Wierd boot up problem

[ges]

I've tried the things mentioned here and other stuff I've looked up on the internet, but the bootup problem is just getting worse.

I made a bootlog file, but it is all greek to me.

Now the computer isn't even displaying the memory check, etc., the monitor just flashes slowly on and off and there is disk access but no boot up.

I did get it rebooted once today and when it was up and running it seemed to function fine and be stable, so I hate to reformat (no...all my data is not backed up) if it is just some kind of boot problem.

I have the system recovery CD that came with the computer. I hate to be so ignorant, but how do I get the system to boot from that CD? I've inserted it, but I still just get the flashing screen.

If I just let it run, then it eventually gets to the user screen, but now, after I click on my account, it just goes back to the screen slowly blinking on and off.

Can I salvage this some way?

If not, how do I restore/reinstall the system.

Thanks for your help; I am ignorant of windows.

I'm on my old W98 laptop that has been chugging along for 3 years with no problems.

ges

 

[Free Thinker]

Quote from ges:



I've tried the things mentioned here and other stuff I've looked up on the internet, but the bootup problem is just getting worse.

I made a bootlog file, but it is all greek to me.

Now the computer isn't even displaying the memory check, etc., the monitor just flashes slowly on and off and there is disk access but no boot up.

I did get it rebooted once today and when it was up and running it seemed to function fine and be stable, so I hate to reformat (no...all my data is not backed up) if it is just some kind of boot problem.

I have the system recovery CD that came with the computer. I hate to be so ignorant, but how do I get the system to boot from that CD? I've inserted it, but I still just get the flashing screen.

If I just let it run, then it eventually gets to the user screen, but now, after I click on my account, it just goes back to the screen slowly blinking on and off.

Can I salvage this some way?

If not, how do I restore/reinstall the system.

Thanks for your help; I am ignorant of windows.

I'm on my old W98 laptop that has been chugging along for 3 years with no problems.

ges

system recovery disk will destroy your data. i suggest you get a new hd or backup important data the next time you get it running if you ever do. i just got a new wd hard drive. it came with data transfer software.
just plug it in and a few mouse clicks and it was done. took less than an hour. so far everything seems perfect. it was amazingly simple.
one possible thing you could try is system restore. it will restore your system to a previous time when you know it was working. that is easy in xp. just go start programs accessories system tools system restore. that might work if its software related.

 

[Free Thinker]

"I have the system recovery CD that came with the computer. I hate to be so ignorant, but how do I get the system to boot from that CD? I've inserted it, but I still just get the flashing screen. "

that cd is self booting.

 

[ges]

Quote from vhehn:

"I have the system recovery CD that came with the computer. I hate to be so ignorant, but how do I get the system to boot from that CD? I've inserted it, but I still just get the flashing screen. "

that cd is self booting.

It's in the drive, but won't boot.

Maybe I've got some other hardware problem. BIOS? I haven't a clue.

Now it will get to the 'user account' screen (after a looong time), but when I click on my account it goes of to blinking on/off again and nothing else.

ges

 

[ges]

Quote from vhehn:

system recovery disk will destroy your data. i suggest you get a new hd or backup important data the next time you get it running if you ever do. i just got a new wd hard drive. it came with data transfer software.
just plug it in and a few mouse clicks and it was done. took less than an hour. so far everything seems perfect. it was amazingly simple.
one possible thing you could try is system restore. it will restore your system to a previous time when you know it was working. that is easy in xp. just go start programs accessories system tools system restore. that might work if its software related.

I've got a hard disk on order, should be here next week, but if I can't get it to boot off the CD then how can I get the new drive installed? Maybe it's something else.

ges

 

[ges]

Sometimes I get the memory test page and such, other times not even that. This time I've managed to get into the setup page, but I don't know enough to know what might be worth changing.

How do you flash the BIOSROM? And would this possibly help?

Lost...

ges

 

[Free Thinker]

Quote from ges:

Sometimes I get the memory test page and such, other times not even that. This time I've managed to get into the setup page, but I don't know enough to know what might be worth changing.

How do you flash the BIOSROM? And would this possibly help?

Lost...

ges

doubt that flashing the bios is the problem. can you get into setup. change the boot sequence and make sure the cd boots first. then put system restore cd in. then reboot the computer. that should allow the cd to boot. warning using the system restore disk will delete your data.

 

[Free Thinker]

what were you doing when this problem first started. were you installing or deleting software? were you changing anything? if it just started out of the blue one morning i suspect a hard drive problem.

 

[ron2368]

If you get to the bios setup page just reset your bios to the defaults.

If that works and you cant boot to cd then you may have to go into bios and change boot sequence from floppy to the cd.

 

[ges]

Quote from vhehn:

what were you doing when this problem first started. were you installing or deleting software? were you changing anything? if it just started out of the blue one morning i suspect a hard drive problem.

The only thing I can think of is that I was using Outlook Express when all those MyDoom virus infected messages started showing up in my mailbox. However, I never opened any of them, but deleted them and ran virus check and all was clean.

But...Outlook Express hung up for some reason when trying to download those messages. I don't know if it was the virus checking or what. So I had to force it to quit. This problem started up on the next boot attempt after that. But I can't see any obvious association.

Still messing with it and now not getting booted in at all.

Any idea why I can't boot off the CD?

When the new hard disk arrives, can I just put it in as the master drive and install xp from the CD?

ges