WinXP Repair Problem

Three different times I have attempted to repair (install over WinXP). Each time it would go part way and stop, screen goes black, and it reboots. Each time it goes back to the same place, and starts over. It seems to load some things. I think it would go on forever if I did not turn off the power. Going into Safe Mode does not work. I heard from my daughter today, and her computer is doing the same thing. I have my Xp on a separate partition, and can blow it away and, reload it. My daughter does not. Can anyone tell me what she can do to fix this problem.

 

What problem is driving the need to do a repair?

 

On startup it goes to the boot screen, then shutsdown, reboots, shutsdown, etc. Will not go to safe mode. Mine started this after downloading updates. Other times I do not know.

 

One of the first things I do after an XP install is

Turn off auto restart
Control Panel/System/Advanced/Startup and recovery
uncheck auto restart

and this is why. You need to interrupt the process somehow, so you can get in there and figure out what is wrong. How are you trying to get into safe mode?

Johanna

 

Will do that uncheck on Autorestart the next time we have a good install. We get into Safe Mode by pushing F8 at start up. It says something like cannot do Setup in Safe Mode. Do not remember for sure, and my daughter is 1000 miles from here.

 

You can't install XP in safe mode, but you can turn the auto restart off so you can at least see the error codes your comp is giving you.

Johanna

 

WE cannot get into Safe Mode. It is in setup mode.

 

I have heard that this problem can be caused by the hal.dll and ntoskrnl.exe files. I have copied each in the windows\system 32 folder. If this happens again I will try to rename each back to what they were. I will startup with my WinXP MSDOS Startup Floppy disk. Type in: ren C:\Windows\system32 Copy of hal.dll hal.dll (Enter) Type in: ren C:\Windows\system32 Copy of ntoskrnl.exe ntoskrnl.exe (Enter) I do not remember where I got the MSDOS disk. Maybe someone else Knows where and will post here. Hope it will work. Will see. Thanks.

 

Why?

wahlroot, Johanna,

It seems to me that this is the time to do a clean install, starting with a partition and format.

"her computer is doing the same thing" - go to boot screen,reboot, go to boot screen, reboot? Why can't she do clean install too?

 

More WHY

wahlroot, Johanna,

Thinking! I'd better give reasons for the above.

Possible causes of the failure to boot:

1) Worms and/or viruses. If that's so, it doesn't sound like the computer will be in shape to go online for online scanning, etc., and partition&format should clear up most mal-ware. Also will save time. Downside is loss of data, but that should be backed up anyway, isn't it?

2) Hardware. Unlikely, I think, but if it's that, diagnosis will be obvious when trying to reinstall.

That's what occurs to me now.

 

We both download new dat files and virus scan each week. Have never found a virus. Also check for spyware. Found and deleted a few. I think my daughter might be able to do a clean install, but she would lose everthing since her last backup. Yesterday my computer stalled at the login screen. The one with the squares running across the screen. I can not think of anything that could have happened when I shut it off for the night. This time I got into Safe Mode. I copied [Copy of ntoskrnl] to the desktop and changed the name by removing copy of. Moved it back into system32 folder, and confirmed file replace. Restarted, and it works.

 

HI wahlroot,

"it works" Great!

Check start > run > msconfig > startup tab to see and uncheck any suspicious items.

Be sure your firewall and antivirus are working, and download and run spybot from
http://spybot.safer-networking.de/

Not all mal-ware is picked up by the antivirus.

Don't forget to turn off autorestart as Johanna said.

 

I did uncheck Auto Restart. Maybe that is why this time it stopped instead of rebooting over and over. "Johanna ", I think you saved me this time. Thanks a lot!!! Will have to go thru the Startup again and take out things one at a time to see what happens. Seems to be my printer. Have not seen them before.

 

Mike Linn's StartUpCPL adds a tab to the control panel to easily set what you choose to load at boot. Much easier than MS Config...

HTH
Johanna

 

I had the problem again, and what I posted in #8 did not work. Kept at it and found something that did work. I had copied ntoskrnl.exe and hal.dll to a folder on my C: drive called krnl. "Just in case I might need them ". Booted with my WinXP MSDOS Startup Disc. At the promp I typed.
del C:\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe (Enter)
copy C:\krnl\ntoskrnl.exe C:\windows\system32 (Enter)
It told me it had made the copy. Then Ctrl, Alt, Delete to restart.
It should also work with hal.dll All was fine after that. Hope this will help someone else.

 

The next time you are sonfronted with missing or corrupted system files, it might be easier to use the System File Checker.

Start > Run > cmd
sfc /scannow
You will need your XP cd.

sfc - system file checker, retrieves the correct version of the file from %Systemroot%\System32\Dllcache or the Windows installation source files, and then replaces the incorrect file.

If you want to see what was replaced, right click My Computer > manage, expand event viewer > system.

Johanna

 

I can not get to Start,Run to do this. Can I somehow boot from the XP CD, and do this "sfc /scannow ". I can boot from the CD, but do not know what to do then. Maybe the Recovery Console? If so, what next?

 

You say you can't get to start, run. Does that mean no 'run' option from the start menu?

If so, we probably need to figure out why. There are a couple of settings that will block display of the run option.

Meanwhile, if you start a cmd window (looks like DOS) you can do sfc /scannow from there.

 

Sorry about that. I guess what I meant was my computer will not bootup, so there is no desktop, and therefore no Start Button. Just locks up. Do not know how I could get to a cmd window.

 

Can you boot your computer into safe mode? When you say "locks up ", at what point during the boot does it freeze? Can you get into BIOS?

Johanna
hmmm...thought you said you fixed it?