windows xp pro refuses to load normally

[Godswatch]

Hi,
My windows xp pro starts loading and then seems to hang and the computer
restarts with my monitor going off and then on again. When it restarts it
goes into the screen giving me the option of safe mode, etc, normal mode. If
I pick normal mode the same thing happens, it starts to load xp, then it
blanks and restarts. Safe mode works fine and even safe mode with
networking. I tried AVG antivirus, nothing, tried system restore, nothing.

This started while at the msn webpage. I clicked a link and the monitor
suddenly went black. It then came back on and then black once more and that
was it. I turned off my internet connection. Shortly after the computer
restarted and the problem above started. Please help! I have no clue!
Thanks
Carlos

 

[Daave]

Hi,
My windows xp pro starts loading and then seems to hang and the
computer
restarts with my monitor going off and then on again. When it
restarts it
goes into the screen giving me the option of safe mode, etc, normal
mode. If
I pick normal mode the same thing happens, it starts to load xp, then
it
blanks and restarts. Safe mode works fine and even safe mode with
networking. I tried AVG antivirus, nothing, tried system restore,
nothing.

That could be the effects of malware or an incompatibility of some kind,
perhaps caused by some software update or faulty hardware driver.

This started while at the msn webpage. I clicked a link and the
monitor
suddenly went black.

What link did you click on?

It then came back on and then black once more and that
was it. I turned off my internet connection. Shortly after the
computer
restarted and the problem above started. Please help! I have no clue!

When you are in Safe Mode, try running Windows System Restore, selecting
a date right before this all happened. For reference:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306084

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/getstarted/ballew_03may19.mspx

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial56.html

 

[Godswatch]

Hi Daave,
Thanks for answering. I already tried system restore with no improvement.
The link was a celebrity news something or other.
I dont remember performing any recent updates, hardware or software except
my AVG and AVAST antivirus updates.

What should I try next?

Carlos

 

[Daave]

Hi Daave,
Thanks for answering. I already tried system restore with no
improvement. The link was a celebrity news something or other.
I dont remember performing any recent updates, hardware or software
except my AVG and AVAST antivirus updates.

What should I try next?

Are all your drivers up to date?

When you tried System Restore, did you go back far enough?

Another option in F8 is Last Known Good Configuration. Did you try that?

You should disable the automatic rebooting. While in Safe Mode, try
this:

Right-click My Computer | Properties | Advanced | Startup and Recovery
Settings:

Uncheck the box next to "Automatically restart."

Then, OK. OK.

Next time, instead of a reboot, you'll get a blue screen. Write down
*all* the information and post back with it.

I see you run *both* AVG and Avast. That can be messy. Are they both
running in the background? If so, they are probably conflicting with one
another.

It's still quite possible you have some type of malware (in fact, that's
probably your problem). I would run Malwarebytes' AntiMalware in Safe
Mode. (SUPERAntiSpyware is also recommended.) Other malware-fighting
information can be found here:

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

You'll see a link for David Lipman's Multi-AV, which can be very
beneficial and thorough.

What is the make and model of your PC? What method were you given to
restore it to its original condition? XP installation disk?
Recovery/Restore disk? Or hidden recovery partition on your hard drive?

 

[Godswatch]

Hi Daave,
sorry for the delay in posting, Ive been trying some of the things you
mentioned and they worked, but now the pc died again and is doing the same
thing again. Here are the details:
I ran the malware bytes program and it found 29 infections. Once they were
all removed the computer worked on the next boot up. I used it for 2 days,
updated windows, avg, malware programs, erased avast antivirus. Then
yesterday I installed and used dvd fab program. Everything was fine until I
loaded up Call of Duty 4 to play and then the computer just froze the moment
I started the game. I tried to end the program but eventually after several
key strokes the computer completely locked. I rebooted and back to square
one. windows xp starts to load, then hangs and the computer reboots and pops
up the choose an option screen: safe mode +- networking, previous config,
etc. I ran AVG, malware bytes, superantispyware, no infections found yet the
computer still doesnt work. In regards to your previous questions, here are
the answers:

Are all your drivers up to date?

Yes, as far as I know.

When you tried System Restore, did you go back far enough?

I did, no luck.

Another option in F8 is Last Known Good Configuration. Did you try that?

