Windows XP Won't Load

[Christy]

I am hoping that somebody can help me as I freeze in cold and stormy Scotland.

I was doing some online shopping, clearing email etc. and was in the process
of closing windows browser pages when suddenly the screen went black and the
computer then tried to restart. When it rebooted, instead of the usual
desktop I had a black page with the following message:

-------------------------------
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 start up attempt was interrupted due to a power 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
------------------------------

Initially I tried ‘Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings
that worked)’ but the computer restarted and came back with exactly the same
screen. I then tried ‘Start Windows Normally’ and the same thing happened and
I then tried ‘Safe Mode with Command Prompt’ which yet again rebooted to the
screen above.

I am hopeless with computers but I trawled through the Help pages looking
for inspiration or a miracle and the best I could come up with was pressing
the F8 key during the next start up. This took me to the Windows Advanced
Options Menu which offered me similar choices to the original error screen. I
tried ‘Start Windows Normally’ and was presented with the following screen:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
Trap 00000006 = = = = = = = = = = = exception = = = = = = = = = =
tr = 0028 cr0 = 80000011 cr2 = 00000000 cr3 = 00039000
gdt limit = 03FF base = 003F000 idt limit = 07FF base = 0003F400

cs: eip = 0008:0040737F ss: esp = 0010:0005F95C errcode = 0000

There was no instruction so I manually switched off the computer and tried
again – Back to square one!! I have tried restarting with and without using
F8 key and choosing the previous selections with absolutely no success. The
best I get now is a long list of files relating mainly to system32\drivers
and then reverts to the original message.

If anybody thinks they can help me then I will be extremely grateful for the
assistance. I am sending this request from another computer and will ask if I
can use it again tomorrow to see if there are any knights in shining armour
out there.

All the best,

Christy

 

[Mark Adams]

I am hoping that somebody can help me as I freeze in cold and stormy Scotland.

I was doing some online shopping, clearing email etc. and was in the process
of closing windows browser pages when suddenly the screen went black and the
computer then tried to restart. When it rebooted, instead of the usual
desktop I had a black page with the following message:

-------------------------------
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 start up attempt was interrupted due to a power 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
------------------------------

Initially I tried ‘Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings
that worked)’ but the computer restarted and came back with exactly the same
screen. I then tried ‘Start Windows Normally’ and the same thing happened and
I then tried ‘Safe Mode with Command Prompt’ which yet again rebooted to the
screen above.

I am hopeless with computers but I trawled through the Help pages looking
for inspiration or a miracle and the best I could come up with was pressing
the F8 key during the next start up. This took me to the Windows Advanced
Options Menu which offered me similar choices to the original error screen. I
tried ‘Start Windows Normally’ and was presented with the following screen:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
Trap 00000006 = = = = = = = = = = = exception = = = = = = = = = =
tr = 0028 cr0 = 80000011 cr2 = 00000000 cr3 = 00039000
gdt limit = 03FF base = 003F000 idt limit = 07FF base = 0003F400

cs: eip = 0008:0040737F ss: esp = 0010:0005F95C errcode = 0000

There was no instruction so I manually switched off the computer and tried
again – Back to square one!! I have tried restarting with and without using
F8 key and choosing the previous selections with absolutely no success. The
best I get now is a long list of files relating mainly to system32\drivers
and then reverts to the original message.

If anybody thinks they can help me then I will be extremely grateful for the
assistance. I am sending this request from another computer and will ask if I
can use it again tomorrow to see if there are any knights in shining armour
out there.

All the best,

Christy

This sounds like a hardware failure. Take the hard drive out and slave it
into another computer and see if you can read your data on the drive. If you
can, copy it off onto the host machine's drive, or onto a USB external drive.
If you can't read the drive, it has likely failed.

Download and burn to CD, memtest86+ Boot the machine from the disk you just
created, and let it run for at least 6 passes. This might take several hours-
let it run over night. If any of the RAM tests bad, replace it.

If the hard drive is good, after you have copied your data off, put it back
into the affected machine.

Download and create a Knoppix live Linnux CD and boot the machine with the
Knoppix disk. If the hard drive is good and your RAM is good, but the Knoppix
disk won't load or run; then you have some other failure likely somewhere on
the mainboard. At least you'll know that your data is now safe.

