XP Boots and Restarts Immediately

[HQ UK]

I have a Windows XP Home PC and it has worked fine since I
bought it last year. My mother has used it to run Excel
(to create a very simple spreadsheet) and since then when
I boot the PC it automatically logs on to a user, so I do
not click on a user, and then when it has looaded the
desktop it promptly restarts. This is then stuck in a
cycle. I have changed to a diagnostic boot and it booted
perfectly the first time but then reverted back to the
same problem even with diagnostic boot checked. No
software has been loaded recently and it is not connected
to the Internet.

Can anyone please advise me?

 

[Ron Martell]

I have a Windows XP Home PC and it has worked fine since I
bought it last year. My mother has used it to run Excel
(to create a very simple spreadsheet) and since then when
I boot the PC it automatically logs on to a user, so I do
not click on a user, and then when it has looaded the
desktop it promptly restarts. This is then stuck in a
cycle. I have changed to a diagnostic boot and it booted
perfectly the first time but then reverted back to the
same problem even with diagnostic boot checked. No
software has been loaded recently and it is not connected
to the Internet.

Can anyone please advise me?

Try booting into Safe Mode or to "Last known good configuration".

When the computer is booted up open Control Panel - System - Advanced
and click on the Settings button in the Startup and Recovery (bottom)
section.

In the Startup and Recovery window click on the checkbox for
"automatically restart" to clear it, then click on Apply and OK as
needed to exit.

That should stop the reboots but they may be replaced by a "Blue
Screen Of Death" STOP message. If so then then details of the STOP
message, including all of the parameters, will be a direct clue as to
the underlying cause of the problem.

And if you are unable to get Windows XP to boot up and stay running in
any mode then you have limited options. If you have a full
installation CD for your Windows XP (retail or OEM) then you can do a
Repair Install as per the instructions at
http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm which will preserve
all of your installed applications, configuration settings, and user
data files. However Windows Updates (all of them) will have to be
reinstalled.

And if your Windows XP is on an OEM "System Recovery" disk or in a
separate "System Recovery" partition on the hard drive then you
probably have no choice but to use this (see the instructions which
came with the computer) which will put the computer back to the way it
was when it left the factory, wiping out everything you have done
since then including all installed applications and all your user data
files.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."