Yep, no luck.

You should disable the automatic rebooting. While in Safe Mode, try
this: Right-click My Computer | Properties | Advanced | Startup and Recovery
Settings: Uncheck the box next to "Automatically restart." Then, OK. OK. Next time, instead of a reboot, you'll get a blue screen. Write down
*all* the information and post back with it.

No blue screen at all. Instead the computer just hangs. My screen is
black, the tower is on, but no blinking lights, no hard drives running,
definitely no blue screen.

I see you run *both* AVG and Avast. That can be messy. Are they both
running in the background? If so, they are probably conflicting with one
another.

I removed Avast from the computer. Had to actually erase the folder because
I couldnt find it under uninstall programs.

It's still quite possible you have some type of malware (in fact, that's
probably your problem). I would run Malwarebytes' AntiMalware in Safe
Mode. (SUPERAntiSpyware is also recommended.)

I did, malwarebytes did the trick 3 days ago and the computer started
working great. And then yesterday it died again and none of the programs
find anything new infected.

What is the make and model of your PC?

Cyberpowerpc.com, AMD

What method were you given to

restore it to its original condition?

Recovery/Restore disk from cyberpower, which I think has an xp recovery or
installation app on it, I havent used it yet.

Thanks

Carlos

 

[Daave]

Hi Daave,
sorry for the delay in posting, Ive been trying some of the things you
mentioned and they worked, but now the pc died again and is doing the
same thing again. Here are the details:
I ran the malware bytes program and it found 29 infections. Once
they were all removed the computer worked on the next boot up.

Depending on what those "infections" were (perhaps they were just
tracking cookies!), your PC's improvement *might* have been
conincidental. Or perhaps a significant bit of malware was temporarily
removed but it came back. Did you run MBAM in Safe Mode?

I
used it for 2 days, updated windows, avg, malware programs, erased
avast antivirus.
"Erased"?

Then yesterday I installed and used dvd fab
program. Everything was fine until I loaded up Call of Duty 4 to
play and then the computer just froze the moment I started the game.

Seems you're not alone:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q="call+of+duty+4"+freezes

I tried to end the program but eventually after several key strokes
the computer completely locked. I rebooted and back to square one.
windows xp starts to load, then hangs and the computer reboots and
pops up the choose an option screen: safe mode +- networking,
previous config, etc. I ran AVG, malware bytes, superantispyware, no
infections found yet the computer still doesnt work.

I'm leaning toward Call of Duty 4 as the culprit.

In regards to
your previous questions, here are the answers:


Yes, as far as I know.


I did, no luck.

Yep, no luck.


No blue screen at all. Instead the computer just hangs. My screen is
black, the tower is on, but no blinking lights, no hard drives
running, definitely no blue screen.

Could be bad hardware or something in Windows became corrupt. Malware
might be a factor, too.

When you turn on your PC, are you able to enter the BIOS setup?

I removed Avast from the computer. Had to actually erase the folder
because I couldnt find it under uninstall programs.

Not good!

You should reinstall it and then uninstall it in order to remove all
traces. This page might help:

http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-uninstall-utility.html

What method were you given to

Recovery/Restore disk from cyberpower, which I think has an xp
recovery or installation app on it, I havent used it yet.

I would do that only as a last result. At least the option is there.

If your problem is the result of a corrupted registry, see this page for
a method to perform a manual System Restore of Windows:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

If you need to run Recovery Console and don't have it, you may use the
CD mentioned here:

http://tips.vlaurie.com/2006/05/23/recovery-console-for-those-without-an-xp-disk/

If your problem is hardware-related, this page has useful information:

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

 

[Godswatch]

Hi Daave,

So Ive gotten the computer to work 3 more times but after several days it
goes back to not loading windows xp and rebooting. After running updated
versions of AVG, malware bytes, and superantispyware it was still not
working. I did registry cleaning with ccleaner, still nothing. I
re-installed and de-installed avast, still nothing. Finally I performed
chkdsk c: /f and the computer worked for 5 days or so. It then died again.
I then tried chkdsk c: /r and it worked for fifteen minutes. Then the screen
went black, came back on, went black, and then returned with colored vertical
lines. It then returned and several seconds later the computer froze and
completely rebooted, except it again did not load windows xp. I retried
chkdsk c: /f with no success this time. I am able to enter the BIOS setup
menus and as always safe mode, even safe mode with networking. I really
think that Im going to try the recovery disk next because the registry
editing and such is a little too advanced for me. Any other suggestions
before I give this a try? Thanks for all your help.

