XP Driver Loading Problem?

H

HenriK

Computer: Dell 650, 3.06 gHz CPUs
OS: XP-Pro, SP3, fully updated
Graphics card: EVGA e-GForce 7600 GS
Graphics driver: NVIDIA v.181.22 (per EVGA)
Display: Samsung 943BX

From time to time on an irregular basis, when I start up my computer in
the morning, it responds as follows:

1) Display screen shows BIOS sequence completing successfully;
2) Display screen shows SCSI drivers loading successfully;
3) Windows begins to load;
4) Windows seems to be looking for something for an excessive period of
time;
5) The hourglass vanishes from display and the screen goes black, just
PRIOR to showing the O/S password screen;
6) The screen goes blank and the display ceases to function, as if
computer has been turned off - even though the computer is still running.

When this start up sequence problem, it is always the same, without
variation.

I then manually shut the computer down and wait 10 seconds or so. I
then restart the computer. Usually, everything then works. Rarely, it
takes a second shutdown and restart before everything works.

To try and fix the problem, I deleted the drivers and reinstalled them.
This did not solve the problem. I have also defragmented the HD with
the OS and drivers on it. This didn't fix the problem either.

Other than the start up problem described, the computer runs all kinds
of applications flawlessly.

Any suggestions on what to try next? Thanks, in advance, for any help,
suggestions, and/or references I might consult.
 
B

Benjamin M

That's happened on a few computer I know of. It's because DOS needs to keep
running. Restart the computer, go to BIOS (the F keys) and then tell which
order it needs to work in. BIOS isn't just at start, it's the whole way.
 
M

Malke

Benjamin said:
That's happened on a few computer I know of. It's because DOS needs to
keep running. Restart the computer, go to BIOS (the F keys) and then tell
which order it needs to work in. BIOS isn't just at start, it's the whole
way.

I don't know what parallel universe *you* live in, but in this one what
you've written is pure drivel.

Henrik - In addition to philo's good advice, don't neglect to check your
hardware. The fact that a reboot or two fixes this makes me suspect hardware
rather than a driver. Drivers always work or always fail. Perhaps your power
supply is going or your video card.

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

In the meantime, a good troubleshooting step is to boot with a Linux Live
CD. I like Knoppix, but there are others. This has two advantages: 1) if the
system will run, you can back up any data that missed your last backup; and
2) running the machine with Linux helps to determine if the problems are
caused by software or hardware. If the machine is unbearably slow and/or
Linux can't run correctly, you know the hardware is at fault. If the machine
behaves perfectly under Linux, you know that software (Windows) is at fault.

From the software side:

1. Does this happen in Safe Mode? If it doesn't, try clean-boot
troubleshooting:

Clean boot in Windows XP - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353
Clean-boot advanced troubleshooting in Windows XP -
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316434
How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP -
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310560

The free Autoruns program is very useful for managing your Startup -
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/default.mspx

2. The First Question Of Troubleshooting: If the problem is new, what
changed between the time things worked and the time they didn't?

Malke
 
L

Lil' Dave

HenriK said:
Computer: Dell 650, 3.06 gHz CPUs
OS: XP-Pro, SP3, fully updated
Graphics card: EVGA e-GForce 7600 GS
Graphics driver: NVIDIA v.181.22 (per EVGA)
Display: Samsung 943BX

From time to time on an irregular basis, when I start up my computer in
the morning, it responds as follows:

1) Display screen shows BIOS sequence completing successfully;
2) Display screen shows SCSI drivers loading successfully;
3) Windows begins to load;
4) Windows seems to be looking for something for an excessive period of
time;
5) The hourglass vanishes from display and the screen goes black, just
PRIOR to showing the O/S password screen;
6) The screen goes blank and the display ceases to function, as if
computer has been turned off - even though the computer is still running.

When this start up sequence problem, it is always the same, without
variation.

I then manually shut the computer down and wait 10 seconds or so. I then
restart the computer. Usually, everything then works. Rarely, it takes a
second shutdown and restart before everything works.

To try and fix the problem, I deleted the drivers and reinstalled them.
This did not solve the problem. I have also defragmented the HD with the
OS and drivers on it. This didn't fix the problem either.

Other than the start up problem described, the computer runs all kinds of
applications flawlessly.

Any suggestions on what to try next? Thanks, in advance, for any help,
suggestions, and/or references I might consult.

I get the impression that line item 2 is actually a scsi controller
displaying scsi items found. You need an OS loaded before you load drivers.

The need to cold boot again, after failure of the video continuing to
display without loading user settings, may be a power supply problem. Does
this problem also occur when loading strictly safe mode XP?
 
H

HenriK

Although my machine has continued to boot up normally since I originally
sent this inquiry, I'd like to thank everyone for the diagnostic
suggestions and particularly for the references provided. One of these
days, it will act up again and I now have some good ideas on how to sort
out what is really going on.
 

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