q: windows doesn't start up

[Guest]

Hello,

Our home computer has been having problems, which basically amount to
Windows XP not starting up properly. I get up to the point where the
Microsoft logo shows up with a little bar on the bottom moving left-to-right
(on a black background), but after that, the screen turns black and nothing
happens. I can still run safe mode, although occasionally that hangs, too.

We're not sure what triggered the problem. Just before this started to
happen, I seem to recall using Spybot to remove some stuff that the program
detected. Unfortunately, I had forgotten there was a "Recover" option, and
instead just uninstalled the program. We also had XP SP2 downloaded, and I
also uninstalled that, too. Getting rid of Spybot seemed to coincide with the
problem stopping for a while, but it later started up again. A Norton
antivirus scan didn't pick up anything. Eventually, I just decided to try and
reformat the harddisk, but that didn't work either. Looking at the XP FAQ for
similar problems led me to trying the command "fixmbr". That didn't seem to
help either.

Not being particularly good with computers, and not wanting to screw up my
wife's computer even further than I had already, I decided it was time to go
and ask for advice from someone who might actually know what to do. Any
suggestions?

- Chris

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

Try the 'Last Known Good Configuration' option on the same screen as the
access to Safe Mode is.

 

[Guest]

Howdy,

I tried the "Last Known Good Configuration", but that didn't succeed (still
ended up with the blank screen). I also tried using GoBack... but the latest
point it could revert to was always a time after the problem started occuring
(there are no earlier points to try).

Chris

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

If none of those options allow you access to Windows, you will have to try a
'Repair' install of XP. Please have a look at the following article by
Michael Stevens:

"How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install"
http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

 

[Guest]

Will,

Thanks for the link; I probably should have done this first (repair
install), but I instead performed a clean install. I tried to install Windows
on the partition that was already there (perhaps I should have deleted the
partition?). In any case, should I still attempt the repair install (i.e.,
would it possibly fix something that was missed by my earlier attempt to do
the clean install?)

Chris

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

With a 'clean' install you do need to delete the partition. Installing
Windows onto the partition that already holds one installations causes all
kinds of problems - a lot related to the Registry. Have you got 2 Windows
installations on the same hard disk/partition?