ATTN PC Techies - XP Start Up Issue - URGENT !.

[the_pack_rat]

I'm glad I have my laptop to fall back on.

On my PC running XP Pro, I can NOT get beyond the windows log on screen. When I start the computer, everything appears to be starting normally, & my desktop background will begin to appear(never gets far enough to see icons/programs tho), but, then I'm suddenly knocked back to the windows log-in screen.

The only choice available is "default". When I click on it, the status message in the default box will change to "loading your personal settings" & the desktop background will appear for a split second, then I'm bounced back to the log-on screen, where the default box will then tell me "logging off" & then "saving your settings". This whole ordeal(loading settings - logging off - savings settings & back) only last like 2 seconds total.

Basically I can NOT get beyond that screen, after several re-boots, including one where I was able to get to the desktop via safe mode & choose system restore to a check point yesterday when all was well.

There were never any passwords set in windows, or in any other programs that could be keeping me from starting up windows normally. The settings weren't even set up to prompt you to click on a user, I always went straight to my desktop. I don't think I could have picked up any viruses that could be causing this either. I tried to run Norton while in safe mode just to be sure, but it would NOT load for me. I was on the PC early this AM, & there were no signs of anything funky going on.

Brief poking around via google doesn't seem to be pulling up anything describing this exact issue, & all I seem to be getting is annoyed.

Any ideas what got got screwed up & how I can correct it ?. I need to fix this ASAP.

Thanks.

[MM03MOK]

<SMALL>Windows XP Professional

To start the computer in safe mode

<TABLE class=numberedList cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=listNumber noWrap align=right>1.




</TD><TD>You should print these instructions before continuing. They will not be available after you shut your computer down in step 2. </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=listNumber noWrap align=right>2.




</TD><TD>Click Start and then click Shut Down.</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=listNumber noWrap align=right>3.




</TD><TD>In the drop-down list of the Shut Down Windows dialog box, click Restart, and then click OK.</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=listNumber noWrap align=right>4.




</TD><TD>As your computer restarts but before Windows launches, press F8.
On a computer that is configured for booting to multiple operating systems, you can press F8 when the boot menu appears.
</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=listNumber noWrap align=right>5.




</TD><TD>Use the arrow keys to highlight the appropriate safe mode option, and then press ENTER. </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=listNumber noWrap align=right>6.




</TD><TD>If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot system, choose the installation that you need to access using the arrow keys, and then press ENTER.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></SMALL>
<SMALL></SMALL>
<SMALL></SMALL>
Run your anti-virus program and any spyware detector program you have too.
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/boot_failsafe.mspx?mfr=true

[the_pack_rat]

Snipping ......


Been there tried that & was able to get to the desktop & run system restore, but it didn't seem to fix things. I also could not run my Norton from the desktop in safe mode ... I kept getting an error message.

I'm stumped .....

Something tells me I'm gonna have to bust out the XP Pro disk at some point.

Well, off to bed .....

I had only wanted to come on-line to check email & pay a bill(figured 15 minutes tops) .....

But, been here fartin' around for close to (2) hours trying to figure this out.

I seem to have a gift for the simple & easiest of tasks, to go sour & turn into a fiasco.

:shake:

[Dark_Knight7096]

I have a problem with Windows XP Media Edition SP2 not loading past the Windows Splash Screen. I was given a Windows XP Recovery Disk by a friend who works at the Geek Squad that fixes it every time. IDK if you are having the same problem, but I doubt you have the proper prgram, I'm sorry I can't be of anymore help, but if all else fails, call a professional. I wish you nothing but the best of luck.

[MENINBLK]

Back up your system NOW.
Get a new hard drive and transfer the system to the new hard drive.

I had a Maxtor Hard drive do the same thing to me.

Replace it NOW...

[playbackreks]

It's either the hard drive or a currupt installation. Is S.M.A.R.T. on in the BIOS? If not, turn it on, reboot and see if it tells you "hard drive failure imminent". It depends on how old the hard drive is. It's a good idea to replace it if it is 3-4 years old.

If it's not the hard drive, boot to a XP CD, choose installation, and when it finds your current install, choose "R" for repair. This will take you through the windows installation again, but it will only overwrite system files. All of your user's programs and data will remain the same.

[MM2004]

Back up your system NOW.
Get a new hard drive and transfer the system to the new hard drive.

I had a Maxtor Hard drive do the same thing to me.

Replace it NOW...

What^^^he^^^said. Never a bad idea to have a backup on a regular basis.

I recently acquired a Seagate 2.5" external hard drive for the office, and love it!

No power cord needed as it is powered from the USB connection.

Seagate External 60GB Hard Drive
(USB 2.0, 5,400 RPM, 2MB - MPN: ST960801U2RK)
Price Range: $112.77 - $139.99

Keep us posted,

mike.

[magindat]

Using the disk to recover is on the right track. You could try a repair from the installation menu (boot from CD). If the hard drive is failing, the corrupt files will be replaced into sectors which are not corrupt. If you can get into safe mode, you may want to run error checking from the tools menu under c:'s properties. This will at least mark the bad sectors. Try to mark the bad sectors BEFORE the repair so it knows where not to write the system files.
Further, from the installation disk menus (boot from CD) you can choose the recovery console. You will need the administrator password which in your case appears to be blank. At the prompt use the command fixmbr. This means fix the master boot record. After that finishes (very quick) use fixboot c: This replaces the master boot record. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058/
Once you get windows to start, either clone the drive with a utility such as Norton's Ghost or some other such cloning utility or copy your important data off to your laptop.
PM me if you need additional assistance.
Rich

[Breadfan]

IMO it sounds like something else is up. Possibly a virus or malware attack. When you go back to the login screen, you get the login as "default"? By that do you mean that's the user that is shown?

