XP freezes on boot - now what? <g>

[Poodleheadmikey]

This is a Gateway unit running WinXP Pro. It worked fine when I gave it to my 90 year old father. He claims that: "it wouldn't turn off!" and so he unplugged it. Ever since it froze on start-up. Right at the point that several dots are racing across in a small bar under the logo. The dots stop and the unit sits there frozen.

Before then, if I choose an option by pushing TAB, it will display lots of arcane words and then ask if I want to start normally, in a few varieties of Safe Mode, or to revert to some earlier working configuration.

The revert to earlier config does not work.

Safe mode works. But I have no idea what to change to prevent the original problem. <g>

This is not a computer virus - there has been no internet exposure.

So? What can you all suggest?

My father will never be able to grasp any concept which involves 'hitting ESC, starting in safe mode, etc. It just needs to come on and run. All he does on it is play simple games anyway.

Thanks!

PHM
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[Poodleheadmikey]

Now the bastard just does nothing when I turn it off and then back on. The monitor just stays black/blank and displays a message saying that there is nothing wrong with the monitor.

But rather than punch the shit out of it I'm going to go ride a motorcycle for a while.

[sittas87]

come on buddy thats not the way the danny peeps speaks in here.

[Poodleheadmikey]

Sorry. Lost my head there for a moment.

Fooling with this recalcitrant computer had, to my eternal shame, pried back a corner my normally thick coating of civility.