Win XP won't load from Boot floppy Disks

[Potter]

Hi,
I am having troubles booting up my pc. I have tried to run in safe mode and I wait a few minutes and then finally something happens, I see a blue screen quickly with writing, I couldn't tell you what it said, and then the computer restarts itself. I choose start in safe mode with networking and still the same result. I try to load windows xp from a last good known configuration, but still the same end result, my pc restarts itself. I try starting windows normally, and it actually makes it to the loading windows screen, but then reboots itself. I tried running a win xp bootdisk and it comes up with an error saying "file \biosinfo.inf could not be loaded".
The error code is 4096. Setup cannot continue. Press any key to exit.
Can anyone please help me.
Thankyou

[Killer_Typo]

Hi,
I am having troubles booting up my pc. I have tried to run in safe mode and I wait a few minutes and then finally something happens, I see a blue screen quickly with writing, I couldn't tell you what it said, and then the computer restarts itself. I choose start in safe mode with networking and still the same result. I try to load windows xp from a last good known configuration, but still the same end result, my pc restarts itself. I try starting windows normally, and it actually makes it to the loading windows screen, but then reboots itself. I tried running a win xp bootdisk and it comes up with an error saying "file \biosinfo.inf could not be loaded".
The error code is 4096. Setup cannot continue. Press any key to exit.
Can anyone please help me.
Thankyou

boot disk as in a windows XP CD, or boot disk as in the 4 or so CD's you can make for an emergancy boot of windows XP for the recovery console?

[Potter]

Boot Disks as in the 6 floppy disks that you can download for XP SP2 from Microsoft.
The root of the problem is that my computer hangs when booting from the hard disk, the last known message being 'Verifying DMI Data Pool'. A number of websites suggested that the data pool could have been corrupted, and one of the options to restore the PC to its original state, was to re-boot from the floopy disks; at the command prompt type 'sys c:' and this would transfer the neccessary system file to my PC.
So, I have the boot floppies now, but am unable to load Win Xp from the floppy disks.

Thanks

[Killer_Typo]

Boot Disks as in the 6 floppy disks that you can download for XP SP2 from Microsoft.
The root of the problem is that my computer hangs when booting from the hard disk, the last known message being 'Verifying DMI Data Pool'. A number of websites suggested that the data pool could have been corrupted, and one of the options to restore the PC to its original state, was to re-boot from the floopy disks; at the command prompt type 'sys c:' and this would transfer the neccessary system file to my PC.
So, I have the boot floppies now, but am unable to load Win Xp from the floppy disks.

Thanks

more than likely a bad floppy disk. Try using a windows XP cd and see if that will boot. using the boot CD is much faster and more efficient than using the 6 floppy disks.

[mikerosoftin200]

I've had that blue screen many times before, in case your were interested, it says "the system was shut down to prevent damage" Normally the result of bad drivers/hardware or just XP's quirkyness. Seeing how you can't do anything right now, I would recommend that you flash your bios. You can do this by removing the bios battery for about 5 minutes (it's the silver watch battery on your motherboard). After this is done, see what you can do. If your bios is severely corrupted, you may have to send it in to your motherboard manufacturer to get it repaired.
NOTE: sometimes flashing bios makes it so windows will not boot! (but seeing your issues, I don't think that's a big deal.

[Killer_Typo]

I've had that blue screen many times before, in case your were interested, it says "the system was shut down to prevent damage" Normally the result of bad drivers/hardware or just XP's quirkyness. Seeing how you can't do anything right now, I would recommend that you flash your bios. You can do this by removing the bios battery for about 5 minutes (it's the silver watch battery on your motherboard). After this is done, see what you can do. If your bios is severely corrupted, you may have to send it in to your motherboard manufacturer to get it repaired.
NOTE: sometimes flashing bios makes it so windows will not boot! (but seeing your issues, I don't think that's a big deal.

by removing the battery from the mobo that does NOT flash the BIOS..

Removing the batteries clears the CMOS which is were all of the BIOS's settings are stored. Flashing the BIOS is a totally different thing. (and its not the bios battery its the CMOS battery).

Flashing the BIOS is totally different. That means to LOAD a new firmware (software built into hardware) driver onto the BIOS chip thus clearing out the current BIOS and replacing it with a new version, which is not recomended unless it will fix an issue that relates DIRECTLY to the problem at hand.

Clearing the CMOS will never make a computer not boot, it will simply ask you to load the defaults.

Please before you give info and such like that, make sure you give it correctly. (this is no call on your skills with a PC, simply that you gave correct info, with the wrong lingo, which can really confuse some)

[mikerosoftin200]

by removing the battery from the mobo that does NOT flash the BIOS..

Removing the batteries clears the CMOS which is were all of the BIOS's settings are stored. Flashing the BIOS is a totally different thing. (and its not the bios battery its the CMOS battery).

Flashing the BIOS is totally different. That means to LOAD a new firmware (software built into hardware) driver onto the BIOS chip thus clearing out the current BIOS and replacing it with a new version, which is not recomended unless it will fix an issue that relates DIRECTLY to the problem at hand.

Clearing the CMOS will never make a computer not boot, it will simply ask you to load the defaults.

Please before you give info and such like that, make sure you give it correctly. (this is no call on your skills with a PC, simply that you gave correct info, with the wrong lingo, which can really confuse some)

You're right about the lingo! *smacks head* But I have had a computer not boot after clearing CMOS. It just wouldn't even start loading the OS. (maybe it's just me....) Fortunately though, I have CMOS reloaded, so I reset it to what I had saved.