BleepingComputer.com: Premature shutdown of XP - can't reboot

Hello to all, sorry to add another problem to you your day but I am paying for my computer sins namely being impatient
with a system that is erratic in shutting down. I usually wait a decent interval and when it doesn't shut down I turn
off the switch when the screen goes blue and stays there. I've gotten away with this more or less. Last night while
the message was "please wait while windows is shutting down" I waited awhile and then shut it off. I had never done
this before during the process of a shutdown.

Today when I turn the switch on and push the boot button on the desktop hard drive I get the green light and the sounds that the
hard drive is turning over but nothing on the screen, the software seems dead in the water. I've checked connections thoroughly
and tried putting the operating system in the cd drive as well as the utilities and driver discs but nothing but nothing occurs.

I have recovery disks if necessary but I understand they will wipe out files and I don't have a current backup, my backup software
has given me problems I've never resolved so I'm some months behind on that requirement.

Can't live without my computer, any help deeply appreciated.

Hope to return the favor


Hapless Hugh

System manufacturer and model?

If custom/self-built...motherboard manufacturer and model...and whether you were using onboard video.

Louis

Using the power button to shut down the system is not a good idea and can cause lost clusters along with other more serious issues. Doing it continually is certainly not a good idea. If I were you the first thing I'd do is download the diagnostic utility from the hd manufacturer, burn it to cd, and run it at boot. Let's see where that gets us.

This post has been edited by Allan: 03 February 2011 - 11:53 AM