PC Pals Forum
Technical Help & Discussion => Self Building, Upgrading & General Hardware Help => Topic started by: TR on April 13, 2008, 09:28
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Another Hard ware problem.. >:( (The bosses sons PC)
This 1 has me stumped :cry: everything I have tried leads to the same BSOD as below...can't even access the safe screen (F8)
Hopefully one of you kind peoples will know the answer? I think it's the hard drive thats Knackered
(https://www.pc-pals.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv489%2Fhook7%2Ffredspc.jpg&hash=d5b3f8d56a1809484c986e17004bb8c4bc446211)
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Hi Terry,
As you know, my technical expertise only extends as far as Googling, but if you haven't already seen it, this may help:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297185
If not, I'm sure someone will be along later with some ideas. :)
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so is it actually booting windows? just thats what the error message sort of indicates? can you run fsck? oh wait, sorry..the windows equivalent to scan the disk...
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CHKDSK, Sam.
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Ok.. that's the housework done, now to the problem of XP not booting.
I have tried using XP pro disk to boot (set bios) so that I could try a repair, but every time I boot it comes up with that screen, it wont even go into safe mode (f8) I am flummexed to what could stop this from booting, can't even get to a black screen to run chkdisk.
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Does this help:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=315403&sd=RMVP
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Not really Rik, I have the all the latest updates to use? but can't get past the Blue screen to update the PC.............. unless I'm missing something (tunnel Vision) :crazy:
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I had this problem awhile back
something went wrong in an update
I had to use my repair disc to fix it
I did it as an update and saved all files
this worked for me
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davy,
The problem I have is can't get past the blue screen.. what ever I do it comes up against the blue screen?
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If you have your xp cd you can stick it in and boot off the cd. The cd has a repair option for rickydooed installations. You need to set the computer to boot from the cdrom first before it will go ahead and do it. That's probably why your hitting the blue screen over and over again if you haven't already set it.
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Reno, I have the bios set to read Cd 1st and tried booting to CD that was my initial reaction.
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Another shot in the dark, but have you opened up the case and checked the connections to the mobo and hard drive, Terry? Also, I don't know if it would be of any use, but what about Sandra's trick of resetting the BIOS by removing the CMOS battery, or using the CMOS jumpers?
Isn't it great when you're given a machine to repair?! ;D
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Reno, I have the bios set to read Cd 1st and tried booting to CD that was my initial reaction.
And.. Did it boot off the cd, or did it go directly to the bluescreen?
The blue screen is a message initiated by the current installation on the hard drive. Ergo, if the blue screen pops up before the windows cd bootscreen then its not booting from the cd.
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The CD runs then goes straight to the Blue screen, I will give it another shot tomorrow. The guy who's PC this is didnt have the original Disk it was built as a favour and was built on XP pro, so I thought I would try my XP pro disk to see if it would boot from there.
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Post a picture of what you see when it runs the cd.
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I think Terry is saying that the first screen he gets is the one in the original post, Bob. :)
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To check that it is actually booting off the CD, does it say press any key to boot off the CD ?
If it doesnt then its trying to boot off the hard disk as Bob has said.
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When I boot with the cd "IN" then boot the pc, the cd whirs (sp) up then sits there spinning for 30 seconds then boots into the blue screen, does it matter if I dont have the original XP pro?
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Its not booting off the CD, it should ask you to press a key to boot off CD.
It shouldnt matter which OS CD you use, it should still go to a screen that asks you to press any key to boot of CD as it will do that before it even accessess the hard drive, regardless of which OS is actually on the hard drive.
I think that you have a faulty XP CD or for some reason its still set in bios to boot off the hard drive before the CD.
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What would resetting the BIOS do, San? Is the default to boot from the CD?
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No the default settings used to be Floppy as first device, then it could be either the hard drive or cd, dependig on the particular bios version being used on that pc.
Even with newer pcs not having a floppy fited they still often have the floppy controller on the mobo.
It could possibly be that the CD needs to be in the other CD/DVD drive, if the pc has two drives fitted. I have had that problem before.
It definately will ask you to press a key though if it is able to boot off the CD.
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So, if the BIOS isn't set to boot from the CD, how can Terry get past that screen, if he can't get into the BIOS to check / alter it?
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He can get into the bios, as thats before the blue screen.
You can even access the bios on pcs without any drives being connected.
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Ah, OK, sounds like that's what Terry needs to do then.
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Right.. this is where I'm at :crazy:
I have put the hard drive into a thid PC where I know the CD units are ok..loaded my spare XP home where ..bugger me it went into the Press a key to start the CD but because it's a home edition it wont load properly (repair) on the XP pro edition?
Now I naffed, cause I dont have a good XP pro edition ::)
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Thats awkward Terry but can you find out why it wont boot on your original CD, maybe its a similar thing to Lonas problem and the IDE cable needs pulling out and replacing again to make sure its connecting properly ?
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I can actually get to the screen where it says..enter safe mode etc now, but when I enter for safe mode it goes back to the blue screen?
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Just found an old XP pro disk that someone gave me.. it's in bloody german lol :dunno: Sandra, can you give me a screen shot on what should be on the XP pro disk?
Also when I pressed "R" fpr repair it asked for an administrator password :o:
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Do you mean like this Terry ?
(https://www.pc-pals.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi288.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll182%2Fstaylor51%2FXPCD.jpg&hash=ff0b36dc17eadd708ada8d73686cf0a4ea1febfa)
The password will probably be blank so just press enter or possibly admin or administrator, hopefully.
Crappy pic, this may be better :
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll182/staylor51/XPCD.jpg
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here is the picture of the files I have on the disk? is there any difference
(https://www.pc-pals.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv489%2Fhook7%2Fxppro.jpg&hash=2b7caaf1315b24ceb132927a9d67623e9ce797f5)
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Do you like Vista's snipping tool lol :laugh:
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Theres nothing significant Terry, yours is XP with SP2 whereas mines only got SP1 on it.
The thing that you need which is common to both is the i386 folder, thats where all the windows stuff is.
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I wonder why it doesnt work on auto detect :cry:
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Have you got any other cds that are bootable Terry, such as an old 98SE, Linux or even Vista ?
Have you tried the CD in both drives, if you have 2 as it may look at the master and not see a bootable cd in it and then go to the hard drive.
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To get it to this stage? I have taken the hard drive out and put into a Vista machine that I have been experimenting with... I suspect it's a very bad Virus.
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Well it wont repair or boot in a diff pc Terry, Microsofts silly copying protection thing will stop it.
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Well to cut a long story short ;D
Ordered a new hard drive for him, and will install it on Friday.
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It doesnt sound like its a hard drive problem if it wont boot off the CD Terry :dunno: