Startup error

[Michael]

Sorry if this the wrong place to be posting this -

My computer will not startup in regular windows (I use
XP Home). I can boot in Safe Mode without a problem but
when I try to boot in 'normal' windows I get the loading
bar and then about the time my computer would normally go
to the select user / login screen a blue screen (of
death?) blinks onto the screen and the computer restarts
itself half a second later - obviously before I can
actually read the error message perhaps allowing me to
understand the problem

Anyway I would really appreciate any help or ideas on
how I can fix this. I figure that being able to boot into
safe mode all is not lost, and there must be some sort of
problem with an aspect of windows that is not used in safe
mode but is in the regular bootup sequence between the
load period and the login screen. Of course my lack of
expertise in the matter makes this little more than a
guess and I could be completely wrong

So please - any help or ideas, has anyone else had
similar occur to them?

Thanks
Michael

 

[Tom Porterfield]

My computer will not startup in regular windows (I use
XP Home). I can boot in Safe Mode without a problem but
when I try to boot in 'normal' windows I get the loading
bar and then about the time my computer would normally go
to the select user / login screen a blue screen (of
death?) blinks onto the screen and the computer restarts
itself half a second later - obviously before I can
actually read the error message perhaps allowing me to
understand the problem

While booted in Safe Mode open the event viewer (found in Control Panel,
Administrative Tools). Look at the system and the application log to see
if info is recorded there on what caused the error.

Anyway I would really appreciate any help or ideas on
how I can fix this. I figure that being able to boot into
safe mode all is not lost, and there must be some sort of
problem with an aspect of windows that is not used in safe
mode but is in the regular bootup sequence between the
load period and the login screen. Of course my lack of
expertise in the matter makes this little more than a
guess and I could be completely wrong

In Safe Mode your startup items are bypassed. While in Safe Mode run
msconfig.exe. Go to the startup tab and remove the check next to all
items. Reboot into normal Windows? Did that fix the problem? If so, run
msconfig again and add the check back to the first item. Reboot again.
Continue this process of adding items back in msconfig one at a time,
rebooting in between, until the problem reappears. When it does, you'll
know that the last item you rechecked in msconfig is very likely suspect.

--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Smart Display
http://home.comcast.net/~tp.porterfield

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