Windows did not start successfully???

[NewMan]

I have a computer that has recently started to display the following:

"We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start
successfully. A recent hardware or software change might have caused
this."

Ummmm. No. There have been NO hardware or software changes to this
machine.

This does NOT happen every time. It seems to only happen on first boot
of the day when the machine is "cold". When the user selects start
windows normally, then it boots just fine.

There is NOTHING in the system event log. I have used Msinfo32, there
are no clues there either.

I tried setting the "do not auto-restart" flag, but this had no effect
in stopping the machine cold so that errors might be viewed. I have
also checked teh S.M.A.R.T. info from the hard disk and there are NO
errors reported. So WTF is going on? Over the next few days I am going
to do an intense RAM test as well as some serious disk diagnostics.

I have seen numerous threads that say you should do a repair or
upgrade install of WinXP. I hesitate to do his. I will if I have to,
but I would like to know what the h-e-double hockey sticks happened
that I start gettting this error all of a sudden. I don't like the
mentality of "just re-install and maybe it wont happen again" -
especially since this is the Big Bosses computer, and he is an
Engineer that cannot aford any significant "down time".

Anyone?

 

[Guest]

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[Malke]

I have a computer that has recently started to display the following:

"We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start
successfully. A recent hardware or software change might have caused
this."

Ummmm. No. There have been NO hardware or software changes to this
machine.

This does NOT happen every time. It seems to only happen on first boot
of the day when the machine is "cold". When the user selects start
windows normally, then it boots just fine.

There is NOTHING in the system event log. I have used Msinfo32, there
are no clues there either.

I tried setting the "do not auto-restart" flag, but this had no effect
in stopping the machine cold so that errors might be viewed. I have
also checked teh S.M.A.R.T. info from the hard disk and there are NO
errors reported. So WTF is going on? Over the next few days I am going
to do an intense RAM test as well as some serious disk diagnostics.

I have seen numerous threads that say you should do a repair or
upgrade install of WinXP. I hesitate to do his. I will if I have to,
but I would like to know what the h-e-double hockey sticks happened
that I start gettting this error all of a sudden. I don't like the
mentality of "just re-install and maybe it wont happen again" -
especially since this is the Big Bosses computer, and he is an
Engineer that cannot aford any significant "down time".

Anyone?

Yes, I would test the RAM but I'd also swap out the power supply for a
known-working one. I would thoroughly test the hardware before doing
anything with the software (Windows). Based on your symptoms, it is far
more likely to be failing hardware than a problem with Windows.

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Hardware_Troubleshooting

Malke

 

[NewMan]

Yes, I would test the RAM but I'd also swap out the power supply for a
known-working one. I would thoroughly test the hardware before doing
anything with the software (Windows). Based on your symptoms, it is far
more likely to be failing hardware than a problem with Windows.

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Hardware_Troubleshooting

Malke

I would not have thought about the power supply. Then again, I have
been lucky up 'til now and have not had one go bad. I did have some
caps goe bad on a motherboard, but that is a different story

And I agree, far to many people are willing to blame windows as the
problem. Many years ago I set up an NT4 Server. That thing was such a
rock that whenerver there was problems I learned to check the hardware
first ecause 9 times out of 10, it was a hardware problem!

And since W2K and WinXP are largely built on NT technology, I am
inclined to consider them fairly solid - especially in the case where
a system like this was built, tested, and deployed and has been
running for owver 2 years without so much as a peep in the problem
department.

Fortunately, I have some spares of the exact system as we order 4 at
the same time, and two are currently idle. So I will swap out the P/S
after the RAM test, and see if that cures it. P/S are inexpensive
anyways, so it is not the worst that could happen.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks.

 

[NewMan]

OK, more clues...

Memory Testing is going OK so far, just two tests left.

But The computer "stopped" today!

Stop Error 7F

with the following 0X00000008, and 0XF7AF3D70

Wat I have done is to flash the motherboard with the latest BIOS since
it was about 5 versions out of date. I also noticed that the nVidia
driver that was loaded was hopelessly out of date, so I installed the
one that was released a couple of weeks back. Also made sure that
WinXP Critical updates were loaded.

We shall see if the computer "stops" again.

If it does, I am thinking either P/S or Video Card.

Any other words of wisdom?

Thanks

 

[Malke]

OK, more clues...

Memory Testing is going OK so far, just two tests left.

But The computer "stopped" today!

Stop Error 7F

with the following 0X00000008, and 0XF7AF3D70

Wat I have done is to flash the motherboard with the latest BIOS since
it was about 5 versions out of date. I also noticed that the nVidia
driver that was loaded was hopelessly out of date, so I installed the
one that was released a couple of weeks back. Also made sure that
WinXP Critical updates were loaded.

We shall see if the computer "stops" again.

If it does, I am thinking either P/S or Video Card.

Just what I already told you. I would have swapped out the psu first
rather than do a BIOS flash. In troubleshooting, we techs always do the
easy (and less dangerous) stuff first.

If memory, psu, and hard drive are good then look to overheating and/or
the processor and/or the motherboard itself.

Malke

 

[NewMan]

Just an update...

So far so good. No Stop Errors since the BIOS Flash. Since the boss
was getting errors at least 3 or 4 times a week, I think the problem
is solved - at least for now.

If we can go for a whole month without a stop error, then I will
consider this issue closed. But I have a P/S on stand-by - just in
case.