Windows XP Startup Problem

[Guest]

I'm running XP SP2 and have been for awhile with no problems. Over the last
couple of weeks, there have been a few times when the system stops responding
during boot. It starts normally, then stops when it gets to the XP Logo
screen.
The blue progress bar keeps moving but no HD activity and a dead keyboard and
mouse. To get around this, I can boot to safe mode and restore the system to
a previous setting, usually the previous day. Then it works fine for a few
days. This has happened several times in the last 2 weeks. No new
hardware/software has been installed. I've run virus and spyware scans with
no hits. I've tried many things but no luck. Any ideas???

 

[Guest]

Over time I've run into problems similar to yours. If you're comfortable
with supporting your own hardware, I would recommend first an foremost taking
the simple approach no matter what. Clean up your system. A can of
compressed air can do wonders not only to clean out your system, but also to
improve heat distribution. If you're sure that your hardware is up to par,
and everything is seated correctly (PCI card, Mem, etc.), I would recommend
unplugging any misc. USB devices you may have connected. I know it's seems
tedious, but troobleshooting usually is. Ultimately, after isolating common
hardware hang-ups, I would recommend booting your Windows XP CD-ROM and
fixing your current installation. I good backup, if your able to do so,
should be done before making any major changes to your configuration.