Windows XP boot failure

Blackstar_solar · 22 Jan 2009 at 13:34

My girlfriend has an Acer 180 pc running Windows XP SP3.

If you switch the PC on and let it boot on its own as soon as it gets to the windows screen (scrolling blue bar thing) it crashes (the windows screen is faded but just visible).

However, if you press F8 and select Start Normally (which I thought is what Windows did if you did nothing anyway) it boots absolutely fine.

Both these are consistent.

I've tried putting the machine back to how it was when it came out of the box with the Acer system restore software, same thing.
I've tried a new CMOS battery, same thing.

I'm at a bit of loss to be honest, anyone got any idea what might be causing it?

Thanks

thepeganator · 22 Jan 2009 at 14:02

Memtest?

Orthos?

HDD test?

thepeganator · 22 Jan 2009 at 14:02

Try them all, see if anything gets thrown up.

Admiral Huddy · 22 Jan 2009 at 14:08

Are you saying it works fine in safe mode but not in normal mode?

I'd check your drivers are upto date then run HiJackThis in both the said modes. Google the diffrences for anything that is untowards and remove anything that is not needed.

gillywibble · 22 Jan 2009 at 14:28

What's in the Boot.ini?

Blackstar_solar · 22 Jan 2009 at 16:28

Admiral Huddy said:
Are you saying it works fine in safe mode but not in normal mode?

Sadly not.
If I do nothing during boot up it crashed with the faded Windows logo & blue scrolly thing (which obviously isn't moving)
If I do F8 and select "Normal" (not safe mode) it boots fine.
If I do F8 and select "Safe Mode" it boots fine.

gillywibble said:
What's in the Boot.ini?

Will post it when I get home

Blackstar_solar · 22 Jan 2009 at 16:48

thepeganator said:
Memtest?

Orthos?

HDD test?

Checked google but there seem to be multiple version of each of these.

Any chance of some links to the correct ones?

Thanks

Blackstar_solar · 24 Jan 2009 at 18:57

Hi guys,

Memtest86 and Orthos came back clean.

Can't seem to find HDD Test, could someone point me in right direction?

I tried to run DiskCheck but it just came back saying "Drive C: is not dirty" any idea what that means?

Here's the boot.ini

Code:

[boot loader]
timeout=1
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Media Center Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Anyone got any other ideas, I'm really running short on things to try at the moment.

Thanks

Superficial · 24 Jan 2009 at 19:34

insert the windows CD and select windows repair then when prompted use the command chkdsk / r

this solves a huge number of boot issues

Dano · 24 Jan 2009 at 20:35

Just to clarify, this is happening on a warm reboot too and not just a cold boot?

Blackstar_solar · 25 Jan 2009 at 11:35

Superficial said:
insert the windows CD and select windows repair then when prompted use the command chkdsk / r

this solves a huge number of boot issues

Can this be done with any Windows CD? The Acer 180 didn't come with a restore CD or anything like that but I have a retail copy of Window XP Pro?

Dano said:
Just to clarify, this is happening on a warm reboot too and not just a cold boot?

Yep

Dano · 25 Jan 2009 at 12:01

Blackstar_solar said:
Can this be done with any Windows CD? The Acer 180 didn't come with a restore CD or anything like that but I have a retail copy of Window XP Pro?

Yep

Yes, any xp cd will do and bugger

Blackstar_solar · 25 Jan 2009 at 15:43

Superficial said:
insert the windows CD and select windows repair then when prompted use the command chkdsk / r

this solves a huge number of boot issues

Tried chkdsk /r
It found a couple of errors and fixed them but didn't solve this issue...

I did get a message that the boot order had changed (just after it counts the RAM) was wondering if this could be a sign that the motherboard could be on the way out?

linktoinsanity · 26 Jan 2009 at 10:41

Have you tried replacing the CMOS battery?

Blackstar_solar · 26 Jan 2009 at 20:16

Sadly yes

Blackstar_solar said:
I've tried a new CMOS battery, same thing.

linktoinsanity · 27 Jan 2009 at 09:36

Blackstar_solar said:
Sadly yes

Oh sorry, didn't realised you'd already posted that

It could be a corrupted Boot.ini. As a last resort have you tried reformatting and reinstalling xp?

Another suggestion, I presume no USB hard drives are connected are they? As this caused havoc with my old P4 computer. I fixed this by disabling the legacy usb option in the BIOS. Another option could be to try another hard drive, as maybe your current one is wearing out?

That's it for suggestions from me I'm afraid, sorry for any repetition :eek:

Hope it helps.

Blackstar_solar · 27 Jan 2009 at 13:58

Mattf121 said:
It could be a corrupted Boot.ini.

What do you think of the one above?

Mattf121 said:
As a last resort have you tried reformatting and reinstalling xp?

Yeah and resetting using the hidden partition.

Mattf121 said:
Another option could be to try another hard drive, as maybe your current one is wearing out?

I was thinking of that too; after everything I've tried in Window (especially the format and reinstall) I'm nearly 100% its got to be a hardware problem.

Givem that Orthos and memtest turned up nothing, that really only leave the hard disk and motherboard. Can't seem to get anything else to fail (i.e. windows recovery console/normal windows operations etc, so thinking its prob not motherboard)

New/Borrrowed hard disk here I come!

Thanks very much for you help guys.