xp start up

[Guest]

I am running windows xp home (gateway 300s) w/ SP2 and have the following
problems:

1. when I power up the machine, XP will not start properly. It will keep
trying but nothing happens. The only way I can get it to start is when a DOS
screen appears, I toggle to a setting that says something like "start windows
from the last good configuration" (the last known settings that worked). If I
select this option, xp will start and I can use the machine normally. I hope
I can fix this without reinstalling windows so that my machine will start up
and shut down properly!

2. Becasue of this I cannot install a local printer. I can install my
brother MFC-5440CN and use it during that session, but if I power down and
restart, the "new hardware wizard" starts and trys to re-install the drivers.
If I dont re-install every time, the printer will not show up in the printer
folder.

This computer was a gift from a friend, so I am trying to get it running in
tip top shape...Please help!

 

[Pentium]

Well... roll back your machine to a time before this started. START>ALL
PROGRAMS>ACCESSORIES>SYSTEM TOOLS>SYSTEM RESTORE choose a date and let it
do it. You may have to reinstall any apps you installed after the chosen
date.
Good luck!

 

[Guest]

I tried that-I even went back to the first system check point...When the
machine restarts it does the same thing and I have to choose "last time
settings worked" and system restore says "windows could not restore your
machine to such and such a date...problem continues! please help this is
bugging me to death!

 

[Pentium]

Oooh! Save the contents in MY DOCUMENTS, save your ADDRESS book, then run
the REPAIR SYSTEM from your disk.. or to ensure a clean copy, SAVE what you
want to save, and do a clean reload.

 

[Malke]

Oooh! Save the contents in MY DOCUMENTS, save your ADDRESS book, then
run the REPAIR SYSTEM from your disk.. or to ensure a clean copy, SAVE
what you want to save, and do a clean reload.

Before you go to the trouble of reinstalling Windows, either do some
extensive hardware testing or take the machine to a professional
computer repair shop. Certainly you should back up your data first.
Here are some general hardware troubleshooting steps if you want to try
this yourself:

1) Open the computer and run it open, cleaning out all dust bunnies and
observing all fans (overheating will cause system freezing). Obviously
you can't do this with a laptop, but you can hear if the fan is running
and feel if the laptop is getting too hot.

2) Test the RAM - I like Memtest86+ from www.memtest.org. Obviously, you
have to get the program from a working machine. You will either
download the precompiled Windows binary to make a bootable floppy or
the .iso to make a bootable cd. If you want to use the latter, you'll
need to have third-party burning software on the machine where you
download the file - XP's built-in burning capability won't do the job.
In either case, boot with the media you made. The test will run
immediately. Let the test run for an hour or two - unless errors are
seen immediately. If you get any errors, replace the RAM.

3) Test the hard drive with a diagnostic utility from the mftr. Download
the file and make a bootable floppy or cd with it. Boot with the media
and do a thorough test. If the drive has physical errors, replace it.

4) The power supply may be going bad or be inadequate for the devices
you have in the system. The adequacy issue doesn't really apply to a
laptop, although of course the power supply can be faulty.

5) Test the motherboard with something like TuffTest from
www.tufftest.com. Sometimes this is useful, and sometimes it isn't.

Testing hardware failures often involves swapping out suspected parts
with known-good parts. If you can't do the testing yourself and/or are
uncomfortable opening your computer, take the machine to a professional
computer repair shop (not your local equivalent of BigStoreUSA).

Malke

 

[Plato]

This computer was a gift from a friend, so I am trying to get it running in
tip top shape...Please help!

Then the first thing you do is wipe the drive and install the OS you
want to use 100% fresh.