XP keeps restarting

[bulldog.in.blue]

Hello all; I'm new here, but I was hoping someone has a solution to my
problem...

I was working around behind my computer when I accidentally yanked out
my wireless ethernet card from the USB port in the back of my desktop.
(In case it's important, it's a Belkin Wireless G USB Network Adapter.)
At that instance, my entire computer clicked off. Odd (and frustrating)
because it's a simply plug-and-play USB peripheral.

Since then, the computer won't start properly in any mode -- normal,
safe, last known working confirguration. It makes it to the logo screen
with the green progress bar, you can hear the processor working, it
loads for about ten seconds on the logo screen, and it restarts
entirely.

I checked, and all of the stuff inside of the computer is attached (I
didn't knock anything loose). I tried disabling the USB ports in the
system BIOS, and I tried starting up with the wireless card attached
again. Nothing I've tried has worked, and the computer keeps restarting
without getting past the first logo screen.

I haven't yet, but I'm ready to go out and buy external casing to pull
all the data off to another computer, at which point I'll wipe the hard
drive clean, but I wanted to know if anybody has any suggestions.
Anything at all would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Guest]

Try This


To create a boot disk for Windows XP for an NTFS or FAT Partition you will
need to have a
formatted floppy. It needs to be blank and virus free. You will also need an
operational
Windows XP-based computer.


First go to Google and search for tformat.zip (Smart Format2.1) and download
the zip file.

Use this program to format your floppy disk, only use one with NO bad
sectors on it.

I would make 2 to 3 disks. These are backups. The reason why you use this
program

because it tells you if you have bad sectors on your disk.


Format your Floppy. This has to be done for this to work in DOS.

Start Run CMD cd c:\ enter then at C:>format a: put in a floppy in
A-Drive press ENTER

If it ask to mount the disk answer Y for yes. When it ask for a label
press ENTER.



After the disk is formatted you will goto START Programs Accessories
Windows Explorer

in Windows Explorer click on Tools Folder Options then the View Tab goto

the folder Hidden Files and Folders Check Show Hidden Files and Folders

and Uncheck Hide Protected Operating System Files (Recommended) A popup
window

will appear answer YES then OK . Now goto C:\ drive and you will be
able to see

the files that you need to copy to the floppy drive. (Read below for list
of files)

When you are done go back and CKECK the Hide Protected Operating System
Files and press Apply.

And If you want you can uncheck Show Hidden Files and Folders.


Copy needed files (Ntldr, Ntdetect.com, and the boot.ini. Copy them from a
system running Windows XP
as long as it?s not virus infested and/or a Windows XP setup CD-ROM.

C:\Windows\System32 is where the Edit.com file is.

Edit the boot.ini file you copied over to floppy. You will need to set the
path correctly so you will
need to understand the ARC naming convention. You will find what you need to
know using
Microsoft?s documentation.


Start your computer by using the floppy disk, and then log on to Windows XP.


Boot.ini Example: This is how your Boot.ini should look like.


[boot loader]
timeout=30
Default= multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\windows
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\windows="Windows XP"

Good Luck

 

[Ron Martell]

Hello all; I'm new here, but I was hoping someone has a solution to my
problem...

I was working around behind my computer when I accidentally yanked out
my wireless ethernet card from the USB port in the back of my desktop.
(In case it's important, it's a Belkin Wireless G USB Network Adapter.)
At that instance, my entire computer clicked off. Odd (and frustrating)
because it's a simply plug-and-play USB peripheral.

Since then, the computer won't start properly in any mode -- normal,
safe, last known working confirguration. It makes it to the logo screen
with the green progress bar, you can hear the processor working, it
loads for about ten seconds on the logo screen, and it restarts
entirely.

At this point your best option would appear to be to do a Repair
Install of your Windows XP as per the instructions at
http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

A Repair Install will preserve your installed applications, user data
files, and configuration settings. Windows updates will have to be
reinstalled and you will need to do a manual update by going to
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com in order to "kick start" the
automatic update process.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

[Brad]

One worrysome thing is it shut off, why? Im not sure what came out, the pc
board from its socket? if so, if it could have gone back in? then some other
pin could have been hit with 5 or 12 volts, and the surge tripped off the
power. From there, something in hardware is now damaged.

So you turn on the computer and the bios is set to halt on all errors?
could you try to set this to halt on NONE ?

from there, XP may start and show you what it doesnt like, what part of the
board, so do you need a new motherboard or just some drop in card?

the things you said suggest to me its possible that some hardware thing got
zapped. motherboards are cheap, if you spent 5 hours testing it already,
probably cheaper to get the new mb?

It also sounds like a candidate for one of those drop in PC board checker
things with the flashing LEDs

hth

 

[w_tom]

Scary is that you are trying to fix something without first trying
to get facts. You started correctly. Boot with and without USB device
connected. System gets up to Windows Logo screen and stops. Find.
Now keep doing that - collecting facts. (BTW you cannot hear processor
doing any work- so what do you hear?)

By pressing F5 or F8 when Windows is booting, a screen of options
appear. What are your options? Among some would be booting without
networking. What does that option do? Also may be the step by step
booting. Good. What does work - at what point does Windows boot up
halt?

Others would have you destroy everything only because something is
failed. Also called Nuke and Pave - or reloading Windows. Again, they
want to fix the problem without first learning what that problem is.
Therefore they would destroy other important information such as data
in the System (Event) logs.

Think about it. System shut down when USB cord was yanked out. Did
that change software stores on the disk? Did that cause system to find
and change files on that disk in a manner where modified files could
still be read and not just appear as unreadable nonsense? Do you also
believe a monkey sitting at a typewriter can write an intelligent
sentence? Somehow that is what they have assumed when they recommend
reloading the OS. It rather scares me how many surgeons were not
taught what each organ does. Do you understand what I see in those
responses?

Once we have collected basic facts, then we move on to more data
collection. BIOS executes which means certain hardware does work.
Break the problem down into parts. Those parts necessary for BIOS to
work are OK. Now step out farther into other parts of the hardware.
If computer is from a responsible computer manufacturer (ie Dell, HP),
then it has comprehensive hardware diagnostics provided for free on
disk or on web site. First test computer hardware without any Windows:
comprehensive hardware diagnostics. If computer is not from a
responsible manufacturer, then download diagnostics from individual
computer component manufacturers. For example, what does disk drive
manufacturer's diagnostic do (without executing any write or format
functions)? Get a third party memory diagnostics such as Memtst86 or
Docmem. What does it report?

Test hardware without Windows complications. Both learn from those
experiments AND report facts back here since what those various
'information sources' report also report details that you don't find
relevant.

Correctly noted is that USB is designed to be hot plugged. So why
did damage happen? Is the Belkin also powered from something
completely different from computer (ie different wall receptacle?) Do
you have static electric shocks when touching things in the building -
and therefore static shocked the USB port? IOW what would have created
a significant voltage difference when USB plug disconnected?

Once hardware verifies, then move out to learn what does and does not
work in Windows. Previously noted is the option to step through a
Windows boot or to record that booting to a .log file. Another fact:
what does that history (system - event) log report? What does Device
Manager report? Long before trying to fix anything, first learn what
is and is not broken.