Topic: Problem starting Windows Xp

[firfirikos]

Suddenly i have this problem:My pc can't start winXp and it stacks before starting them.The strange thing is that when i change BIOS to boot from cd (the cd of WindowsXp) i see:"press any key to boot from cd".i' don't press any key and it starts winXP.When i have in bios "boot from hard drive" it stacks.

[Sandra]

Hi firfirikos, Welcome aboard  
It sounds like its not reading the system files on the hard drive.
Have you had the OS on for a long time or is it a recent installation ?
Have you tried doing a system restore or start in last known good config ?
 

[firfirikos]

It sounds like its not reading the system files on the hard drive.
Have you had the OS on for a long time or is it a recent installation ?
Have you tried doing a system restore or start in last known good config ?

I made format on hard drive c and i installed again winXp but....nothing....

[Sandra]

Whats the exact sequence that you have set the bios to when you have it set to boot from hard drive and have you just got the one drive installed and if so is it set as a master ?

[firfirikos]

I don't think that it is from bios the problem,because i set default settings (in bios) and the problem didn't dissapear...

[Sandra]

We have to work through this problem in a logical order so it would be nice to know what the boot sequence is set at in bios and how many drives and partitions you have and if the boot drive is set as a master  

[firfirikos]

We have to work through this problem in a logical order so it would be nice to know what the boot sequence is set at in bios and how many drives and partitions you have and if the boot drive is set as a master  

Yes,you are right...so..
Primary master:Hard disk
Primary slave:auto
Secondary master:cd-rom
Secondary slave cd-rw

Removable device  None
Ide harddrive w123..(tha name of hard drive )
atapi cd-rom   none
other boot device   none
I have 1 hard drive and no partitions...only C:
thanks for your help..

[Sandra]

So in the bios when it wouldnt boot from the hard drive was it set to boot from HDD 0 ?
I apologise for asking such basic questions but I dont know what level of expertise you have and so I have to assume that you may know very little  
If it was set to HDD 0 then have you run CHKDSK, that will tell you if you have any probs with the drive or file system ?

[firfirikos]

I have done chkdsk but still nothing...

[Sandra]

When you select boot from CD does it go into windows and run normally or does it try to reinstall XP ?

[firfirikos]

When you select boot from CD does it go into windows and run normally or does it try to reinstall XP ?

It goes into windows and run normally!

[Sandra]

Can you get into safe mode when the bios is set to boot from the hard drive ?
If not then I think that there is a problem with the MBR  

[firfirikos]

Can you get into safe mode when the bios is set to boot from the hard drive ?
If not then I think that there is a problem with the MBR  

But it stacks before windows loading,when it boots from hard disk,and i can't get into safe mode

[Sandra]

A bit of a long shot but did you format the drive and then reinstall XP or did you let XP format it as it was installing ?

I have found this in microsofts knowledge base :

SYMPTOMS
After you install Windows XP, you may observe a "Previous Operating System on Drive Letter:" entry on the Boot menu.
CAUSE
This problem can occur if your hard-disk partition had been created and formatted before you installed Windows XP.
RESOLUTION
To work around this problem, modify the Boot.ini file to remove this entry.

[firfirikos]

I format the drive and then reinstall...