There are any number of things that can cause this. First, check the Event
Log to see if there are any errors corresponding to when this happens. Open
Control Panel, open Administrative Tools, open Event Viewer, look for errors
that correspond with when this happens, double click the error, the
information contained within may point to the source of the issue.
Another cause can be an IRQ issue. IRQs cannot be changed at system level,
but the can be changed by moving cards to different slots. If you have an
AGP graphics card, that can't be moved but other cards can and this can
change the device IRQ setting and.or the device with which they are sharing
an IRQ. Note, sharing IRQs in XP is not unusual. Unfortunately, this is
trial and error.
If this is a recent issue, in other words, your system was able to reboot
fine and now for some reason doesn't, can you pinpoint changes or something
you installed that might be the point at which this began. If it is a
recent issue, you might try using System Restore to take you back to a time
prior to when this began. Start\All Programs\Accessories\System
Tools\System Restore.
If it's not recent, make sure your drivers are up to date, check the device
manufacturer's websites for the latest drivers.
Do you have any devices sharing ports, specifically parallel port devices.
At one time, may devices used a parallel port and some had pass throughs for
the purpose of connecting other devices. This arrangement often resulted in
the issue you describe.
Do you have any devices connected to a USB hub as opposed to connecting
directly to the PC? If yes, try connecting the device to the PC or just
disconnecting it from the hub to see if it is the source of the issue.
