XPsp2 pro not booting

[codeblue]

My xpsp2 Windows installation has stopped booting and is in a continuous loop. I think this happened after taking both the ram and cpu (athlon xp 1.8) out to test another machine.

The Windows logo would come up with the bar underneath and then would vanish, and instead of asking for user password, the machine would reboot.

The first thing I tried was Repairing the install from the XP disk. (Installing Windows over the top without deleting my files. The process never completed. During the installation it asked for the licence, regional info and network stuff but rebooted soon after this. Back into loop.

It always asked weather I want to boot in safe mode, last known configuration etc, tried all without joy.

Tried using chdsk /p which found 3 errors, so used chdsk /r that repaired them but didn’t solve the problem.

I’ve also tried http://www.winxpfix.com/page18.htm (scroll down a bit) and replaced the Kernel32.dll. Didn’t work.

NOW the Windows boot screen doesn’t ever appear at all. Gets to the boot in safe mode etc panel, I choose and option and it reboots.

When using safe mode it gets to Gbdevice.sys (goback) then xmabus.sys then d346bus.sys. The last 2 have the options to hit escape to not load them. Tried this. No joy. Machine always reboot after this.

Would the fixmbr command work? I haven’t tried it yet as it comes with a warning. Microsoft support

I have a sceond, smaler HD with XP on that boots fine. When booted cant see the other HD otherwise i could just copy off the info and burn.

HELP

[pthomas]

Try a rebuild install. I've fixed a similar problem with it quite a few times.

1.boot off win cd

2. hit enter to install new OS

3. hit F8 to accept EULA

4. It will find a previous version of windows and give you the option to repair, Hit r for repair

5. let it go and do its thing

Give that a try, I'll be much quicker than digging around.

Paul

[codeblue]

thanks for the reply but....

The first thing I tried was Repairing the install from the XP disk. (Installing Windows over the top without deleting my files. The process never completed. During the installation it asked for the licence, regional info and network stuff but rebooted soon after this. Back into loop.

done it with no joy?

when i boot my smaller Hard drive i cant see it in my computer but i can in device manager?

[codeblue]

Still havent resolved, looking like all data gone :-(.

For anybody ever having simalar problems follow these links.

All Computer problems sorted

Andys Techie Site

Computer Logic

Computer tech

Computer technical help forum

Computers UK

Globle Computer Support

Windows XP Trial

Whenever i have a problem i cant fix myself i always use MSN groups bacause the depth of knowledge is massive and usualy come up with the answers.

hope this helps anyone

my mane is Mr b in the msn forums!

[pthomas]

Ok, don;t fret yet! Just because you can;t see the hdd in "my computer" and you can in device manger doesn;t mean that data has been lost... A drive will not show up in my computer if:

1. no partitions are defined

2. the disk is damaged or not mounted

3. there are filesytem errors

I think it rather odd though, that this problem happened after you used your RAM and CPU in another system and then put them back. Most likely I'd bet that either part of the RAM didn;t survive the trip (static shock along the way) or that you hadn;t rebooted in quite a while and something you installed way back is causing the problem.

Here's what I recommend. Verify that the RAM you have in your current PC is ok. Run memtest86 for about 5 min or so. Don;t base that the RAM is good on the fact that just because the system boots on the smaller hdd that it is fine. Bad RAM can cause some of the weirdest stuff you will ever see happen to a computer. Run memtest and double check even if you don;t believe me. That way we have less "possible" faulty hardware that could be a problem.

If the RAM checks out ok, then the next step is to find out whats going on with the main hdd. Go to my computer properties -> manage -> storage -> disk management. If the main hdd is seen by device manager (by windows) then it will be in here. It will likley have an error or something. Please report its status.

If in poking around windows says it thinks that hdd is not formatted, don;t mess with it. There are a few ways to recover data off of a hdd, damaged, formatted, fdisked or whatever. Whats the current status on the hdd? erorr messeges? or even post a screenshot of the diskmanagement part.

Let me know,

Paul

[Jito463]

5 minutes is rather short for MemTest. I've seen it require several passes before it started showing errors, and each pass can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours (depending on amount and type of RAM). Also, be aware that test 5 has been giving people some issues lately so if you get a ton of errors on test 5, it may be just a glitch in the test. One other thing to keep in mind is that errors in RAM can occur if the CPU was damaged. It's far more susceptible to static discharge than the RAM is. The amount of static electricity it takes to destroy a CPU is so low you won't even feel it.

[codeblue]

Ram the mem test over night for 11 hours with 20 passes. No errors.

Have notested the ios reading my cpu as an Athlon 1.15 when its an 1.8? gonna check bios.

EDIT:

Adjusted bios to FSB 133. Bios now showing Athlon 1.8.

[enuffsaid]

There is a problem with SP2 and certain Mobo and Graphics Card manufacturers.

Supposedly it has to do with writing to the RAM, but the GPU somehow interferes with this.

The manufactures are pointing an accusing finger at each other, but currently it is the consumer that's paying the toll.

The advice is to go back to SP1.

Let me know if you need more info on this.

BTW, I am NOT talking about that issue (which already has been patched by MS) with regard to MoBo's that didn't have native support for P4 or Celeron procs.

[pthomas]

Ok, well RAM should be good then. If you want to check overall stability (CPU/RAM/MB) then let prime95 run a torture test (blend) for about an hour or 4.

And how about the status of the hdd's in disk management??

Paul

[pthomas]

Well, I highly doubt that

There is a problem with SP2 and certain Mobo and Graphics Card manufacturers.

Supposedly it has to do with writing to the RAM, but the GPU somehow interferes with this.

is the problem at all since codeblue said that

My xpsp2 Windows installation has stopped booting and is in a continuous loop. I think this happened after taking both the ram and cpu (athlon xp 1.8) out to test another machine.

Sounds like he was running SP2 for a bit before this problem started happening.

Paul

[codeblue]

I certian its no problem with SP2.

This morning i had a hour to play around with the problem. After the usual mucking round with the HD cable, changing the slave, master jumpers, configerating the bios alowing the machine to see the 2 HD's and telling it to boot from IDE 1 (working drive), I booted it up and went to device manager in Administrator tool, it was showing the dodgy drive (F:) as active? Hum....i thought, something is different.

So i opened up My computer......it was displaying BOTH Hard driver!!!! Weird.

This was not the first time i've mucked around with the cables, i even used different cables. I could now see ALL data on F:.

Unfortunatly it was now 8.00am, i had to leave for work. It's now 9.30am (UK time), i've lest my pc on awaiting my return and hopefuly to back up my data. I'll let you know what happends.

EDIT:

Able to copy off data and back up . Currently wiping drive with Killdisk using a high security setting. Should be completed by the time i get home. (12 hours). i will then format and install XP pro sp2, then run tests.

[pthomas]

Progress is always a good thing to hear! Ah, the first rule of troubleshooting that's almost always fogotten: check cables!

keep us informed...

Paul