 

[Lem]

I am hoping that somebody can help me as I freeze in cold and stormy Scotland.

I was doing some online shopping, clearing email etc. and was in the process
of closing windows browser pages when suddenly the screen went black and the
computer then tried to restart. When it rebooted, instead of the usual
desktop I had a black page with the following message:

-------------------------------
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 start up attempt was interrupted due to a power 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
------------------------------

Initially I tried ‘Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings
that worked)’ but the computer restarted and came back with exactly the same
screen. I then tried ‘Start Windows Normally’ and the same thing happened and
I then tried ‘Safe Mode with Command Prompt’ which yet again rebooted to the
screen above.

I am hopeless with computers but I trawled through the Help pages looking
for inspiration or a miracle and the best I could come up with was pressing
the F8 key during the next start up. This took me to the Windows Advanced
Options Menu which offered me similar choices to the original error screen. I
tried ‘Start Windows Normally’ and was presented with the following screen:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
Trap 00000006 = = = = = = = = = = = exception = = = = = = = = = =
tr = 0028 cr0 = 80000011 cr2 = 00000000 cr3 = 00039000
gdt limit = 03FF base = 003F000 idt limit = 07FF base = 0003F400

cs: eip = 0008:0040737F ss: esp = 0010:0005F95C errcode = 0000

There was no instruction so I manually switched off the computer and tried
again – Back to square one!! I have tried restarting with and without using
F8 key and choosing the previous selections with absolutely no success. The
best I get now is a long list of files relating mainly to system32\drivers
and then reverts to the original message.

If anybody thinks they can help me then I will be extremely grateful for the
assistance. I am sending this request from another computer and will ask if I
can use it again tomorrow to see if there are any knights in shining armour
out there.

All the best,

Christy

Unless you have a laptop with a working battery, what probably happened
is that you had a brief power failure (you said it was cold and stormy
Scotland) while Windows was working on a system file. If this is the
case, there are "relatively simple" methods to recover your system but
they require that you have the Windows XP CD (not a "recovery" CD that
comes with some name-brand computers) or some other specialized recovery
tools.

Given your self-description as "hopeless with computers," I suggest that
your best course of action is to exchange some of your money for your
time and potential aggravation and take your computer to a *competent*
local repair shop. Ask around. If you were in the USA, I'd tell you to
avoid self-advertised "geeks" and similar chain store operations, but I
don't know anything about computer repair shops in Scotland.

If you do have a laptop, then the power-fail scenario isn't as likely
and you may have had a hardware failure. In this case, I even more
strongly suggest that you go to a competent local repair shop.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Unless you have a laptop with a working battery, what probably happened
is that you had a brief power failure (you said it was cold and stormy
Scotland) while Windows was working on a system file. If this is the
case, there are "relatively simple" methods to recover your system but
they require that you have the Windows XP CD (not a "recovery" CD that
comes with some name-brand computers) or some other specialized recovery
tools.

Given your self-description as "hopeless with computers," I suggest that
your best course of action is to exchange some of your money for your
time and potential aggravation and take your computer to a *competent*
local repair shop. Ask around. If you were in the USA, I'd tell you to
avoid self-advertised "geeks" and similar chain store operations, but I
don't know anything about computer repair shops in Scotland.

If you do have a laptop, then the power-fail scenario isn't as likely
and you may have had a hardware failure. In this case, I even more
strongly suggest that you go to a competent local repair shop.

+1

 

[Christy]

Unless you have a laptop with a working battery, what probably happened
is that you had a brief power failure (you said it was cold and stormy
Scotland) while Windows was working on a system file. If this is the
case, there are "relatively simple" methods to recover your system but
they require that you have the Windows XP CD (not a "recovery" CD that
comes with some name-brand computers) or some other specialized recovery
tools.

Given your self-description as "hopeless with computers," I suggest that
your best course of action is to exchange some of your money for your
time and potential aggravation and take your computer to a *competent*
local repair shop. Ask around. If you were in the USA, I'd tell you to
avoid self-advertised "geeks" and similar chain store operations, but I
don't know anything about computer repair shops in Scotland.

