BleepingComputer.com: I Can't Start Windows Xp

So I let ChkDsk run and it went through the five steps. It took about 3 hours. It finished told me that everything was fine, then rebooted my computer. When everything started up, it went back to the ChkDsk screen with this: "Checking file systems on C: The type of the file system is NTFS. The volume is clean. Windows has finished checking the disk."

Then it just sat there like that. I let it sit there for about 30 minutes, I tried a few keys (like Esc, Enter, etc), but nothing happened. I forced it to reboot and it started ChkDsk again!

What do I do now?

I'd run the appropriate hard drive diagnostic on that hard drive. Extended/long test.

Hard Drive Installation and Diagnostic Tools - http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic28744.html

Louis

Before I do a diagnostic test from Seagate, I think I need to be able to get into windows. I can't do that at this point. I guess I will try to make a disk with Seagate's tools - from another computer. In the meantime, I ran a few diagnostics that Dell has preinstalled and that can boot up before the login screen. I got a couple of error codes that I think I'm going to share with Dell and see what they can tell me. I am still trying to find a way to at least boot up to windows once. When I do finally get in, I know that I'm going to have to run a few scans...

Just to conclude this thread...One of the error codes I received from using the Dell Diagnostic Tool is indicative of my hard drives failing. Dell got a technician to come over and install new hard drives. Then my problems exploded, and I was heartbroken to find that my CD/DVD drives were fried. I purchased a lovely external CD/DVD drive and was finally able to load in windows to the new hard drives. Even though the Seagate tools would probably have helped, with Dell - due to my warranty coverage - I was able to able to get around this issue and start anew. Whew! Of course I would be really up a creek if I didn't run a back up every two weeks! If I didn't have that copy I would probably be finding a new place to live. Thanks for the help.

Glad you resolved it, happy computing .

Louis

This same problem of looping chkdsk happened to me this morning after I scheduled a chkdsk.

After trying all the above proposed solutions with no success and with further research, I managed to solve this problem as follows:-

I booted up the PC with the Windows XP boot disc, I selected Repair option to go to the command prompt.

I then changed directory to C:\WINDOWS\system32. In that subdirectory, I renamed AUTOCHK.EXE to AUTOCHK.EXE.BAK and CHKDSK.EXE to CHKDSK.EXE.BAK.

Then I exited and rebooted (using c drive).

Windows XP will report Autochk as missing and will proceed to boot as normal.

Once back into Windows, I ran CMD, at command prompt, I typed CHKNTFS /X C:. I then rebooted.

Once rebooted back into Windows, I renamed AUTOCHK.EXE.BAK and CHKDSK.EXE.BAK back to their original names.

So far Windows is still working!