System restarting during boot

[Guest]

My system will start, XP boots, and then when I click on user name it says it
is loading personal settings. Then after the music plays it restarts prior
to desktop coming up. Any thoughts. I have run Norton AV at startup and it
says there is no virus in the boot files. I can't get beyond the startup to
accomplish anything else. Could this be a harddrive failing? Thanks for
your help.

Shane

 

[Rich Barry]

Shane, tap F8 repeatedly on next Startup and from Menu select Safe Mode.
If XP boots Ok. Try a System Restore.
If not, you can try a Repair Install. You will need a WinXP CD. Pay
close attention to Step #3
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your feedback. I have tried to boot to Safe Mode, it just locks
up most times. A couple of times I have been able to boot in safe, but then
it shuts down when I try to open a program.

I have thought of using the restore system disk for XP that came with the
computer, just didn't want to risk losing some info that I don't have backed
up. I may just put in another hard drive, load XP and work from there. Any
thoughts?

Thanks again,

Shane

 

[Gollum]

My system will start, XP boots, and then when I click on user name it says it
is loading personal settings. Then after the music plays it restarts prior
to desktop coming up. Any thoughts. I have run Norton AV at startup and it
says there is no virus in the boot files. I can't get beyond the startup to
accomplish anything else. Could this be a harddrive failing? Thanks for
your help.

Shane

Turn off "auto start on system failure" and you will be able to read
the BSOD message ( if there is one). That might help you find out why
it is restarting.

Right click My Computer. Choose advanced tab, third box down is
Startup and recovery. Click settings. In the middle of the dialog box
is "system failure" uncheck "automatically restart"

HTH
Gollum