Airliners.net

Hello.

I'm experiencing a little problem with my stationary computer. I'm using XP for that machine, which in the past hasn't given me any grief, but now, all of a sudden, won't start up. I start the computer, the loading screen for XP comes up, but instead of actually starting XP, the computer reboots. And it just keeps doing this, ad infinitum. I've tried starting Windows XP in safe mode, but alas, this does not work.

Any tips from people more PC-savvy than me?

P.S. Don't tell me to buy a Mac instead. It's a little too after-the-fact for that, since simply buying a new computer (no matter how shiny, or practical, or whatever) will not help me with my current problem.   

Cheers
mats

You can (and bloody SHOULD) run Ubuntu Linux (or indeed any other Linux distro that targets the x86 architecture) on your current PC; no Mac needed.

That said - do you still have the CD from which your current XP was installed? Or, any boot CD at all? 'Cause then you could set your BIOS too boot directly from CD rather than hard drive; and see if the PC boots that way. If it does then you've probably got a corrupted boot image on your HD.

The first thing is to disable the automatic booting on error. Press F8 at the very beginning (or rather, click furiously, but see if you have a keyboard with an F-lock light and see it's on!), and choose "disable automatic boot on error" or words to that effect. This should allow you to inspect the error message a little closer. Often in these cases it's the display adapter. Also, if you have made any hardware changes (apparently not), choose the "last configuration that worked" from the above menu.

Quoting Airstud (Reply 1): You can (and bloody SHOULD) run Ubuntu Linux (or indeed any other Linux distro that targets the x86 architecture) on your current PC; no Mac needed.

Thanks, a Linux-savvy friend of mine is coming by with an Ubuntu disk later this evening, unless I manage on my own.

Quoting AverageUser (Reply 2):

I managed to disable the automatic reboot, and the error message states that "The Windows Logon Process system process terminated unexpectedly". Yeah, I kinda already figured that one out   . Starting with "last configuration that worked" doesn't work either. Seems that it's my logon that's messed up, since that process is what's failing...

Anywho, thanks for the help!

Cheers
Mats

Quoting Doona (Reply 3): "The Windows Logon Process system process terminated unexpectedly". Yeah, I kinda already figured that one out

You actually get pretty far in the booting process, at least much of your hardware seem to work ok. Hard disk failure is one possibility, your user account database may be corrupt.

Quoting Doona (Reply 3): Thanks, a Linux-savvy friend of mine is coming by with an Ubuntu disk later this evening, unless I manage on my own.

I'd advise against installing another OS at the moment. Any serious hardware faults will not go away, they'll surface eventually.

Well, he does not have to INSTALL it; he can just run from CD. That way he can view the filesystem and do some hardware diagnostics too.

Quoting Airstud (Reply 5): Well, he does not have to INSTALL it; he can just run from CD. That way he can view the filesystem and do some hardware diagnostics too.

The first tool I'd run would be smartctl http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/smartmontools/wiki -- and he needs to make a swift copy of everything he needs to keep.

I have the exact same problem in a dual boot computer. Ubuntu works fine, but Windows Vista keeps rebooting in the exact same way the OP mentions. I'll try disabling the automatic reboot. The Windows Vista repair option from CD didn't work. Are you aware of any option that don't involve a full reinstall? Is this some sort of virus or trojan horse you are aware of?

Quoting AM744 (Reply 7): but Windows Vista keeps rebooting in the exact same way the OP mentions.

There's a multitude of problems that will result in the same symptom -- you need to look at the actual error message. Since you have a dual boot system, It could be your boot handler is corrupt. The reinstallation will not modify them, but you can force a rewrite of all boot data, and likely lose the dual boot option in the process.

There. You See? Both Macs AND PCs have their own issues. Let's stop attacking each other for our preferred platforms. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

(See This Is Why I Will Never Buy An Apple Computer.)

Quoting Doona (Reply 3): Starting with "last configuration that worked" doesn't work either. Seems that it's my logon that's messed up, since that process is what's failing...

I find that setting is utterly useless, if you can get into safe mode I would try using system restore to roll back your computer to a date before this started happening if there is an option to do so. Windows usually does a daily checkpoint which you can roll back to and also does one whenever Windows update does anything.

This sounds like a virus attack that I had before. When you start normally and after the Windows XP loading screen finishes loading (normally it goes to the blue welcome screen) but if your machine is infected with this virus, it reboots itself everytime before the welcome screen loads. If you start up with safe mode you can see the bottom of the screen loading a weird file name from the C drive and then the machine reboots itself everytime this weird file loads.
I had to re install Windows and everything was back to normal.
Maybe going to the PC specialists can help you remove the virus without re installing Windows.
But re installing is the quickest and easiest way, you'll lose all the files from the C drive but the computer becomes just as fast as a brand new one.

  

Quoting StarAC17 (Reply 10): I find that setting is utterly useless, if you can get into safe mode I would try using system restore to roll back your computer to a date before this started happening if there is an option to do so.

That in fact does what you describe -- and conveniently from the startup menu. Last known good configuration will be rolled back from a restore point.

Quoting AverageUser (Reply 12): That in fact does what you describe -- and conveniently from the startup menu. Last known good configuration will be rolled back from a restore point.

If this was a virus attack, Last Known Good Configuration doesn't work at all.

Quoting AverageUser (Reply 12): That in fact does what you describe -- and conveniently from the startup menu. Last known good configuration will be rolled back from a restore point.

I know it does but I find that it rolls back to a restore point that has the problem that I'm trying to solve where as with System restore I can choose which restore point to roll back to.