long for it to do it and it still doesn't work

Oh wait, it is runing another "checking file system" but it says on G:..I
think I know the problem but not sure how to fix. When I put my harddrive on
his computer it used the G:, but I haven't been able to go in and delete
hardware, so it is still showing up but the harddrive isn't there .. any
ideas?

Our windows xp came preinstalled on our computers, so we don't have a windows
xp cd. But we both made recovery cd's and when you load them the only option
is to do a system recovery. I had made a Recovery Console from his computer
when mine wasn't working. It does not have C:/Windows> as an option though.
It has something like I338 and MiniNT as the options. I chose both of those
one at a time and typed chkdsk /r and it ran through it pretty quick.
Should I try chkdsk /r/f after them?

Let me give you some history real quick as to when this problem started.

=====================================================
Hi Lisa,
On your boyfriends PC - Use your windows installation disk and open Recovery
Console

After selecting the windows installation, enter admin password if required,
Type at the C:> prompt chkdsk /r/f [note space after chkdsk]
press enter, let the repair process complete - could take a while depending
on the size of the drive.
When finished type exit PC will reboot

 

[Lisa]

Touch Base,

Thank you so much for your responses. I will not have time to do this
tonight, but I will do it first thing when I get home tomorrow. I will let
you know if it works.

Ok I decided to go ahead and use the recovery console again, at the
C:\MiniNt
prompt (I had read that somewhere where you could use either MniNt or
Windows
prompt)...anyway I typed chkdsk /r/f this time after the prompt..again it
didn't take long for it to do it and it still doesn't work

=======================

Hi Lisa,
It doesn't sound good. Before you do a complete recovery on the drive [files
have been backed up I trust!], try this. You said your computer is working,
connect the boyfriends computer up to yours as a slave, do not attempt to
run it as a master slave, and run the check disk from your computer. Then
put it back in his case and see if it boots.

You want to select both these options: Automatically fix file system errors
and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

Once you connect the hard drive to yours as a slave, your system may
automatically start a chkdsk when you start it up if it thinks there is
something wrong with it because a quick scan is done on slave drives or any
drive connected to a system such as a USB drive and if the file system is
corrupt it will attempt to fix it straightaway before your system actually
starts. If this is the case I would still follow the procedure below to make
doubly sure that there are no errors. Then put it back in his case and see
if it boots.


Manual steps to run Chkdsk from My Computer or Windows Explorer
1. Double-click My Computer, and then right-click the hard disk that
you want to check.
2. Click Properties, and then click Tools.
3. Under Error-checking, click Check Now. A dialog box that shows the
Check disk options is displayed,
4. Use one of the following procedures: . To run Chkdsk in read-only
mode, click Start.
. To repair errors without scanning the volume for bad sectors,
select the Automatically fix file system errors check box, and then click
Start.
. To repair errors, locate bad sectors, and recover readable
information, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check
box, and then click Start.
Note If one or more of the files on the hard disk are open, you will
receive the following message:
The disk check could not be performed because the disk check utility
needs exclusive access to some Windows files on the disk. These files can be
accessed by restarting Windows. Do you want to schedule the disk check to
occur the next time you restart the computer?
Click Yes to schedule the disk check, and then restart your computer
to start the disk check.


http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265

 

[Touch Base]

Ok I decided to go ahead and use the recovery console again, at the
C:\MiniNt
prompt (I had read that somewhere where you could use either MniNt or
Windows
prompt)...anyway I typed chkdsk /r/f this time after the prompt..again it
didn't take long for it to do it and it still doesn't work

=======================

Hi Lisa,
It doesn't sound good. Before you do a complete recovery on the drive [files
have been backed up I trust!], try this. You said your computer is working,
connect the boyfriends computer up to yours as a slave, do not attempt to
run it as a master slave, and run the check disk from your computer. Then
put it back in his case and see if it boots.

You want to select both these options: Automatically fix file system errors
and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

Once you connect the hard drive to yours as a slave, your system may
automatically start a chkdsk when you start it up if it thinks there is
something wrong with it because a quick scan is done on slave drives or any
drive connected to a system such as a USB drive and if the file system is
corrupt it will attempt to fix it straightaway before your system actually
starts. If this is the case I would still follow the procedure below to make
doubly sure that there are no errors. Then put it back in his case and see
if it boots.


