How would I fix this?

Meatball · 9 Jul 2006 at 12:11

Well I'm fixing yet another friend's computer later today but I don't have many ideas on how to fix it. Basically one day when she turned it on and got a black screen saying: "windows did not shut down properly". When she loads the PC up in normal mode XP will load but a blue screen will quickly pop-up and the system will start-up again. I googled and found this page but it's basically telling me "reinstall" which I don't want to do. What other options can I try? I will try doing a repair install in recovery console and see whether it boots into safe mode. Any other suggestions that don't involve reformat?

Dark_Angel · 9 Jul 2006 at 12:18

Is it possible for you to do a system restore to help?

Meatball · 9 Jul 2006 at 12:21

Dark_Angel said:
Is it possible for you to do a system restore to help?

can you access system restore with being able to access Windows?

Dark_Angel · 9 Jul 2006 at 12:26

Lost-Prophet said:
can you access system restore with being able to access Windows?

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_restore.htm try having a look at that page.

Try pressing the F8 as your PC starts to get the boot menu (keep tapping it). F5 for safe mode.

Meatball · 9 Jul 2006 at 12:29

Dark_Angel said:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_restore.htm try having a look at that page.

Try pressing the F8 as your PC starts to get the boot menu (keep tapping it). F5 for safe mode.

the menu you get when pressing F8 appears anyway. When I'm infront of the computer I'll try that and thanks for the link, very helpful. Any other suggestions?

Dark_Angel · 9 Jul 2006 at 12:30

I almost forgot about the XP repair install.

You may wish to read here http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Basically, use the windows XP CD and then select repair install. it may help you out..

Meatball · 9 Jul 2006 at 12:31

Dark_Angel said:
I almost forgot about the XP repair install.

You may wish to read here http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Basically, use the windows XP CD and then select repair install. it may help you out..

I was just looking at that link earlier. Thanks for the help. So I'll try (in the following order):
1) Try booting to safe mode
2) Try doing a system restore
3) Try a xp install repair
4) Backup and reformat (

)

Dark_Angel · 9 Jul 2006 at 12:38

thats pretty much what I would do.

I find that repair installs help, but often times if you CAN backup the stuff on the computer, by the time you have fiddled around trying to get the original XP install to work (assuming the other stuff mentioned didnt work) its often quicker to format and just put things back on.