Windows XP won't start (Windows bar keeps hanging)

Antx777 · 6 Aug 2006 at 00:39

Hello,

My brothers pc - which has windows XP HOME on it won't boot up - he phoned me about the problem, but not sure how to fix it for him over the phone:

The "windows" bar like this>>>>

which you see when it is starting up just keeps going on till he turns it off = sometimes it does start up though.

If anyone can help - cheers

wesley · 6 Aug 2006 at 00:44

safe mode boot up ok?

Antx777 · 6 Aug 2006 at 00:48

Hello Wesley. He's not tried safe mode yet. He's doing a scan ATM (Drive C tools/check now etc) - so He won't be able to let me know for a while (does take some time this - even though the drive is small - 60 Gig/Hewlett packard.

Thanks

fatmas · 6 Aug 2006 at 00:57

If Safe mode doesn't work, try booting off of the Windows XP CD, Pressing "R" for repair and doing
"fixboot"
"fixmbr"
They sometimes work, usually only for unmountable boot volumes though.

Antx777 · 6 Aug 2006 at 01:02

Fatmas,

That pc (I used to own it) didn't come with a windows CD - the operating system is on a "secial" drive" (drive D- if i remember correctly) which is about 4 gigs big

Cheers

fatmas · 6 Aug 2006 at 01:05

ahhh a restore partition... You should be able to reload off of that. But it does sound like a reload is the way forward, Unless you can get into Safe mode and perform a system Restore.

Antx777 · 6 Aug 2006 at 01:15

I'll wait till he gets back to me, but a reload (format??) is out of the question (thus far) as he's a semi-pro photographer, with many thousands (some "unbacked" up also) photo's on his drive. Cheers anyway

Edit: He's just popped up on msn (sighs heavily)

Thanks

fatmas · 6 Aug 2006 at 01:17

He could always Slave his hard-drive into your PC and copy any important data to your pc.. Then a format would be fine...
What I always say to people:
"If the data is that important, Why hasn't it been backed up?"

I know you never know when a PC will break but that should mean regular backups....

Antx777 · 6 Aug 2006 at 01:22

Cheers fatmas. although he's up and running (and much faster he tells me), I will adhere some of what you said,

He's backed some of the data up, but he's run out of DVD's - and i wouldn't trust those anyway, as more than one DVD I have won't runb/load (Cyclic redundancy check)

Cheers

fatmas · 6 Aug 2006 at 01:23

If possible I back up to DVD and an External Drive For safety.. You can never be too safe with back ups though...
Im glad that he is up and running, PC's not playing fair causes much stress for me.