Load Error ! (XP Home won't boot after install SP2)

[Guest]

I have an Acer Aspire 1362 laptop, about 16 months old running XP Home

I have just re-formatted and re-installed the OS using the recovery discs
supplied. After downloading and installed SP2 the machine went to re-boot but
then displayed a message "Load Error !" "Press any key to re-boot". Hitting
any key, didn't re-boot, it just displayed the same error message.

I have to turn off by using the power button. I repeated the re-format /
reinstall with the recovery discs, but on completion the same "Load Error !"
message appears.

I've tried to get into Safe Mode but this won't load, it just tries to load
normally and with the same error message. I can get into the BIOS but nothing
there really gives me any clues to help.

The manual says you can restore without using a recovery CD (I seem to
recall I did this before) by using Alt+F10 during POST, and going into "Self
Configuration Pre-load" but this doesn't work.

The best I can do is get into Command Prompt, but I don't know if this
helps, or not. It's not really something I know very much about. I've tried
the password that you are supposed to use in Self Configuration Pre-load, but
I just get an error "Bad command or File Name". Funny thing is the page is
headed Windows 98. To my knowledge only XP has ever been loaded. It also says
Windows is bypassing the start-up files.

As things are, I cannot do anything to start the machine again. I'm
wondering if there is any way to do this through Command Prompt. Can anyone
help please ?

I'm assuming this is a software not hardware problem.

 

[Roberto]

I have an Acer Aspire 1362 laptop, about 16 months old running XP Home

I have just re-formatted and re-installed the OS using the recovery discs
supplied. After downloading and installed SP2 the machine went to re-boot
but
then displayed a message "Load Error !" "Press any key to re-boot".
Hitting
any key, didn't re-boot, it just displayed the same error message.

I have to turn off by using the power button. I repeated the re-format /
reinstall with the recovery discs, but on completion the same "Load Error
!"
message appears.

I've tried to get into Safe Mode but this won't load, it just tries to
load
normally and with the same error message. I can get into the BIOS but
nothing
there really gives me any clues to help.

The manual says you can restore without using a recovery CD (I seem to
recall I did this before) by using Alt+F10 during POST, and going into
"Self
Configuration Pre-load" but this doesn't work.

The best I can do is get into Command Prompt, but I don't know if this
helps, or not. It's not really something I know very much about. I've
tried
the password that you are supposed to use in Self Configuration Pre-load,
but
I just get an error "Bad command or File Name". Funny thing is the page is
headed Windows 98. To my knowledge only XP has ever been loaded. It also
says
Windows is bypassing the start-up files.

As things are, I cannot do anything to start the machine again. I'm
wondering if there is any way to do this through Command Prompt. Can
anyone
help please ?

I'm assuming this is a software not hardware problem.

Alt+F10 accesses the hidden Acer restore partition which is FAT32 so
what you see is correct.
Using the restore CD shouldn't have destroyed it to my knowledge,
maybe you should contact Acer support as to why SP2 is missbehaving.

rgds
Roberto

 

[Guest]

Thanks. I've already done that but Acer support is poor. I'm not hopeful of a
reply.