Depending on who setup your PC, they may have specified that "default" be the user. Do you know if this is the case?

It reminds me of the Blaster worm a few years back that would shutdown your PC once you booted up. That was easily fixed by running "shutdown -a" from the command window...

I say boot to safe mode again. If it stays there and doesn't log you off safe mode then there is a program that is not working right.

How much into PC's are you? Are you comfrotable editing your registry?

You may want to disable some of the programs that load on startup to see what's going on. also, check your event logs. It's possible it could be something with the security auditing, and if setup a certain way the PC will logoff or powerdown when it can't write to the audit logs anymore.

Run in safemode and run a virus and spyware scan. Then check what programs are starting up and your event logs.

Check out this site, browse down to "Official Downlaods" http://www.merijn.org/downloads.html

These are very handy tools. Startup list can show you whats in the startup portions of the registry and ini areas without having to directly edit them. Hijack this is also a great tool for seeing if anything settings-wise has been changed - I used it on a friend's PC that was virtually unusable and it helped me return it to normal without a reformat.

Edit: In my opinion while I won't discount a corrupt drive or failing hard drive, most of the time it would not exhibit such behavior. A bad drive might crash a program, halt the OS, or cause a spontaneous reboot, but it typically will not gracefully log you off.

[the_pack_rat]

Being the whole entire PC is only a few months old(I built it) ..... I really don't believe this is hardware related. If the hardrive had gone fubar, or was going fubar ... I seriously doubt it would keep booting up to that log-in screen as fast as it does, & without issue. Additionally, the S.M.A.R.T program would have/should have told me if it was in fact ...... on the way out.

All the symptoms point to a software related glitch IMHO.

I'll have to look into this more later .....

Just got home @ an hour ago ..... I need a break.

[playbackreks]

If S.M.A.R.T. is enabled, and it's only a few months old... then it is definitely not the drive. My suggestion was to restore windows through the install CD.

What anti-virus program are you running? If all windows updates are installed and you are running a good antivirus app, then it's probably not a virus unless kids use the computer.

Instructions:
<table class="numberedList" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td class="listNumber" align="right" nowrap="nowrap">1.
</td><td>When the Press any key to boot from CD message is displayed on your screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td class="listNumber" align="right" nowrap="nowrap">2.
</td><td>Press ENTER when you see the message To setup Windows XP now, and then press ENTER displayed on the Welcome to Setup screen.
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td class="listNumber" align="right" nowrap="nowrap">3.
</td><td>Do not choose the option to press R to use the Recovery Console.
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td class="listNumber" align="right" nowrap="nowrap">4.
</td><td>In the Windows XP Licensing Agreement, press F8 to agree to the license agreement.
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td class="listNumber" align="right" nowrap="nowrap">5.
</td><td>Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press R to repair Windows XP.
</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td class="listNumber" align="right" nowrap="nowrap">6.
</td><td>Follow the instructions on the screen to complete Setup.
</td></tr></tbody></table>

[the_pack_rat]

I run Norton & have been for years, without any issues. I always keep it up to date.

If I _did_manage to pick up some sort of virus .....

It would be the FIRST one in almost 10 years.

[playbackreks]

So fix XP :)

[Breadfan]

It need not be a virus, or even malware for that matter, it could just be a program that is failing.

Do not reinstall windows just yet - don't give into temptation so easily. :)

Try some of the things I metnioned. Obviously something in the startup scripts or a program that runs on startup is causing this failure since it doesn't occur in safemode.

Check your event logs, both system and security - if it's a security audit problem that could cause the OS to forcibly log you off to be "safe".

What user are you logging in as? "Default?" Did you setup that user?

Good luck!

[BruteForce]

Go back in using Safe Mode and turn off the "auto restart" option. Then you should be able to see the blue screen error if there is one. That should give you a hint if its a driver or something like that.

From the Desktop...
Right click "My Computer"
Select Properties
Click the "Advanced" tab
Click the "Settings" button under "Startup and Recovery"
UNcheck the box next to "Automatically restart"
"OK" & "Apply" your way back to the Desktop and reboot.

[usafsniper]

It's either the hard drive or a currupt installation. Is S.M.A.R.T. on in the BIOS? If not, turn it on, reboot and see if it tells you "hard drive failure imminent". It depends on how old the hard drive is. It's a good idea to replace it if it is 3-4 years old.

If it's not the hard drive, boot to a XP CD, choose installation, and when it finds your current install, choose "R" for repair. This will take you through the windows installation again, but it will only overwrite system files. All of your user's programs and data will remain the same.


What he said. Also, Norton is the biggest glitch maker in the world. Dump it and get the AVG Free edition at www.grisoft.com (http://www.grisoft.com). Then spend 19 dollars on Tuneup Utilities (Windows Maintenance program) and it will help keep anything like that from happening in the future, baring equipment failure.

[playbackreks]

I use AVG on all my systems... catches a lot that Norton doesn't

[Marauderjack]

After 7 years I finally had to DUMP Norton.....It is full of glitches.....PRIMARY target of hackers.......And costs way to much for phone support!!:mad2: :argue:

I used a program called "Hijack This" to find all problems and it fixed everything!!:beer:

Send me an email and I'll return you this program to try!!;)

Marauderjack:burnout:

[playbackreks]

After 7 years I finally had to DUMP Norton.....It is full of glitches.....PRIMARY target of hackers.......And costs way to much for phone support!!:mad2: :argue:

I used a program called "Hijack This" to find all problems and it fixed everything!!:beer:

Send me an email and I'll return you this program to try!!;)

Marauderjack:burnout:

Hijackthis only fixes IE problems... you still need some form of Antivirus. Download AVG from here: http://www.filehippo.com/download_avg_antivirus/