Computer loops on bootup

Hi,

My Win XP Home machine will not complete the bootup sequence. I am getting as far as a flash of the blue screen and can just about read STOP: C0000218 systemRoot\system32\config\security
Under this message is a reference to the corruption.
My computer then auto re-boots again and again......

The above problem started when I received a blue screen with the following info following a normal machine switch on:
OX0000007E (OXC0000005, OX8056EB91, OXF60ABA44, OXF60AB740)
I then booted up from my Win XP CD and tried to repair Windows. The result of this attempt was the loop fault described above.
I have run chkdsk /r from the Recovery Console and the report was that one error had been repaired. My machine still loops on a start-up.

What can I do to fix it?

Win XP Home SP2, AMD 2000 processor, 1GB Ram, 2X 100Gb hard discs.

 

See if this helps:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=321637

 

Thanks surferdue2,

For the info but your link does not help. I am further down the slippery slope now and cannot start the machine. Even a boot-up using the Win CD causes the loop fault described above.......

 

Tried Safe Mode? Tried Last Good Config? Tried booting to a win98 boot disk?

Those three attempts and any error messages they generate will be of value in diagnosis.

 

Thanks for the reply surferdue2,

I have tried Safe Mode, debug mode and from the CD a repair. The machine displays the WIN XP load-up screen along with the moving indicator then crashes to a flash of blue screen then re-boots itself into a start/stop loop.

I end up having to switch the macine off at the wall to stop it!!

Any ideas on how to get 'into' it?

 

You can try sneaking in the back door by using a boot floppy. You must have the bios configured to check the floppy first. I recommend the custom floppy from MyBootDisk. It has many good utilities and will load the CD-ROM drivers so you can possibly start a repair session from the install CD.

Now, if you can't get booted to the floppy, you have some mobo problem likely. Maybe bios related. Maybe onboard video failure that pulls the rest of the system down. Try the floppy and let's see what haps.

 

I would clear CMOS. Just remove the mobo battery for a minute, or follow the mobo manufacturer's instructions for resetting the jumper pins. Afterwards, reset any BIOS settings, and boot. If it won't boot, you more than likely have a hardware problem.

Johanna

 

I'm thinkin' Registry corruption and that's not an easy item to fix. It just makes you appreciate a good backup image but I'll not rub that in too much.

Please see.

I've seen this reported several times and the fix is always the same painful grind.

 

i concur with surferdude2's recommendations. If you dont have backups, your fastest path out of it is to restore the backup registry files, if LastKnownGood won't get you out of it.

Note this will roll you back, probably quite a bit. You want to be as surgical as possible.

The c000218 should give you some specific text about which registry file is corrupt, so you might be able to get away with just changing the one file out.

If this is all too complex, may i recommend you reinstall from booting from the XP CD. Note this will require you to reinstall all your applications (but your data is safe).

 

Good instructions for a Repair Install

Johanna

 

Each Registry is a very unique, dynamic and diverse system in itself and a "Repair Install" will not remove corruption from it. Three methods can be used to overcome Registry corruption:

1.) Manually edit the Registry using Regedit (assumes a bootable system).

2.) Manually replacing the corrupt hive/hives with older backup hives that were created when the OS was first loaded or other hives that the user created for backups. Tedious work for the faint of heart.

3.) A complete full install of the OS (losing all user settings).

The usual warning apply when working on the Registry but aren't usually heeded. When you consider that if the user heeded usual warnings, he probably wouldn't be needing to restore the Registry in the first place.

The above statements are generally true with very rare exceptions. Don't count on being one of those.

 

Joe Hobart said:

and he actually understands the complexities of the registry. (BTW, never think data is "safe" when doing a repair install!)

I tend to K*I*S*S*
and I would reformat and reinstall...but I have my "important things ", and, of course, all my programs, backed up. (I also have the time to start from scratch, and I've previously used the metaphor comparing a clean install to the junk drawer in the kitchen.)

IMHO, once you break XP, it is faster and, certainly, EASIER to reinstall, than to "fix" it, and if you can't get the computer to boot, you really don't have too many options, anyway.

Might want to consider the Automated System Recovery that XP Pro features for the future. However this must be prepared for ahead of any problems, and assumes the computer will boot, somehow, some way.

I would try to save the data that is not backed up by pulling out the hard drive(s) and using a working computer, then I would do the "long" format and reinstall XP. YMMV.

Best of luck to you,
Johanna

 

Might be worth a read, too- from MS.
Johanna

 

Yeah Johanna , but they make it sound so hard.

It is much harder than making drive images on a regular basis but I
said I wouldn't rub that in excessively.

 

nargh said:

Are you saying that if you slap the CD in the drive and let the PC boot off the XP disk as if you were going to do a clean install of XP it never gets as far as running the XP Setup program? If so, that would indicate a hardware fault, surely. Can you replace the HD with any old HD you don't care about and initiate an install of XP? It would even be worthwhile trying this with no HD installed. If you can't initiate a clean install, you have a hardware problem. Try again removing all non-essential hardware.