If you do have a laptop, then the power-fail scenario isn't as likely
and you may have had a hardware failure. In this case, I even more
strongly suggest that you go to a competent local repair shop.

--
Lem

Apollo 11 - 40 years ago:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/40th/index.html
.

Thanks for your advice.

It is a desktop I have and I do have a Windows XP CD with Service Pack 2 if
you don't mind explaining the relatively simple method to me. It might be
worth a try, before parting with money I don't have at the moment, as it
sounds like I don't have much to lose anyway.

Christy

 

[C]

Thanks for your advice.

It is a desktop I have and I do have a Windows XP CD with Service Pack 2 if
you don't mind explaining the relatively simple method to me. It might be
worth a try, before parting with money I don't have at the moment, as it
sounds like I don't have much to lose anyway.

Christy

Does the XP on the computer have SP3?

 

[Christy]

Does the XP on the computer have SP3?

I'm really not sure if it has SP3 - the only way it would have it is if it
came as part of a windows update.

Christy

 

[C]

I'm really not sure if it has SP3 - the only way it would have it is if it
came as part of a windows update.

Christy

Try using the XP CD to do a repair install, NOT repair console. You will
need to boot from the CD to do it. If you have SP3 installed, it will
tell you can't because the XP that's installed is newer. If that's the
case, you'll have to slipstream SP3 into your current version by using a
program like Autostreamer.

 

[Anna]

"Christy" adds...

It is a desktop I have and I do have a Windows XP CD with Service Pack 2
if
you don't mind explaining the relatively simple method to me. It might be
worth a try, before parting with money I don't have at the moment, as it
sounds like I don't have much to lose anyway.

Christy

Christy:
It's hard, if not impossible, to determine at this point whether the problem
you're experiencing is related to some defective hardware component or is
due to simply a corrupted operating system (OS) as a result of one cause or
another.

At this point in time it's probably practical to lean toward the latter
explanation since if that *is* the cause of the problem it can be a
relatively simple process to overcome.

Basically what you can do is to undertake a Repair installation of the XP OS
with your XP/SP2 installation CD. I'm assuming you're not familiar with that
process so here are a few details.

As a practical matter a Repair install of the OS is a relatively
straightforward & simple process roughly akin to making a fresh install of
the OS. Hopefully a successful Repair install of the OS will return your
system to a bootable/functional state. And in nearly every case your
existing programs &
user-created data would be retained. Notice I said "nearly". While it would
be a rather rare situation where data would be lost or corrupted as a result
of the Repair install, and as unlikely as it may be, it *could* happen.

So if there are any programs and/or other data on your present drive that
are absolutely crucial to you and you could not tolerate their loss, then I
would strongly suggest that before undertaking this Repair install operation
that you first either make a "clone" of your existing HDD (using a disk
imaging or disk-cloning program) or, if that's not practical and you can
install the HDD as a secondary HDD in some other machine, pull off whatever
data you want onto some removable media, e.g., flash drive, CD, etc. before
proceeding with the Repair install.

Again, it's a relatively rare event that a loss or corruption of data will
occur even when the Repair install is unsuccessful, but it *can* happen. So
I want you to be aware of this.

Here are the step-by-step instructions for undertaking a Repair install of
the XP OS that can be found at Microsoft's site at...
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/support/nostart.mspx#2

<quote>
Before performing a repair installation of Windows XP, you should have both
your Windows XP CD and your product key available.

To perform a repair installation of Windows XP...

1. Insert your Windows XP CD into your computer.

2. Restart your computer. If prompted, press a key to start from the CD-ROM.

3. When the Welcome to Setup page appears, press ENTER on your keyboard.

4. On the Windows XP Licensing Agreement page, read the licensing agreement.
Press the PAGE DOWN key to scroll to the bottom of the agreement. Then,
press F8.