Carlos

 

[Randall Flagg]

menus and as always safe mode, even safe mode with networking. I really
think that Im going to try the recovery disk next because the registry
editing and such is a little too advanced for me.

Do yourself and others a big favor and go for it.

 

[Daave]

(repost)

Hi Daave,

So Ive gotten the computer to work 3 more times but after several
days it goes back to not loading windows xp and rebooting. After
running updated versions of AVG, malware bytes, and superantispyware
it was still not working. I did registry cleaning with ccleaner,
still nothing. I re-installed and de-installed avast, still nothing.
Finally I performed chkdsk c: /f and the computer worked for 5 days
or so. It then died again. I then tried chkdsk c: /r and it worked
for fifteen minutes. Then the screen went black, came back on, went
black, and then returned with colored vertical lines. It then
returned and several seconds later the computer froze and completely
rebooted, except it again did not load windows xp. I retried chkdsk
c: /f with no success this time.

Sounds like a hardware issue.

I am able to enter the BIOS setup menus

Huh?

There's something very wrong if you can't do that. At the very least,
you would probably need to do this if you want to boot off a CD. What is
the proper key to press? Are you presing it immediately after turning on
the PC (before Windows has a chance to boot)?

and as always safe mode, even safe mode with networking. I
really think that Im going to try the recovery disk next because the
registry editing and such is a little too advanced for me. Any other
suggestions before I give this a try? Thanks for all your help.

If you haven't already saved your data, now is the time to do so. One
way is to remove the hard drive and either place it a USB enclosure or
inside another PC as a slave. Either way, you'll need another PC.

If you can enter the BIOS and change boot priority so that you can boot
off the CD-ROM drive, you can boot with a rescue CD, such as Knoppix
(that's the easiest one to create) or Bart PE or UBCD4Win. Then you may
copy your data. One way is to an external hard drive. Or across a
network to another PC. You can even use the Knoppix environment to surf
Web pages for a while to see if the problem comes back. If it does, then
you know it's definitely a malware problem.

Once this is done, I would try the hardware troubleshooting techniques
from Malke's Web page I referenced earlier:

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

Then let us know the status of your hardware. RAM would be the first
thing I test.

 

[Godswatch]

Hi Daave,

So after a month of testing and trying new things, Im still back at square
one.

I tested my ram, cpu, and hard disk, all are good using memtest, ubcd4,
tufftest.
I reseated my ram chips, the video card, checked all connections, fans, etc.
I finally gave up and reformatted my hard drive and did a clean install of
windows xp with sp2 and only my basic drivers. I havent even installed
windows updates yet.

Well, the problem is back but I have isolated it to my video drivers.
I have an AMD athlon 64x dual core with an nvidia geforce 7950 gx2 video
card from evga. The moment I install the video drivers and reboot the
computer it will hit the windows xp splash screen and then reboot. It
continues this endless reboot loop until I enter safe mode and uninstall the
nvidia display drivers specifically (my motherboard has nvidia drivers and
these seem to be ok). I then reboot my computer and it loads perfectly well
into windows desktop but obviously without the
resolution and graphic capabilities that my video card would allow if it was
working. I tried using the driver cd provided by evga when I bought the pc
as well as downloaded the latest set of drivers. Same prob.
Any new ideas?????

Carlos

 

[SC Tom]

Hi Daave,

So after a month of testing and trying new things, Im still back at square
one.

I tested my ram, cpu, and hard disk, all are good using memtest, ubcd4,
tufftest.
I reseated my ram chips, the video card, checked all connections, fans,
etc.
I finally gave up and reformatted my hard drive and did a clean install of
windows xp with sp2 and only my basic drivers. I havent even installed
windows updates yet.

