XP hangs before1st logo (after post)

[wkadmin]

Hello group. Plz help.

Problem: Windows XP stops just after POST, no first XP logo, keyboard locked
(numlock/capslock test)

Done so far (in that order):
1. chkdsk /r from CD
2. repair (2nd 'R') from CD -> after 1st reboot setup stops like in 'Problem'
3. repair - 2nd and 3rd attempt (with info: Setup has already attempted to
upgrade the following Windowsi nstallation) -> same - after 1st reboot setup
doesn't move to GUI
4. moved HDD to another computer - done points 1-3 again
5. on another system (HDD as secondary disk) run full windows scandisk
6. replaced registry files (sam, security...) - "Problem" persist
7. done HDD clone - done steps 1 and 2 on mirror copy of disk - no go

I guess its a kind of drivers problem that are loaded at the start of
booting windows
But how to debug which one, and how to disable/reapir that boogie?

System has tons of programs/settings and fresh install is rather not an
option.

tia

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Problem: Windows XP stops just after POST, no first XP logo,
keyboard locked (numlock/capslock test)

Done so far (in that order):
1. chkdsk /r from CD
2. repair (2nd 'R') from CD -> after 1st reboot setup stops like in
'Problem'
3. repair - 2nd and 3rd attempt (with info: Setup has already
attempted to upgrade the following Windowsi nstallation) -> same -
after 1st reboot setup doesn't move to GUI
4. moved HDD to another computer - done points 1-3 again
5. on another system (HDD as secondary disk) run full windows
scandisk
6. replaced registry files (sam, security...) - "Problem" persist
7. done HDD clone - done steps 1 and 2 on mirror copy of disk - no
go

I guess its a kind of drivers problem that are loaded at the start
of booting windows
But how to debug which one, and how to disable/reapir that boogie?

System has tons of programs/settings and fresh install is rather
not an option.

What makes you so sure it is software?

Sounds like memory or power to me.

Hopefully by now, however - you have a full copy of the hard disk drive
sitting safely apart and/or you were consistent with your backups.

If it was a driver issue - Safe Mode should work. Does it?

You've done so much random stuff to it that if you don't have a good image
of that hard disk drive - you could have really messed it up yourself in
trying to repair it. If you have a good image (recent, with everything you
want to keep and/or you know you have the difference between your image and
what you want to keep in your backups) - I'd restore it to that hard disk
drive.

Moving it to another computer - unless that computer happens to be 100%
identical - doesn't do much for you except allow you to use it as a
secondary drive maybe and copy your stuff. ;-) (Yes - you can do chkdsk,
etc as well...)

So - does it boot in safe mode?

Do you have good backups? Doesmn't matter how much stuff you have on that
drive - not having good backups is unwise at best and can save you in a
variety of instances (this one not withstanding - a backup with something
like the Seagate Replica could have you restoring to a new hard disk drive
the exact duplicate of this system without touching the non-functional
copy.)

Do you have a BartPE/Windows Ultimate Boot CD? (If not, can you build one?)
If you have one (now); does it boot into Windows XP okay?

Ran any memory tests?

 

[wkadmin]

What makes you so sure it is software?

Sounds like memory or power to me.

Hopefully by now, however - you have a full copy of the hard disk drive
sitting safely apart and/or you were consistent with your backups.

If it was a driver issue - Safe Mode should work. Does it?

You've done so much random stuff to it that if you don't have a good image
of that hard disk drive - you could have really messed it up yourself in
trying to repair it. If you have a good image (recent, with everything you
want to keep and/or you know you have the difference between your image and
what you want to keep in your backups) - I'd restore it to that hard disk
drive.

Moving it to another computer - unless that computer happens to be 100%
identical - doesn't do much for you except allow you to use it as a
secondary drive maybe and copy your stuff. ;-) (Yes - you can do chkdsk,
etc as well...)

So - does it boot in safe mode?

Do you have good backups? Doesmn't matter how much stuff you have on that
drive - not having good backups is unwise at best and can save you in a
variety of instances (this one not withstanding - a backup with something
like the Seagate Replica could have you restoring to a new hard disk drive
the exact duplicate of this system without touching the non-functional
copy.)

Do you have a BartPE/Windows Ultimate Boot CD? (If not, can you build one?)
If you have one (now); does it boot into Windows XP okay?

Ran any memory tests?

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way



.

Thx for response.

I have mirrored whole HDD to second one before doing repairs (with acronics).

Unfortunetly there is no copy of working system - I don't own this computer
(my PC is using Norton Ghost).

Safe Mode does not work. I got after F8 screen with possible options (i must
hit F8 key fast just after POST because 1 sec. later system already hangs)
but after pressing Enter all freezes.

You are right that XP won't boot after changing hdd to another machine just
like that, but still should allow reinstall/repair procedure - not a case
here.
In second machine system during repair hangs after 1st reboot and cannot
enter graphical interface, just like in original machine - what, i think, can
be a proof of working components (2nd machine works fine with its own
windows).

After few tests i found that replacing registry file 'system' with its copy
from c:\windows\repair directory, let the windows to start, but of course
system isn't working properly. I know it's normal. I'm aware that all
registry files are connected.

But how to find out what registry branch/data or its connection to maybe
corrupted basic system drivers (maybe AV - ESET in this case) is responsible
for system lock.
A tool for debbuging boot process would be nice...