Help my computer won't start properly

[Len Salcedo]

I'm running Windows XP Pro. When I turn on my computer or reboot it always
locks up at the start. I see the first screen where it shows the energy
compliant logo, the ram, my hard drives and my DVD ROM and DVD burner. Once
it gets to this point it locks up and it won't boot to windows. I hit the
reset button it gets past the first screen and then it gets stuck on the
second screen where it displays all the IRQs and it locks up there again.
Once more have to hit the reset button to get past this, sometimes it will
start properly after I do this several times, other times it gets past these
two screens and I get a black screen and it won't boot to windows.



Help any suggestions?



Thanks,



Len

 

[Adi]

Restart Computer and after Bios runs over but befor Windows start press F8
and select Last known...etc
this must be last good confuguration, if not go you have a Virus?

(e-mail address removed)

 

[MGGP]

Hi Len -
It sounds like a hardware issue to me. Are you CERTAIN
that there's not a message at the bottom of the screen
that it locks up on that says "F1 to Continue, Del to run
Setup" or "Keyboard Not Found" or something similar ?
Those messages are easy to miss.

Regardless, I would look in the BIOS for an answer - go
into Setup, implement the Setup Defaults, Save and try
again.

If someone has had the system's cover off, you may have a
loose connection inside that is causing this problem.

Good Luck !

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Len.

It sounds like the problems all happen before Windows even starts to load.
In other words, the problem seems to be in your hardware or BIOS, not in
Windows.

Hardware problems can be hard to track down - or easy. Are all your cables
and other connections tight? Perhaps an intermittent cable problem happens
only sometimes. Have you added any hardware recently? Have you opened your
computer's case recently? Any loose PCI cards, CPU, memory? Heat buildup
can be a problem, but it usually doesn't appear until the computer has been
running for a while. On the other hand, sometimes a warm-up closes a loose
or broken circuit somewhere that was open when the power was first turned
on.

How recently did this problem show up? What else happened at about that
time?

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

 

[Len Salcedo]

I have not added any hardware, it's been doing it for a few weeks now. I
moved across the country about three months ago. I will take the cover off
and make sure I don't have any loose parts. I will keep the group posted.

Thank you very much for all the suggestions.

Len

 

[Len Salcedo]

PS.

MGGP, there's not a message at the bottom of the screen

thanks

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

I have not added any hardware, it's been doing it for a few weeks
now. I moved across the country about three months ago.

I agree with the others that since your problem seems to be
occurring before Windows starts, it's almost certainly hardware,
not software. Add to that the facts that your problem seems to be
intermittent and that you recently moved, and I'd bet on it.

I will take
the cover off and make sure I don't have any loose parts.

Yes, that's definitely the first thing to try. Make sure all
cards are seated properly, all plugs tightly attached, etc.


--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup


I will

 

[Alex Nichol]

I'm running Windows XP Pro. When I turn on my computer or reboot it always
locks up at the start. I see the first screen where it shows the energy
compliant logo, the ram, my hard drives and my DVD ROM and DVD burner. Once
it gets to this point it locks up and it won't boot to windows. I hit the
reset button it gets past the first screen and then it gets stuck on the
second screen where it displays all the IRQs and it locks up there again.

All this is in the hardware's own 'POST' testing phase, before it even
starts looking for a hard disk from which to load windows. SO it looks
like something serious at the hardware level: if you are not expert with
that its a repair shop job

 

[Len Salcedo]

Ok, I took the case apart today and made sure everything was seated
properly. It seemed it was, but I pushed down on all the cards to make
sure. I did notice however it was very dusty inside the case (we have a
problem with dust in my area), I cleaned out the dust and it seems to be
working fine now it no longer hangs on those screens.

Thank you very much for all your great suggestions

Have a great day

Len