win xp stuck in a boot loop

[dave]

i used to know how to fix this, but its been a long time, going to look at it tomorrow its not mine.
it boots to log in screen saying its not been properly shut down.

do i delete pagefile.sys?

or what else shall i try?

Thanks

 

[jenks69]

First off see if it will boot into safe mode, then look at event logs and see what's causing the issue.

 

[dave]

it wont boot into safe mode, already told them to try that

 

[jenks69]

That sucks, I'd just back everything up (booting from ubuntu live CD or something) and then start again and re-install everything, over the years I've found once you fix something like this it'll happen again very quickly, so easier to just start again.

 

[Focus Owner]

throw some hirens in

 

[ChrisUK]

When you say boot loop is it booting fully then shutting down properly (as in it says Windows is shutting down)

 

[Magic Johnson]

Or is it saying 'Windows XP' and the loading bar and then rebooting sort of loop?

 

[jenks69]

Or is it flashing up a BSOD really quickly and then rebooting?

 

[dave]

it goes to the black screen where you choose safe mode or one of the others, when you click one it looks like its going to be ok but then restarts,

 

[Magic Johnson]

Sounds like a borked OS or an HDD failure.

 

[fingers99]

With an XP CD it should be fixeable see here for example. But I'd use a live CD (Knoppix by choice) to recover any data first, just in case.

And, in case of failure to get XP to behave, install a grown up operating system.............

 

[Magic Johnson]

Not if it doesn't recognise the OS. I wouldn't bother with it, it sounds like a failed or failing hard drive.

 

[jip0]

And, in case of failure to get XP to behave, install a grown up operating system.............

im guessing by that you mean linux?

so your saying install an operating system on someones computer which the chances are they cant use?

 

[Magic Johnson]

Lol @ the mature OS as well.

Given XP is 12 years old I think that's about as mature as it gets when it comes to OS, right?

 

[ChrisUK]

Lol @ the mature OS as well.

Given XP is 12 years old I think that's about as mature as it gets when it comes to OS, right?

What he mean't was an OS for competent adults. Something any build of Windows doesn't achieve.

 

[ChrisUK]

With an XP CD it should be fixeable see here for example. But I'd use a live CD (Knoppix by choice) to recover any data first, just in case.

And, in case of failure to get XP to behave, install a grown up operating system.............

:yeahthat:

I've fixed that problem no less than 20times since XP's launch.


Normally caused by corrupt / missing dll's in system32 folder. Once repaired do a full chkdsk followed by a hard disk test tool from the Hirens disk such as seagate seatools - this will give you a definate indicator if the HDD is dying.

 

[Magic Johnson]

How so? (@your previous post)

EDIT: You can't do a chkdsk if the XP cd doesn't recognise the install itself, no recovery console.

I've come across it loads, thank god for Dell's 5 year warranty is all I can say, that is far less a dig at XP than it is WD hard drives. I'd say maybe 1 in 5 are down to OS errors.

 

[fingers99]

im guessing by that you mean linux?

so your saying install an operating system on someones computer which the chances are they cant use?

Linux, if anything, is easier to use now than Windows. Indeed, many of the post XP graphical features seem inspired by KDE (a Linux desktop).

Anyway, they can't use it at all if the XP install is borked and they didn't get an XP CD, can they?

 

[Magic Johnson]

My experience with Linux is installing Ubuntu 10.04 on a VM and messing around for 5 minutes, and administrating a CentOS 5 proxy server. I hate the latter, swapping it for a Server 2008 VM instead.

I must admit I did like Ubuntu but can't be bothered to start using it, quite happy with W7 tbh.

 

[jip0]

Linux, if anything, is easier to use now than Windows. Indeed, many of the post XP graphical features seem inspired by KDE (a Linux desktop).

Anyway, they can't use it at all if the XP install is borked and they didn't get an XP CD, can they?

give your average user a linux install and see how often they ask you how to do this and that and how to install hardware and everything else.

no but you can re install xp and use the product key that should be stuck somewhere on the machine. not ideal but it is a way round the problem if you cant repair it