Manual steps to run Chkdsk from My Computer or Windows Explorer
1. Double-click My Computer, and then right-click the hard disk that
you want to check.
2. Click Properties, and then click Tools.
3. Under Error-checking, click Check Now. A dialog box that shows the
Check disk options is displayed,
4. Use one of the following procedures: . To run Chkdsk in read-only
mode, click Start.
. To repair errors without scanning the volume for bad sectors,
select the Automatically fix file system errors check box, and then click
Start.
. To repair errors, locate bad sectors, and recover readable
information, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check
box, and then click Start.
Note If one or more of the files on the hard disk are open, you will
receive the following message:
The disk check could not be performed because the disk check utility
needs exclusive access to some Windows files on the disk. These files can be
accessed by restarting Windows. Do you want to schedule the disk check to
occur the next time you restart the computer?
Click Yes to schedule the disk check, and then restart your computer
to start the disk check.


http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265

 

[Lisa]

Touch Base,

Ok this is odd, but it worked. My unhappy boyfriend decided to take matters
in to his own hands. He went to F10 System Recovery. During the process he
told me that it backed up his files and only restored windows. When he
logged in all of his files/folders where there. The only thing he had to do
is download the new internet explorer and he also gets a admin login screen
now which he use to not get (not a big deal). I didn't go very far in the
System Recovery because of all the warnings that it would delete all his
files/folders and restore to original factory shipped status.

Anyway good news is both of our computers are working now and I don't have
to buy a new computer. Now I have the money to go get a new microwave that
just went out, lol....when it rains it poors.

Thanks again for your help.

Touch Base,

Thank you so much for your responses. I will not have time to do this
tonight, but I will do it first thing when I get home tomorrow. I will let
you know if it works.

Ok I decided to go ahead and use the recovery console again, at the
C:\MiniNt
prompt (I had read that somewhere where you could use either MniNt or
Windows
prompt)...anyway I typed chkdsk /r/f this time after the prompt..again it
didn't take long for it to do it and it still doesn't work

=======================

Hi Lisa,
It doesn't sound good. Before you do a complete recovery on the drive [files
have been backed up I trust!], try this. You said your computer is working,
connect the boyfriends computer up to yours as a slave, do not attempt to
run it as a master slave, and run the check disk from your computer. Then
put it back in his case and see if it boots.

You want to select both these options: Automatically fix file system errors
and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

Once you connect the hard drive to yours as a slave, your system may
automatically start a chkdsk when you start it up if it thinks there is
something wrong with it because a quick scan is done on slave drives or any
drive connected to a system such as a USB drive and if the file system is
corrupt it will attempt to fix it straightaway before your system actually
starts. If this is the case I would still follow the procedure below to make
doubly sure that there are no errors. Then put it back in his case and see
if it boots.


Manual steps to run Chkdsk from My Computer or Windows Explorer
1. Double-click My Computer, and then right-click the hard disk that
you want to check.
2. Click Properties, and then click Tools.
3. Under Error-checking, click Check Now. A dialog box that shows the
Check disk options is displayed,
4. Use one of the following procedures: . To run Chkdsk in read-only
mode, click Start.
. To repair errors without scanning the volume for bad sectors,
select the Automatically fix file system errors check box, and then click
Start.
. To repair errors, locate bad sectors, and recover readable
information, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check
box, and then click Start.
Note If one or more of the files on the hard disk are open, you will
receive the following message:
The disk check could not be performed because the disk check utility
needs exclusive access to some Windows files on the disk. These files can be
accessed by restarting Windows. Do you want to schedule the disk check to
occur the next time you restart the computer?
Click Yes to schedule the disk check, and then restart your computer
to start the disk check.


http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265

 

[Touch Base]

Touch Base,

Ok this is odd, but it worked. My unhappy boyfriend decided to take matters
in to his own hands. He went to F10 System Recovery. During the process he
told me that it backed up his files and only restored windows. When he
logged in all of his files/folders where there. The only thing he had to do
is download the new internet explorer and he also gets a admin login screen
now which he use to not get (not a big deal). I didn't go very far in the
System Recovery because of all the warnings that it would delete all his
files/folders and restore to original factory shipped status.

Anyway good news is both of our computers are working now and I don't have
to buy a new computer. Now I have the money to go get a new microwave that
just went out, lol....when it rains it poors.

Thanks again for your help.

=====================================

Hi Lisa,
Good news that you were able to 'restore' the computer without losing your
files. I have used the 'restore' function with some modern HP systems and
the 'restore' was non destructive - meaning it kept all the customers files
and only repaired the installation much in the same way XP does a repair
install but without having to re-enter license ID etc.

If your Windows XP welcome screen won't come up when you start your
computer, your Windows is probably set to show the "logon screen" at
startup.

You can easily switch between the welcome screen and the "logon screen" :
Click the Start button
Select "control panel"
Select "user accounts"
Select "Change the way users log on or off"
(Un)check the "Welcome Screen" option
Click "Apply options"
The next time you log on to your computer, you will logon through the
welcome screen.

Good luck with your future endeavours.