Well, the problem is back but I have isolated it to my video drivers.
I have an AMD athlon 64x dual core with an nvidia geforce 7950 gx2 video
card from evga. The moment I install the video drivers and reboot the
computer it will hit the windows xp splash screen and then reboot. It
continues this endless reboot loop until I enter safe mode and uninstall
the
nvidia display drivers specifically (my motherboard has nvidia drivers and
these seem to be ok). I then reboot my computer and it loads perfectly
well
into windows desktop but obviously without the
resolution and graphic capabilities that my video card would allow if it
was
working. I tried using the driver cd provided by evga when I bought the
pc
as well as downloaded the latest set of drivers. Same prob.
Any new ideas?????

Carlos

Does your motherboard have an onboard video card also? If so, have you tried
removing the Evga card and seeing if you have the same problem? Or, have you
made sure the onboard video is disabled before trying to boot with the Evga
card installed?

SC Tom

 

[Godswatch]

Im not sure if my motherboard has an onboard video card. It is a Asus M2n32
board. If it does, how do I disable the onboard card?

Carlos

 

[Nate Grossman]

Im not sure if my motherboard has an onboard video card. It is a Asus M2n32
board. If it does, how do I disable the onboard card?

Did the computer come with the geforce 7950 card already installed, or
did you install it?

 

[Godswatch]

Yes, I bought the computer about 2 years ago and havent changed anything. It
was working just fine until about a month ago when the splash screen reboot
problem began.

 

[Nate Grossman]

Yes, I bought the computer about 2 years ago and havent changed anything. It
was working just fine until about a month ago when the splash screen reboot
problem began.

Then it doesn't have onboard video.

 

[Nate Grossman]

Yes, I bought the computer about 2 years ago and havent changed anything. It
was working just fine until about a month ago when the splash screen reboot
problem began.

Disregard my previous post. The fact that it came with that video
card installed doesn't mean a thing, because the board just might have
had onboard video anyway, but had it disabled.

However, I just looked up that motherboard specs: no onboard video.

 

[Daave]

Hi Daave,

So after a month of testing and trying new things, Im still back at
square one.

I tested my ram, cpu, and hard disk, all are good using memtest,
ubcd4, tufftest.
I reseated my ram chips, the video card, checked all connections,
fans, etc. I finally gave up and reformatted my hard drive and did a
clean install of windows xp with sp2 and only my basic drivers. I
havent even installed windows updates yet.

Well, the problem is back but I have isolated it to my video drivers.
I have an AMD athlon 64x dual core with an nvidia geforce 7950 gx2
video card from evga. The moment I install the video drivers and
reboot the computer it will hit the windows xp splash screen and then
reboot. It continues this endless reboot loop until I enter safe
mode and uninstall the nvidia display drivers specifically (my
motherboard has nvidia drivers and these seem to be ok). I then
reboot my computer and it loads perfectly well into windows desktop
but obviously without the
resolution and graphic capabilities that my video card would allow if
it was working. I tried using the driver cd provided by evga when I
bought the pc as well as downloaded the latest set of drivers. Same
prob.
Any new ideas?????

Carlos

Hi, Carlos. I had forgotten about you and had to go to Google Groups to
refresh my memory!

Rule out whether or not your motherboard has onboard video. If it
doesn't, there's probably either something wrong with the driver or with
the video card itself. Or there might be some kind of conflict with
Windows (or perhaps with some other hardware component). When did this
problem start? Was it perhaps after some kind of upgrade -- hardware or
software (e.g., a Windows update). Have you ever used Windows Update for
drivers? (You're not supposed to.) What Service Pack level are you at?
Can you post a link to the specific driver(s) you downloaded?

If you are able to swap the graphics card for a different one, I'd be
curious to know the outcome.

Since you have a hardware issue, I think you should also seek out
information from a hardware group. You will notice my post has been
crossposted to:

microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware

 

[Schloicka]

Try disableing the onboard video if motherboard has it.

 

[Schloicka]

Here is a link to the mother boards that support your video card. Maybe card
isn't compatible with motherboard?
http://www.nvidia.com/content/geforce_gx2_sbios/us.asp

 

[Andrew E.]

You'd be wasting youre time checking out the hd with a 3rd party software
utility,the only software that qualifies is the hd mfg MS-DOS utility,you
install
to a MS-DOS floppy,boot pc to floppy.Also,ever chk youre BIOS for the
settings
to the video-card,also,get youre drivers/software from nvidia web site.Ever
install the chipset utility for the MB.