Start up problem

[tesssi]

Hi all,

I am in no way, shape or form a computer wizard, so i need HELP!
PLEASE. Everyday when i start my computer it freezes on the "Windows"
blue screen until i hit a key (any key) then it goes on to the desktop.
If i hit the escape key when it's frozen i get that black screen with
set up menu on it. My computer used to just start right up and go to
the desktop on it's own, until i cleaned the keyboard and obviously
messed something up. I couldn't seem to explain this to the hp center
support person. I am running windows xp service pack 2. I also can't
seem to install flash but that is another problem.

Thanks
Theresa

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Tess

If you cleaned the keyboard it could be irreparably damaged.
Borrow another keyboard and see if the computer boots
properly. If it does buy a new keyboard.

If you need to use a Compressed Air Duster.
http://www.computercleanusa.com/duster.asp

You can access Event Viewer by selecting Start, Administrative Tools,
Event Viewer. When researching the meaning of the error, information
regarding Event ID, Source and Description are important.

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308427&Product=winxp

A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double
click on the error you want to copy. In the window, which appears is a
button resembling two pages. Double click the button and close Event
Viewer. Now start your message (email) and do a paste into the body of
the message. This will paste the info from the Event Viewer Error
Report. Make sure this is the first paste after exiting from Event
Viewer.

If it doesn't start disable automatic restart on system failure. This
should help by allowing time to write down the STOP code properly.
Keep pressing the F8 key during Start-Up and select option - Disable
automatic restart on system failure.

Do not re-enable automatic restart on system failure until you have
resolved the problem. Check for variants of the Stop Error message.



--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[chusy]

Thanks for the tips Gerry. But i don't think it is my keyboard. I
think i unknowingly changed a setting when i cleaned my keyboard.
Previously, i could turn the tower on each morning, walk away while it
booted up and went to my desktop, but not anymore. Now it freezes at
the "Windows screen" until i press a key, then it boots up. I'm just
sure i must have changed a setting. Hell i dunno. how would i even
have it professionally fixed? There is so much crap on my computer I
don't even know where to start to look. Ugh.

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Tess

Read the rest of my message after Compressed Air Duster
and carry out the suggestions and report back. The message
was intended to help you diagnose what the problem is. It is
how I would start the process.

--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[chusy]

I can't find "administrative tools." ?

Tess

Read the rest of my message after Compressed Air Duster
and carry out the suggestions and report back. The message
was intended to help you diagnose what the problem is. It is
how I would start the process.

--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Please try Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools,
Event Viewer. You get variations depending how
the user has customised his set up.



--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Tim Judd]

I can't find "administrative tools." ?

I apparently missed some of the original messages, I apologize if it's
been duplicated here.


Two suggestions:

Can you boot into safe mode? Can you toggle the boot logging? (F8,
choose boot logging).

If you can toggle boot logging, turn that feature on, and let it sit
(frozen) for a few minutes.

Boot to safe mode (hopefully long enough to read C:\bootlog.txt) and
find what's stopping it.

Safe mode also shoves all the files it's loading, as it's loading them.
Anything that sits, can be a likely culprit...but safe mode cuts out
the fluff that normal boot gives you. Boot logging does a "normal" boot
but shows you via that text file what's going on.

Before proceeding, I would suggest this (before any "fixes" to be
applied) -- the fixes that I'm thinking of can possibly "move" your data
around.

Good luck, report back.

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Tim

The problem is that the error stops it logging
and you often do not see what is that stops it,
only what went before.


--

Regards.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Rock]

Can you boot into safe mode? Can you toggle the boot logging? (F8,
choose boot logging).

If you can toggle boot logging, turn that feature on, and let it sit
(frozen) for a few minutes.

Boot to safe mode (hopefully long enough to read C:\bootlog.txt) and find
what's stopping it.

Safe mode also shoves all the files it's loading, as it's loading them.

What exactly does "shoves all the files it's loading , as it's loading them"
mean?

<snip>