Windows XP did not start successfully

G

Guest

My computer cannot boot up for some reason. Whenever I try to boot it up, the
following text will appear, white words on a black screen:

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

If your computer stopped responding, restarted unexpectedly, or was
automatically shut down to protect your files and folders, choose Last Known
Good Configuration to revert to the most recent settings that worked.

If a previous startup attempt was interrupted due to a power of failure or
because the Power or Reset button was pressed, or if you aren’t sure what
caused the problem, choose Start Windows Normally.

Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked)
Start Windows Normally


I've tried all of the options listed above, but each one will bring me back
to the same black screen with the above text.

I read somewhere to try boot it up using the WIN XP cd and then use the
Recovery Console, however when I inserted my Win XP Professional disc into
the CDRom drive, it doesnt seem to read the disc at all and goes back to the
abovesaid black screen.

Do I need to change the boot sequence in the BIOS before it can read the
disc? Currently my 1st Boot Device is PM-ST3120827AS, and my 2nd Boot Device
is 3M-Sony CD-RW CRX320E.

I am not very technical, so more importantly I would like to ask if what I
am doing or planning to do is in the right direction? Or is there a better
way to solve this problem? I do not want to lose all my data in the hard
disk.

Any help or suggestions is very much appreciated. Thank you!
 
S

spunkygal1979

My computer cannot boot up for some reason. Whenever I try to boot it up, the
following text will appear, white words on a black screen:

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

If your computer stopped responding, restarted unexpectedly, or was
automatically shut down to protect your files and folders, choose Last Known
Good Configuration to revert to the most recent settings that worked.

If a previous startup attempt was interrupted due to a power of failure or
because the Power or Reset button was pressed, or if you aren't sure what
caused the problem, choose Start Windows Normally.

Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked)
Start Windows Normally

I've tried all of the options listed above, but each one will bring me back
to the same black screen with the above text.

I read somewhere to try boot it up using the WIN XP cd and then use the
Recovery Console, however when I inserted my Win XP Professional disc into
the CDRom drive, it doesnt seem to read the disc at all and goes back to the
abovesaid black screen.

Do I need to change the boot sequence in the BIOS before it can read the
disc? Currently my 1st Boot Device is PM-ST3120827AS, and my 2nd Boot Device
is 3M-Sony CD-RW CRX320E.

I am not very technical, so more importantly I would like to ask if what I
am doing or planning to do is in the right direction? Or is there a better
way to solve this problem? I do not want to lose all my data in the hard
disk.

Any help or suggestions is very much appreciated. Thank you!

i would suggest changing the boot order, so that ur cd reads first
then i would put ur disk in the drive and try to get it to boot from
disk
if that works, on the disk is a repair function, but stay away from
recovery console, its too technical for most, you should be able to
reinstall xp straight overtop of itself but once you start the process
you will have to follow the bouncing ball on your way through, but if
all that sounds too hard, see if someone else can explain it better :)
 
G

Guest

I've changed the boot order, and the CD can now be read. However, I do not
see any "repair function".

I'm only given 3 options: 1)To set up Windows XP, press Enter. 2) To repair
a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R. 3) To quit Setup
without installing Windows XP.

I suppose the logical way ahead now is to go to the Recovery Console? I plan
to use the command chkdsk/r, but am wondering if it will potentially destroy
my files on the hard disk? Thanks.
 
R

Rock

MissPillow said:
My computer cannot boot up for some reason. Whenever I try to boot it up,
the
following text will appear, white words on a black screen:

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

If your computer stopped responding, restarted unexpectedly, or was
automatically shut down to protect your files and folders, choose Last
Known
Good Configuration to revert to the most recent settings that worked.

If a previous startup attempt was interrupted due to a power of failure or
because the Power or Reset button was pressed, or if you aren’t sure what
caused the problem, choose Start Windows Normally.

Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked)
Start Windows Normally


I've tried all of the options listed above, but each one will bring me
back
to the same black screen with the above text.

I read somewhere to try boot it up using the WIN XP cd and then use the
Recovery Console, however when I inserted my Win XP Professional disc into
the CDRom drive, it doesnt seem to read the disc at all and goes back to
the
abovesaid black screen.

Do I need to change the boot sequence in the BIOS before it can read the
disc? Currently my 1st Boot Device is PM-ST3120827AS, and my 2nd Boot
Device
is 3M-Sony CD-RW CRX320E.

I am not very technical, so more importantly I would like to ask if what I
am doing or planning to do is in the right direction? Or is there a better
way to solve this problem? I do not want to lose all my data in the hard
disk.

Any help or suggestions is very much appreciated. Thank you!


First question. Is there a full and complete backup of the data on the hard
drive? If not the first thing to do is back it up. Here are some options
for how to do this.

1. Take the drive out of the computer and install it as a slave drive in
another Windows XP or 2000 computer. It should read the drive ok, so you
can copy the data.
2. Create a bootable Bart's PE disk, boot from that, then copy the data to
external USB drive or flash drive.
3. Download a bootable Linux distro called Knoppix. Create a bootable CD
from that, boot from it, and copy the data to USB drive or flash drive, or
if the computer has two CD drives, one of which is a burner, then use the
k3b burning program on the Knoppix CD to burn the data to CD.
4. Take it to a competent computer tech to backup the data.

