computer just keeps on restarting

[pan3w]

ok i turn on my computer and it goes through everything that it normallly does and after it gets to the windows xp screen and shows the bar on the bottom loading it just restarts again and again. does anybody know why this could be happening or has some things to try to check on it. thanks

[MartyMcFly]

You should be able to access a configuration PC by pressing an F* key during start up. For example on a Dell its F8. This screen will give you various boot options, (not the same as the boot device screen where you may boot for CD or the like). Try all the F* keys until you can find it.

From there you can try the following options.

Last known good configuration (may be an option to press spacebar to invoke Last know good configuration on boot up).
Safe mode, from which you can do system restore.

Alternatively insert your OS disk and do system repair from CD Boot. or Reinstall if its really dead)

[luistexas]

last nigh my bro turn off my computer by the switch and when i tried to turn on my computer it when through everything that it normallly does and it goes to f8 but when i press Last known good configuration it restarts again..

[gerbil]

Try to enter Safe Mode; if it will not then use your XP installation cd to run the Recovery Console. In safe mode, run
chkdsk /f
Or, in Recovery Console run
chkdsk /p

[luistexas]

try to enter safe mode; if it will not then use your xp installation cd to run the recovery console. In safe mode, run
chkdsk /f
or, in recovery console run
chkdsk /p

i dont have a disk and it wont let me go in safe mode when i press it... It just restarts again help plz.. What can i do

[gerbil]

Okay, got that; you definitely have file trouble on your hdd. If you know how to burn images to cd you can get a Recovery Console iso file from here: http://www.thecomputerparamedic.com/files/rc.iso
...else go to this page for instruction and links : http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic276527.html
Don't be concerned about whether the cd image is SP2 or SP3 - it does NOT matter. Updated RC files are important only if you are installing the RC to your hard drive, and you are not doing that with this iso.
Burn that cd, run chkdsk /p
Be mindful that a bad software update can also do this..... but you can tell me if you did any updates in your last good session... eg. M$ security..
Good luck.

[luistexas]

Okay, got that; you definitely have file trouble on your hdd. If you know how to burn images to cd you can get a Recovery Console iso file from here: http://www.thecomputerparamedic.com/files/rc.iso
...else go to this page for instruction and links : http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic276527.html
Don't be concerned about whether the cd image is SP2 or SP3 - it does NOT matter. Updated RC files are important only if you are installing the RC to your hard drive, and you are not doing that with this iso.
Burn that cd, run chkdsk /p
Be mindful that a bad software update can also do this..... but you can tell me if you did any updates in your last good session... eg. M$ security..
Good luck.

ok how do u run chkdsk /p do u do that when ur burning or when u insert the cd??? okay what i did was i burn the cd when i tryed puting it to my xp it would just say... detecting IDE drives and it would just stay there.. so i took out the cd and it did the same thing

[luistexas]

ok i did what u told me i whent and burn the cd i whent to chkdsk /p and it checked but nothing happen so the i exit it and it said autochk not found skipping autochk... it does that and restarts..