Hi "ZenMasta"
I feel your pain..
I too have been suckered in to the "ya better load the latest security
patch" trap
and/or
WinWoes will blungeon you in your sleep if you don't upgrade IE.
Actually, without the latest and greatest IE - the application that scans
your computer for updates complains...
As you just found out though, getting all the latest fixes - ?may? actually
fix sumthun some where...
But,
It can, also, cause problems greater than what the fixes were supposed to
fix....
Welcome to the wunnerful world of WinWoes.
What say you and me take an oath.
If the damn thing works - don't fix it.
We'll both be alot happier.
You are really screwed here.
Without a bootable disk, you can't get the reboot loop to stop.
No body gets real for real boot CDs, DVD's etc.
Everything comes preinstalled.
All the maintainence updates download off the web.
When it all tanks there is no square one to return to.
You can't even rebuild your system from scratch.
hmm...
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
As screwy as it sounds... you may still be able to thwart to loop.
Plan A
What you are going to have to do is really piss off the machine.
WinWoes has about 17 different degrees of "off."
Most of them are just kinda offs - not really off... (standby, power down,
sleep mode)
Just because the screen is dark, the computer is dark - and, nothing lights
up on the keyboard - that doesn't mean that the critter is actually dead.
What you have to shoot for is a completely dead off...
Try pulling the plug.
Recently with all my fixes, updates, and upgrades my machine would lock up...
The only way to unlock the keyboard was a complete power down.
Ya may have to leave it off for 15 or 20 seconds.
If there is a printer, back up drive, externally power USB device - shut
them all down.
You don't want power to back feed from any other device.
If you are lucky - the system is intializing from a false state.
The the external devices can't provide enough power to run the pc... but,
they can trickle enough power back in to confuse the CPU - it's may not know
where to start in the boot cycle.
If it's a laptop, pull the battery.
Plan B
Check and make sure the removable disk bays are empty.
Try opening and closing the disk bays while the loop is cycling (assuming
Plan A failed)
This can trip the boot cycle in to looking for a bootable disk.
Plan C
Stick a non bootable disk in your boot drive.
That should break the loop.
It'll have to stop long enough to complain.
Plan D
Hit F2 has the reboot cycle goes by...
Maybe a side trip thru the BIOS will reveal sumthun.
Plan E
Keep trying Safe Mode...
Simple is supposed to be better...
I used it a time or two.
It dumps you to a devestated desktop - but, that can be better than nothing.
BTW
The problem may not be related to the WinWoes updates and patches..
Probably, - but, not definately.
Hulu is running some copywrite protection on some video files.
The FLVs in the latest HD may not play at all.
If you are running share ware to crack the encryption, you may be looking at
a manifested conflict between WinWoes and the Kamikazi code in the shareware.
If these machines were designed by sane people, simply turning off the
machines would clear the problem.
Unfortunately, since USB and Plug-and-Pray came along, went a systems
crashes significantly in can effect stored values for all those danging
external hardware devices.
Hm..
Plan F
Unplug everything non- essential... even the network connection...
This will throw a world of hurt to the system for missing hardware devices.
Kind of a do-it-yourself safe-mode.
Without having to deal with loading all the peripheral drivers, maybe it's
let you get to the desktop.
If you make it, try restarting a couple of times.
Then add peripherals one at a time.
If you ever get back online, try running some diagnostics and/or
maintainence applications.
Advanced System Care
IObit 360
Desktop Maestro.
Windows Cleaner.
Anything to sniff out the psychotic conflicts.