After the data is backed up, if the drive was installed as a slave drive in
another XP computer, then run a chkdsk /r on the drive. If the check
completes reinstall the drive in the original computer and see if it boots.
If it doesn't look further down in this message.

If it's in the original computer as the boot drive then boot from the XP CD
and take the first R for repair. This will take you to the recovery
console. Enter the number for the windows installation, normally it's "1",
then type in the password for the built in Administrator account. For XP
Home this is normally blank so just hit enter. For XP Pro it's the password
assigned to this account when XP was first installed. This is not the
password for your normal account but for the built in Administrator account.

When it get's to the command prompt type
chkdsk /r
enter

After the disk check is done, exit the recovery console, take out the XP CD
and reboot. If the computer boots, great, if not, boot from the XP CD again
and do a repair install. See this link:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
 
P

Pegasus \(MVP\)

MissPillow said:
My computer cannot boot up for some reason. Whenever I try to boot it up, the
following text will appear, white words on a black screen:

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

If your computer stopped responding, restarted unexpectedly, or was
automatically shut down to protect your files and folders, choose Last Known
Good Configuration to revert to the most recent settings that worked.

If a previous startup attempt was interrupted due to a power of failure or
because the Power or Reset button was pressed, or if you aren't sure what
caused the problem, choose Start Windows Normally.

Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked)
Start Windows Normally


I've tried all of the options listed above, but each one will bring me back
to the same black screen with the above text.

I read somewhere to try boot it up using the WIN XP cd and then use the
Recovery Console, however when I inserted my Win XP Professional disc into
the CDRom drive, it doesnt seem to read the disc at all and goes back to the
abovesaid black screen.

Do I need to change the boot sequence in the BIOS before it can read the
disc? Currently my 1st Boot Device is PM-ST3120827AS, and my 2nd Boot Device
is 3M-Sony CD-RW CRX320E.

I am not very technical, so more importantly I would like to ask if what I
am doing or planning to do is in the right direction? Or is there a better
way to solve this problem? I do not want to lose all my data in the hard
disk.

Any help or suggestions is very much appreciated. Thank you!

After following Rock's excellent advice, ask yourself why
you chose not to back up your important files to an independent
medium once a week or so. Waiting with the backup process
until the machine has failed is bad practice. A 2.5" hard disk in
an external USB case makes an excellent and low-cost backup
medium!
 
U

Uncle Grumpy

MissPillow said:
I'm only given 3 options: 1)To set up Windows XP, press Enter.

Do that. Then keep a keen lookout for the option to repair your
installation.
 
G

Guest

When did your problem start? Be more specific on what happens after you
select one of the boot options.
 
G

Guest

WHAT CAN I DO TO FIX THIS NIGHTMARE, THERE ARE FEW FILES I AM TRYING TO GET
FOR MY JOB...I NEED TO GET TO THE WINDOWS XP SCREEN AND START MY COMPUTER AND
GO THE STAT BUTTON IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN ALL HELP IS NEEDED

MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS (e-mail address removed)

I NEED TO SOLVE MY NIGHTMARE TODAY, APRIL 26, 2007
 
G

Guest

I HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM YOU ARE DESCRIBING, IN MY LAPTOP, I DON'T HAVE
A CD DRIVE, TODAY I PURCHASED AND EXTERNAL CD DRIVE...I HAVE A PROBLEM AND I
NEED TO FILE FOR MY JOB...WHATEVER YOU COULD SUGGEST, RIGHT NOW I NEED HELP
AND LOTS OF IT

MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS: (e-mail address removed)
 
C

CreateWindow

Hi,

Yes, set the BIOS to boot from CD. When you get to the recovery console
prompt, give the command chkdsk /r and exit. The system will re-boot and the
disk will be checked and repaired (unless its a very bad error).
It _may_ then boot up.

If not re-install windows as an upgrade - your files should _may_ be there.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341

If the files a very precious - take your box to a repair shop where the tech
can mount your drive in a test machine and hopefully copy off your files.

Good luck
CreateWindow http://mymessagetaker.com
 
R

Rock

STAN THE MAN said:
I HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM YOU ARE DESCRIBING, IN MY LAPTOP, I DON'T
HAVE
A CD DRIVE, TODAY I PURCHASED AND EXTERNAL CD DRIVE...I HAVE A PROBLEM AND
I
NEED TO FILE FOR MY JOB...WHATEVER YOU COULD SUGGEST, RIGHT NOW I NEED
HELP
AND LOTS OF IT


I suggest you start by reposting your issue as a new thread, not as a reply
to an old thread. In that repost please do not use all CAPs. It's very
hard to read, and is considered rude and shouting.

Include a history of the the problem, what the computer is, the
configuration, what exactly happens or doesn't happen, and what
troubleshooting steps you have tried so far.

Making Good Newsgroup Posts


Note, this is a peer to peer user support newsgroup. The folks who post
here are from around the world so it can take 24-48 hrs for the right person
to see your post and respond. If you are in need of immediate assistance
call someone such the tech support for the computer or a local competent
computer tech.
 

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