5. When prompted, press R to have Windows XP attempt to repair Windows by
reinstalling important Windows components.

The repair and reinstallation process might take more than an hour.
Eventually, Setup prompts you to answer questions just as if you were
installing Windows XP for the first time. For detailed instructions, read
"Install Windows XP" at...
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/winxp/install.mspx"
</quote>

Also, here are a number of websites that contain detailed step-by-step
instructions for undertaking a Repair install in the event you desire
further info on the process. Let me again assure you that it's not a
difficult process and not terribly time-consuming. As I've indicated, it's
roughly similar to making a fresh install of the XP OS. There's really not
too much to it.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm#RI
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=138
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winxppro/installxpcdrepair/indexfullpage.htm
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341

Assuming the Repair install is successful, you should use your anti-virus
program to immediately check out your PC for any malware infestation. Since
you will be undertaking this Repair install with your XP/SP2 installation CD
(and assuming that the Repair install of the OS proves successful) you'll
probably want to later install SP3 after determining all went well with the
Repair install and the subsequent (since SP3) critical updates from
Microsoft.

Should the Repair install prove unsuccessful, report back re such and we can
go on from there if you desire.
Anna

 

[Lem]

Thanks for your advice.

It is a desktop I have and I do have a Windows XP CD with Service Pack 2 if
you don't mind explaining the relatively simple method to me. It might be
worth a try, before parting with money I don't have at the moment, as it
sounds like I don't have much to lose anyway.

Christy

As usual, Anna provides comprehensive and detailed advice.

If something doesn't work, please report the error message(s) in as much
detail as you did in your original post.

You very well may have installed SP3, because this has been offered by
Windows Update since about May 2008. In this case, when you try to do
the repair install with a Win XP SP2 CD, you will get an error message
to the effect that "Setup cannot continue because the version of Windows
on your computer is newer than the version on the CD."

It is yet another "relatively easy" procedure to create a Win XP SP3 CD
using your existing XP SP2 CD. To do so, you will need access to a
computer that has the capability of "burning" or creating a CD. Some
links to information about this process are at the bottom of the
michaelstevenstech page listed in Anna's post.

 

[Anna]

Christy wrote:
(SNIP)

As usual, Anna provides comprehensive and detailed advice.

If something doesn't work, please report the error message(s) in as much
detail as you did in your original post.

You very well may have installed SP3, because this has been offered by
Windows Update since about May 2008. In this case, when you try to do the
repair install with a Win XP SP2 CD, you will get an error message to the
effect that "Setup cannot continue because the version of Windows on your
computer is newer than the version on the CD."

It is yet another "relatively easy" procedure to create a Win XP SP3 CD
using your existing XP SP2 CD. To do so, you will need access to a
computer that has the capability of "burning" or creating a CD. Some
links to information about this process are at the bottom of the
michaelstevenstech page listed in Anna's post.

--
Lem

Apollo 11 - 40 years ago:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/40th/index.html

Lem (& Christy)...
Christy can undertake the Repair install of the XP OS with her current XP OS
installation CD that contains SP2 (and not SP3). Regardless of whether her
present OS has been updated with SP3 she will *not* get the error message
you refer to, i.e., "Setup cannot continue...".

That Windows error message will display only if the user has been able to
boot to his/her desktop and attempts a reinstallation of the XP OS with an
installation CD that contains an earlier SP.

In Christy's case her problem is an unbootable system to start with. So if &
when she undertakes a Repair install of the OS she will be doing so by
booting to the XP OS installation CD. The fact that her present OS may
contain SP3 while the XP installation CD contains SP2 is immaterial. The
Repair install will proceed without Windows invoking any error message
pertaining to the SP situation.

The important point is that the editions be the same in terms of Home, Pro,
etc., i.e., should her installed OS be XP Home, she would not be able to
undertake the Repair install with an XP Pro installation CD. But it seems
clear the foregoing is not an issue here.

Naturally (should the Repair install be successful) and Christy finds that
she now has a bootable functional system (containing SP2 of course) she will
later install SP3 onto the system together with the MS XP critical updates
issued since the release of SP3.

Had Christy had an XP OS installation CD containing SP3 to begin with it
generally would be wise to undertake the Repair install with that media even
if her currently installed XP OS contained an earlier SP. Hopefully Christy
will look into creating a "slipstreamed" XP/SP3 installation CD after she's
sorted out her current problem. But we'll leave that for later...
Anna