Windows XP Error Message Upon Startup, Laptop Freezes Immediately

I have a Dell Latitude D630 laptop running Windows XP, and every time Windows loads up I receive the error message "DrWatson Postmortem Debugger has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

Error Signature:
EventType: BEX P1: drwtsn32.exe P2: 5.1.2600.0 P3: 3b7d84a2
P4: dbghelp.dll P5: 5.1.2600.5512 P6: 4820a0b2 P7: 0001295d
P8: c0000409 P9: 00000000

This error message occurs, regardless if you do or don't click on anything within a few seconds of the Windows screen starting up. I cannot do a system restore because anytime you hover the mouse over the bottom taskbar, the cursor is an hourglass. I have attempted to try the "backdoor" way to pull up the start menu by pressing the windows key...nothing. Once this message has come up, nothing on the computer will respond. I attempted to boot in Safe Mode, the same error message comes up, but the screen stays completely black with only Safe Mode in the corners, nothing else. I am at a loss. I would love to not have to reformat my computer, I have so much on my HDD and it seems impossible to backup anything at this point. Please help!!!

Go to the Security forum. Post a new topic in, Am I Infected? What do I do?
You my need another working computer to download a few repair tools. To use on your infected computer.
Otherwise, you may have to do a system recovery.

DrWatson can be a real pain (so I disable it on my computers) and hang up the machine for quite some time. I suggest starting the computer normally and then allowing DrWatson to do its thing. Give it an hour or two. Try Safe Mode if necessary. If, after two hours or so, the system is still frozen, then we have a problem to work on! Let me know if being patient has its reward.

Edit in reply to Nephilim1955: The system may not be infected with malware at all. Since the system cannot be used at all as it is, there is no point in posting in the Am I Infected? forum.

Thanks, I'll give it a shot and see what happens. I'll post the result after I try.

DrWatson can be a real pain (so I disable it on my computers) and hang up the machine for quite some time. I suggest starting the computer normally and then allowing DrWatson to do its thing. Give it an hour or two. Try Safe Mode if necessary. If, after two hours or so, the system is still frozen, then we have a problem to work on! Let me know if being patient has its reward.

Edit in reply to Nephilim1955: The system may not be infected with malware at all. Since the system cannot be used at all as it is, there is no point in posting in the Am I Infected? forum.

Seems like having to wait two hours to see if Dr. Watson does his thing, or not, is time that could be better spent towards a System Recovery. Which takes about 2 to 3 hours. If Registry Editor could be accessed, Dr. Watson could be deleted from Startup. Finally, if the choice was not to run System Recovery due to loss of important files, then downloading specialized repair tools to a flash drive or CD. On a working PC to be used on the (possibile)infected one, would be another possible fix.

I have a Dell Latitude D630 laptop running Windows XP, and every time Windows loads up I receive the error message "DrWatson Postmortem Debugger has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

Error Signature:
EventType: BEX P1: drwtsn32.exe P2: 5.1.2600.0 P3: 3b7d84a2
P4: dbghelp.dll P5: 5.1.2600.5512 P6: 4820a0b2 P7: 0001295d
P8: c0000409 P9: 00000000

This error message occurs, regardless if you do or don't click on anything within a few seconds of the Windows screen starting up. I cannot do a system restore because anytime you hover the mouse over the bottom taskbar, the cursor is an hourglass. I have attempted to try the "backdoor" way to pull up the start menu by pressing the windows key...nothing. Once this message has come up, nothing on the computer will respond. I attempted to boot in Safe Mode, the same error message comes up, but the screen stays completely black with only Safe Mode in the corners, nothing else. I am at a loss. I would love to not have to reformat my computer, I have so much on my HDD and it seems impossible to backup anything at this point. Please help!!!

Click the "FixIt" link on this Microsoft site to disable Dr. Watson: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/188296