BleepingComputer.com: Windows won't boot

I am running windows XP on my home desktop. I recently returned home from a short trip to find the computer unable to properly boot windows. My nephew was the last one to use it - he claims the mouse started moving too slowly so he went to restart it, and it has been ailing ever since. He claims to not have done anything that might have caused the problem.

The computer seems to start normally, perhaps a little slowly. It stops dead at the "welcome" page of windows. Sometimes I get the windows "song" and sometimes I don't.

I have tried to get it to boot to safe mode (using F8) with no avail. It spontaneously started to safe mode once, but still hung at the welcome page.

From the setup screen before windows boots, I can see all of my hard-drives - it doesn't appear that any of them is dead.

I have checked that all the obvious connections are not loose (memory, hard drives, etc.) and nothing appears amiss.

I am going to check the battery on the mother board - not sure that even if it was dead it could stop up the works this bad, but it's all I can think of at this point.

Any help would be immensely appreciated!!!

Tobias

Hi Tobias -
If this is not moved to the infected area then please try this - On start up boot into BIOS (mine is to hit the delete tab as soon as the Black screen opens) and make sure your hard drive is listed as the first item to start - This will mean it is at the top of the list of items to start - The other option I can think of as a quick idea is to insert your XP CD prior to start up and see if it will open -
Thank you -

EDIT - If you have a hand book ensure the other settings in BIOS are matched to your hand book -

This post has been edited by noknojon: 02 April 2010 - 07:30 PM

System manufacturer and model?

Have you run any diagnostic programs provided by the system manufacturer?

Do you have a Microsoft Genuine XP CD?

Any error message?

Louis

Thanks for the replies.

I checked the boot device - it is set correctly.

I also found the Windows XP disk - I got it to start the Recovery Console. I ran checkdisk on all of the hard drives - everything came up clean.

I am at a loss as to what to do next - any sugestions?

System manufacturer and model?

How many hard drives are attached? I suggest that you disconnect (temporarily) all but the boot drive...and see if that's successful.

What command did you use to run chkdsk from the Recovery Console?

Louis

UPDATE - I got it to boot - it's a bit of a mess - all kinds of windows errors and it looks like I have to uninstall and reinstall a bunch of stuff (iTunes, etc.)

Not sure if this is something caused by a virus or malware - looks more like the dreaded nephew did something to the bios settings. To be sure I wanted to do as thorough a virus/malware check as possible. Any suggestions as to what I should run? On a general basis I run Notron 360 - does a pretty good job generally, but want to make sure nothing snuck by.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Also - to properly respond to Louis' questions above - a) don't have a system manufacturer or model - I built it myself. I ran chkdsk /p on all of the hard drives (there are 4 - seemed like a good idea at the time).

Tobias

Hi Tobias -
I always use this code for CHK DSK - It takes about 30 mins (5 stages) and will reboot your system - Cut and paste into Run box > Click OK -

CMD /C ECHO Y|CHKDSK C: /R | SHUTDOWN /R /T 30

Thank You -

Just as I thought...running chkdsk /p from the Recovery Console doesn't fix anything.

http://michaelstevenstech.com/r_c_cmds.htm See chkdsk.

I would go Start/Run...type chkdsk /r and hit Enter. Answer Y to onscreen query and hit Enter. Reboot the system and chkdsk /r will run on the system drive and then boot into XP.

Louis