BleepingComputer.com: Windows will not load.

I have a HP Pavilion ZV6100 Laptop with 512mb Ram, 2000mhz AMD Athlon 64 processor with Windows XP Service Pack 2.

The HP screen comes up and says esc to change boot menu, f10 for setup, and f12 to boot from LAN.

Without pressing anything, the splash screen does not load. Instead it is a blank black screen with a blinking cursor at the top left hand corner.

I've tried inserting the windows recovery disc and the drivers load and then it freezes when it gets to "setup is starting windows"
I tried hitting the f5 option and starting it under the standard pc option, but it shutsdown a few seconds after it gets to the "setup is starting windows"

I get the last known configuration screen to load every now and then:
Safe mode: freezes after the "mup.sys" loads.
Safe mode networking: freezes after the "mup.sys" loads.
Safe mode Command Prompt: freezes after the "mup.sys" loads.
Last known configuration: freezes with a blank screen NO cursor.
Start up normaly: freezes with a blank screen NO cursor.

I also tried loading up a different OS such as Ubuntu, and many older/newer version cd's will not load with it.

I've tried doing a lot of searching but I have no clue what to do anymore. :S

A few questions:

Did this problem suddenly show up on boot up following a normal shutdown?

Have you disconnected everything from your system (i.e., no printer, cable modem, router, etc.,) to see if your system will start normally?

This post has been edited by Over50: 10 January 2009 - 12:08 AM

It just happened after a normal shutdown.
And it's a laptop, so theres nothing plugged into it, and everything is removed from all the external plugs as well.

I would check the RAM since it is global across multiple OS's and boot loaders.
Also could be a bios issue but I would check your RAM.

Run Memtest86
http://www.memtest86.com/download.html

Also you should test the Hard Drive Diagnostic tools supplied by the manufacturer of your hard drive.

This post has been edited by lowtek_otc: 10 January 2009 - 01:13 AM

FWIW: Black Screen (fixmbr) - http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;314503

Louis

I already tried memtest and it would not even startup.
And microsoft help fails because I can't even get into safe mode to use fixmbr.
):

Also, I am running the 85 minute diagnostic tool right now.

This post has been edited by blue mustard: 10 January 2009 - 10:23 AM

Ok, Well I just ran the HDD Self-test under the BIOS and after 2 minutes it stops and says "Test Status: FAIL" and nothing else and no reasons why...
-.-

I have no clue what to do with it now. ):

The fixmbr command does not run from safe mode...it's runs from the Recovery Console of the XP CD...or you can download an .iso of the Recovery Console, burn that to CD, and run the command from the resultant bootable CD.

Louis

as someone who had to use his computer's safe mode for quite some time, mup.sys can take quite a bit to load, for me, before i got rid of the original master for this computer, i had my current drive as a slave, and i had to always start in safemode before i could start windows normally, and it would take about 10 minutes for mup.sys to load.

so, my question is, have you ever tried just waiting it out?

over 2 hours i left it. mup never loaded. :l

Is there anywhere you know of that i can download the recovery console iso?

wow. hmm... no, actually, i wouldn't. if you get a function key to change boot device option, like i did, then boot from the CD, and the recovery console is in there, you just have to navigate to it. you'll get an option from your CD when it gets to the menu, to either start a fresh install of XP, or repair a current one. that'll take you to the recovery console. from there, you should be able to run fixmbr, like luis suggested.

the cd wont start up to the menus.

After all of the drivers load, it says "setup is starting windows" and freezes. :l

blue mustard, on Jan 10 2009, 12:37 PM, said:

I found this via a Google search that "may" be what you're looking for - if you're running Vista, in particular the 4th paragraph. I only did a cursory scan of the rest of the posts but hopefully you'll find something of use.

Other than this, given the problem was sudden after a normal shutdown and no issues prior, it may well be your HD has failed or become damaged. I went through a similar exercise a couple of years ago where, even having stumbled my way through numerous recovery console attempts to get back to a working system, nothing worked. Unlike you however I was able to do a fresh Windows (XP) reload but within days I would experience the normal shutdown/won't boot up scenario. The "fix" for me was a new HD.

the recovery console iso wont boot up.
very few cd's actually boot. :l