Problems with computer automatically restarting

[firefrost]

Hello, first time poster and I'm having some trouble with my computer. It's a Compaq Presario 5003 500 Series. Inten Pentium 3 processor 80 gig hardrive and the like. 128 MB of Ram 930 MHz.

I first got it from my aunt for college, 3 years ago. She bought it brand-new but never used it, but once and it was sitting in her garage ever since. She gave it to me and it took a while, but I was able to update it to Windows XP Pro. But it was a burned copy, so I can't download service pack 2. So, a friend put Zone Alarm Pro on it to make up for that. Well, I recently was able to move and brought my comp with me and now I started having trouble with Zone Alarm. TrueVector shut down and I couldnt get it to restart at all. It kept giving me the blue screen of death, so I booted in safe mode and I uninstalled it and it caused it wouldnt uninstall; said taht there were other programs still using it. So, I stupidly began to stop all the programs taht were running and shut down one that told me that something in windows had been shut down prematurely and was closing down in 60 seconds. In that time, Zone Alarm was uninstalling and then I got the same message from it about the other programs and then finally it restarted and everything went back to normal. Once in my account, everything was starting up and then it went to restart on itself; did this several times. So a friend said to uncheck the automatic restart to find out what the problem was. I did this and restarted the computer. Once my account was logged into, it didnt restart but gave me the bluescreen with this message:

0x0000007E * 0xC0000005 * 0xF6BC44D0 * 0xFC9646E8 * 0xFC9643E8

vsdatant.sys * Adress F6BC44D0 base at F6BB20000 Datestamp 43798224

I get the same thing, even in Safe Mode.

Can anyone help me out? Please! I needs it!

[Xpenetrator]

Have you tried booting in Safe Mode and deleting/renaming "vsdatant.sys"? This won't solve the problem itself but you should be able to get rid of the blue screen this way.

[firefrost]

Have you tried booting in Safe Mode and deleting/renaming "vsdatant.sys"? This won't solve the problem itself but you should be able to get rid of the blue screen this way.

Safe mode does the same thing. :(

But I heard taht vsdatant.sys is a part of Zone Alarm, which is gone now. ><

[Xpenetrator]

Yes, vsdatant.sys is left behind by ZA and some users had the same problem, says Google. One way to get rid of it would be to attach the hard disk to another computer as second disk and delete it from there. Another one is this:
1. Boot from the XP CD
2. Press 'R' to load the repair console
(You'll be asked for the installation to repair, enter '1' and then it asks for the administrator password, just press enter if you haven't one)
at the C:\WINDOWS prompt:
type CD SYSTEM32
(Prompt changes to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32)
type DEL VSDATANT.SYS
then press the reset button and try to boot.

[firefrost]

My friend just gave me a XP disc, but its home edition. I doubt this will work right? Or will it? I dont want to downgrade; that'd suck.

Nah, nvm. I don't think it will work. >..< What do you mean exactly with the hard disk thing you mentioned?

[Xpenetrator]

I doubt this will work right? Or will it? I dont want to downgrade; that'd suck.

No, if you don't press the button to install XP instead of 'R', nothing will be installed. Windows runs completely from CD up to this point and so does the command console. But I don't have XP Home and I don't know if there are any differences. I guess there aren't.

[firefrost]

No, if you don't press the button to install XP instead of 'R', nothing will be installed. Windows runs completely from CD up to this point and so does the command console. But I don't have XP Home and I don't know if there are any differences. I guess there aren't.

Hmm, it said press any key to install and i hit R; it gave me the options of upgrading or keeping the original OS or just starting normally. I dunno.

But Im trying to get me another XP disc to see if it will work. If you have any other tips, i gladly appreciate them.

[Xpenetrator]

It's good to be that careful... :) Sorry, I just have the Pro CD and there I'll be asked to install (F3)(?) or run the recovery console (not "repair" ) by pressing 'R'. Not to confuse with 'R' for "repair install, which should appear one step later, after choosing "install XP". (Don't know exactly, I don't use that stuff much)

Another option would be a "Bart PE" image or a "Knoppix" Linux Live CD (http://www.knoppix.org - download an image and burn it). This boots a complete Linux operating system from CD. After some reading, you will be able to access your NTFS drives and delete the file safely. The idea with all this is: To boot something from CD that lets you access your files, since you cannot boot up your obstinate XP system. BTW this is odd since the other users that reported problems with vsdatant.sys could at least boot into Safe Mode. Chances are that all this won't help then...

[firefrost]

It's good to be that careful... :) Sorry, I just have the Pro CD and there I'll be asked to install (F3)(?) or run the recovery console (not "repair" ) by pressing 'R'. Not to confuse with 'R' for "repair install, which should appear one step later, after choosing "install XP". (Don't know exactly, I don't use that stuff much)

Another option would be a "Bart PE" image or a "Knoppix" Linux Live CD (http://www.knoppix.org - download an image and burn it). This boots a complete Linux operating system from CD. After some reading, you will be able to access your NTFS drives and delete the file safely. The idea with all this is: To boot something from CD that lets you access your files, since you cannot boot up your obstinate XP system. BTW this is odd since the other users that reported problems with vsdatant.sys could at least boot into Safe Mode. Chances are that all this won't help then...

How do I do that image thing on the linux website? I go to download and then it gives me all the FTP stuff and I dont know what to download.

[Xpenetrator]

You should download this file (RAR archive, 700something Megabytes)
KNOPPIX_V4.0.2CD-2005-09-23-EN.iso *
I'm afraid that you will be more confused with Linux than by a command console. But apart from that, Knoppix is a must-see and a real help if you messed all up and you don't know how to get help from the internet with a junked XP: It comes with (compressed) 2 GB of software including a Mozilla browser.

But a recovery console from a XP Pro CD would be much easier and faster. :mrgreen:
(Please keep on asking first if you feel doubtful about something)

* there is a 5.0.1 version, too but I don't have it and don't know how different it is to my 4.0.2

[Xpenetrator]

Wait a minute... download Knoppix 5.0 and have fun with it but...
XP Home must have a recovery console, too. Anybody here who knows more? I just read this article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058/
According to this, you have to press F10 at the "Welcome to Setup" screen.