Hardware Failure or User Error?

[nolimit]

In the last 2 months my windows xp failed to start up and only way to solve this problem is to format and re-install.

This has happend to me every 3-4 weeks in a row.

1st. Windows worked flawlessly for 10 months and I wasn't using any AntiVirus program. Failure to boot up could've been virus.

2nd. Windows failed to boot after 4 weeks, didn't notice anything unusual.

3rd. Windows failed to boot again yesterday, my 2 year old neice pressed the On button couple of times, when I was away but this shouldn't delete any registry key?

so I want to know is this hdd/mobo starting to fail or virus?

 

[nolimit]

Basically it goes upto windows xp logo and reboots again. tried using F8 to boot in save mode, last best config etc doesn't work.

I can go into bios and use the windows xp cd to install again. Repairing it is impossible as I tried various ways to repair. Only way to install windows is to format the hdd and install fresh. But within 2-3 weeks the same problem happens and I can't get pass the windows xp logo and computer reboots endlessly. The same problem has happend 3 times in a row now, each within 2-3 weeks. Its like there is a time bomb in windows that corrupts it every 2-3 weeks. Very strange.

I don't think switching the computer off while still in windows can damage the registry because when I press the switch on/off button windows automatically turns off after all the program has been shutdown automatically. So my neices playing around with the on/off button is out of the equation for this problem.

Other possibilites could be hdd or mobo failing, undetected virus?

 

[nolimit]

I have tried;

- "chkdsk /r" from the recovery console and all the other various commands

- I can't boot with any of the F8 commands.

- tried disabling USB and disconnected all USB but not luck

- run WD daignosis program without any error.

- mobo / cpu / and general system temp is average 30-40.

- the only only solution so far is to format and install windows xp from fresh but i know if I don't find the problem the same crap might happen again in 2-3 weeks. But the weird part is i had this setup for nearly 1 year now and it worked flawlessly for 9 months without any popups or other strange windows problems.

My Computer Spec is;

Intel 6300 Core 2 Duo
ASRock XFire Mobo
GSkill x2 1GB 6400 RAM
x2 200GB WD HDD 7200 8 or 16mb can't remember
NEC x16 DVDRW
Asus 7300GT 256mb
Logitech DiNovo Desktop Media (bluetooth)
Dell FPW2005

 

[nolimit]

Good news guys windows xp is working now.

Checked every setting in the bios and noticed the HDD was set to AHCI instead of IDE.

When I was installing windows the previous time i remember setting it to IDE and somehow I think my neice playing around with the on/off button somehow changed the setting back to AHCI.

so basically in the last 2 months my mobo was resetting itself to AHCI default. I hate this MOBO.

anyways thanks for all the feedback. All good now.