Member Avatar for crabbyhermit

Hey there,
I can't get XP to start up on my HP desktop. When I turn it on, a black screen pops up immediately apologizing "for the inconvenience" and gives options for starting it (safe mode, etc.). However, none work. Anyone know what this could be?

Thanks a bunch!
Heather

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Serunson

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This looks like the classic XP "Windows did not start" screen where Safe Mode and the other options immediately fail. Good call by and pointing at hardware — memory problems are common — but here are practical, non-redundant steps to take next so the troubleshooting is systematic and safe.

Start with more rigorous memory diagnostics (beyond simple swapping): power down, remove and reseat modules and inspect contacts, confirm the BIOS reports the expected total RAM and listen for POST beep codes (refer to the motherboard/HP manual). Boot a trusted standalone tester (MemTest86 or memtest86+) from a CD/USB and let it run multiple full passes; even a single error reliably indicates a bad DIMM or a bad slot. Replace any failing module and re-test.

If RAM checks out, the problem may be disk/boot corruption. Use the Windows XP CD to enter the Recovery Console and run these (replace X: with the CD drive letter):

chkdsk /r
fixmbr
fixboot
copy X:\i386\ntldr C:\
copy X:\i386\ntdetect.com C:\

Run chkdsk /r first to repair filesystem errors; use fixmbr/fixboot only if you see MBR/boot-sector errors. If the hard drive supports SMART, run the manufacturer’s diagnostic to check for physical failures.

If those steps don’t help, test power (PSU) and try a minimal hardware boot (CPU, one stick RAM, onboard video if available). Before any destructive repairs, back up data by connecting the drive to another PC or booting a rescue/live USB. Note: fixmbr/fixboot can affect multi-boot setups, so proceed cautiously or seek professional help if the data is critical.

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Member Avatar for Suspishio

Usually a hardware problem. Quite a few thgreads on this subject in the past couple of days.

RAM is often (but not always) favourite. If you've got more than one stick in, boot with one only, then the other.

Member Avatar for Serunson

90% of these sort of issues are RAM related, do as Suspishio suggested and boot the computer with 1 RAM stick in each slot, then the other stick in every slot, and see which stick or slot is causing the problem.

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