hello daniweb community, can any one help me? my xp machine cannot log in to my desktop, after loading xp and when it shows the blue windows where the logo of xp is shown , it is stuck there forever. even if in safe mode its like that. is there any way to recover from this? how can i log into my destop, is there a way to reinstall xp without deleting my files? because i have important school works there that i needed badly. thanks, help me asap pls.

Seems to me you don't have much time to try troubleshooting so-

First try unplugging EVERYTHING except the keyboard out.If windows boots in plug them back one at a time until you find the problem.if not-

1.Insert windows cd and boot to it

2.Select install windows xp(don't worry we're not doing a wipe)

3.Select "repair current installation" and pick your windows installation. It looks like a windows installation but don't panic,you're files are safe,it's just re-installing the System files.You're desktop will be wiped clean but the files are still in your hard drive,just search for them.Please don't install a new windows!!!This will wipe you're data if you do it on the same partition.

If this doesn't work get back to me and I'll bring you through installing a secondary OS or how to take out the HD and get the files if you don't have enough free space

This is (usually) the quick easy fix.There are a few less drastic measures we could try but I'm guessing you need those files for school on monday.If you have time to tinker and don't want to repair we can try something else

thanks a lot "Teachingmyself", it worked and i got my files, ur a life saver!!!

You're welcome

Remember to mark the thread solved

I'm having exactly the same problem, but repair current windows installion is not an option when i tried it.

is there anything else i can do to make it work?

installing a fresh windows is an option but its the drivers that are the problem.
it took me so long to find the right drivers, i do have them all backed up, but, i have no idea which ones i forced and it took a solid 2 weeks to make it work! i reinstalled windows a million times.

the reason i get the "stuck blue screen before the welcome screen" in the first place is bacause... when my system was all perfect, i thought i'd make a backup because it was such a pain in the but to do, so i used "acronis true image home 11" trial version to do what i thought was a cloned image with even the hidden partition, to an external usb 3.5" drive (from my acer laptop 2.5" sata drive) but instead of copying the image, I/ACRONIS MOVED IT!

will acronis clone and external drive to another external drive?
would that work?
is there some replacing of drivers that i could do with a fresh copy of windows?

please help me, anybody?????