Trouble starting up XP.

[Centrifugal]

Hello everyone. I've looked at posts that had a similar problem with booting their computer, but I think my problem is a bit different. Please bear with me as I try to describe my issue in a caveman manner.

I was in the middle of watching a movie online, and all the sudden my computer shut down. It was due to a loose power cord. After plugging it back in I turned on my computer, and this is when the trouble began.

It turned on without a problem, went past the loading bar where it gave me the option to go to Setup or Boot Menu. After that, the screen went black and all I could see was this blinking bar " - " which lasted for about 20 seconds. After that the screen turned a lighter shade of black and stayed that way for a long time. The computer didn't restart and the screen stayed the same.

I tried booting different safe modes. Whenever I did this, It ran a couple of commands and then froze. When I tried the Last Known Good Configuration option, that blank light-black screen came up again. The same problem occurred when I ran the Restore Mode option.

Could it be my Power Supply? Or maybe my Hard Drive? I don't know. The computer is over 5 years old, but I'm hoping it's nothing as serious as a hardware problem. Thanks for your time.

[Freaktech]

First off, what operating system are you running?

[Centrifugal]

First off, what operating system are you running?

I'm using Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition.

[Rik_]

It is most likely that the power problem you said about in your first post has caused corruption on your hard drive. I have had the exact same problem in the past. A format and a reinstall of windows cured it for me.
A full (not quick) format of your hard drive is what is needed to remove the corruption.

[Rik_]

Excuse me but I am a professional at computer repair. How dare you tell me what I can and cant post!!!

If the file allocation tables have become corrupted then chkdisk wont be able to fix it correctly.

Notice, there are no commercial advertisers hear, that isn't coincidence.

At least I can spell properly.

[Centrifugal]

Thanks for the replies. I'm currently checking my external hard drive for file system error with this laptop. The power outage may have corrupted only the external hard drive, or maybe both. I can't do a full format right now, because I'll have to back up everything I have on the computer first. I'll have to try a Bootable CD first.

One fact I'd like to add. I ran a Hard Drive Diagnostics check on the internal hard drive still in my desktop and received the following;
Drive 0: WDC WD2500JD-75HBB0 - PASS
Drive 1-3: - NO DEVICE
Drive 4: - _NEC DVD+/-RW ND-3450A - DIAGNOSTICS NOT SUPPORTED
Drive 5: - NO DEVICE

Does this mean my hard drive is not corrupted?

[beeerlover]

Thanks for the replies. ... Does this mean my hard drive is not corrupted?

Most likely that assumption is correct.

I have had simular to what you describe happen to me a few times with XP home. If your problem is the same thing, here is what I learned and had to do to overcome it:

XP home attempts to write the current hardware configuration to the disk every time you shut it down. One improper shut down can corrupt this file (I forget the name of it--but not important because we can fix it without knowing its name).

Then upon next bootup, XP home reads from this file and does its thing.

My solution ended up being to somehow change the hardware configuration by either adding, subtracting, or rearranging hardrives. Doing this forces XP home to write a new hardware configuration file at bootup instead of at shut down.

Then my machine boots normally. I hope yours will too if you try the steps I took.

[Centrifugal]

I see, would you mind explaining how I can rearrange the hard drives? Is it in the System Setup? Is it under the Boot Sequence menu? Just want to make sure I don't screw anything up.

[beeerlover]

No.

I meant to physically swap drive c with d, or to remove d, or add a hardrive (internally)

Changes wont need to be made in the cmos unless the boot drive has changed letters.

Dont worry about messing something up, you can always undo the physical changes to be back to where you are now.... but if this does work, then your machine will be fixed.

I'll be around for a few hours, post again if you have another question, or just to say if it worked or not :)

[Centrifugal]

I see, I'll give that a try. Thank you.

[Centrifugal]

So, to physically switch drive C with another drive, do I have to just move it up or down a slot inside the computer? Or do i have to change the wiring somehow?

[beeerlover]

It can stay in the same slot if the wires will reach to just move the wires off one drive to another.

If they wont reach then you may need to move them from one bay to another.

I think just plugging in an external drive will also force XP home to rewrite that hardware configuration file upon startup. There are numerous ways to make a hardware change, and just about any of them should do the trick (providing you do not actually have any failed hardware).

[Centrifugal]

Alright, now when I turn on the computer I get a message :
Drive 0 not found: Serial ATA, SATA-0. I just moved the SATA cables from slot 0 to slot 2.

I went to the Systems setup and disabled Drive 0, and enabled Drive 2. This fixed the message, but now i'm back to where I started with the black screen.

[actionwing]

Hello everyone. I've looked at posts that had a similar problem with booting their computer, but I think my problem is a bit different. Please bear with me as I try to describe my issue in a caveman manner.

I was in the middle of watching a movie online, and all the sudden my computer shut down. It was due to a loose power cord. After plugging it back in I turned on my computer, and this is when the trouble began.

It turned on without a problem, went past the loading bar where it gave me the option to go to Setup or Boot Menu. After that, the screen went black and all I could see was this blinking bar " - " which lasted for about 20 seconds. After that the screen turned a lighter shade of black and stayed that way for a long time. The computer didn't restart and the screen stayed the same.

I tried booting different safe modes. Whenever I did this, It ran a couple of commands and then froze. When I tried the Last Known Good Configuration option, that blank light-black screen came up again. The same problem occurred when I ran the Restore Mode option.

Could it be my Power Supply? Or maybe my Hard Drive? I don't know. The computer is over 5 years old, but I'm hoping it's nothing as serious as a hardware problem. Thanks for your time.

There may be problem due to improper shutdown start your pc
at iether safe mode or debugging mode hitting F8 key before bootup. then search for Found000xx.(were x=1,2.....) like folders (usualy Hiden)located at startup drive( usualy c:).
delete them. reboot computer.this may fix ur problem.

note that you have to delete those folders which are starts from name like Found00...x not any other hiden folders or files in bootup disk.(some time other disks(d:, e:,...) too contain found000x like folders then delete them too)

[Centrifugal]

at iether safe mode or debugging mode hitting F8 key before bootup. then search for Found000xx.

The problem is I can't activate safe mode or debugging mode.

[actionwing]

Bootup using live cd. setting first boot device as cd rom.(in bios ).
If u r posible to boot from live cd then check hard disks and all files visible? u can backup any importent file/folders with usb disks/pen drive (live cd suports Usb disks). do erorr check by chkdsk or file sytem integrity check with thidparty tools (partitio magic and paragon part mgr both are in cd) CD is as like as xp (GUI).

delete fond000.. like named folders (they r hiden dont forget to folder option set to show hyden/sytem file). check for malicious hiden files like n.vbe folder.htt etc.

if cant boot from CD then check Ram HDD (and rare case SMPS voltage) i hope best of luck.

[caperjack]

im with eaglespear ,boot using your windows xp xd,go "R" for repair and do a chkdsk /r

[Centrifugal]

Thank you everyone, for your advice. I'll have a friend who knows a good deal more than me about problems of this sort take a look at it. I'll probably post results on Monday.