xp freezes, restarts, but restarts unsuccessfully...

hi, i have 2 pc's that i have networked together. i am using one pc now, and the other is having problems.

pc was fine a few days ago, but it started slowing down. i foolishly chose to restore settings to a few days prior. unfortunately, the pc seemed to have done something different because when it started again, it showed me the startup page, but then it showed a black screen and showed me what was being loaded onto the pc. when i tried to start it i got a screen reading,

'we apologize for the inconveience, but windows did not start successfully. A recent hardware or software change might have caused this. If your pc stopped responding, restarted unexpectedly, or was automatically shut down to protect your files and folders, choose Last Known Good Configuration to revert to the most recent settings that worked. If a previous startup attempt was interrupted due to a power failure or because the Power or Reset button was pressed, or if you aren't sure what caused the problem, choose Start Windows Normally. Safe Mode; Safe Mode with Networking; Safe Mode with Command Prompt; Last Known Good Configuration; Start Windows Normallly Use the up and down arrow keys to move the highlight to your choice.'

i tried to start windows normally, but that didn't work. so currently i am logged on the other pc in safe mode.

any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
DeAnna

 

Try last known good configuration.

 

I have, but that doesn't work... pc keeps starting with same error...

 

Hello sdeannas,

If you used System Restore, have you tried the Undo option in SR?

Regards - Charles

 

yes...

yes, i have tried that too... but that didn't work either. any other suggestions?

 

You may be facing a repair installation but for starters try booting while tapping your CTRL key. If you can boot that way, run sfc /scannow from run or a command prompt with your XP CD in an optical drive.

 

I am getting bored and need something to do so I just gotta jump in here. Plus my eyes are going bad so I need to do this stuff while I still can.

From a similiar experience of my own until I made each machine separate unit I do have to ask. "Is each machine a standalone unit or do they ( for lack of a better word ) SHARE things ? "
Also at the time I had just a cable between them. Then when I added the
3rd machine I installed a router and made sure each unit depended on the other for NOTHING. Now each machine can be online or use the printer at any time. Yes. It may be a bit more costly and a bit more work but over time it is well worth it.
Yes. It may mean that some things may need to be on one machine and some on the other. But also we have MANY games installed on both and can be played either via the LAN or on the separate machine. My Wife and I spend many enjoyable hours doing just that. ( she loves beating me at Cribbage )
Sharing is nice and it does work. Put over the years I have developed my own word for it and stay away from it.

Then next comes sharing by users. Now that can be TUFF.

Billlybob

 

I also found that when making any changes and/or repairs to one machine it was best to have the others shut down. THat also helps to keep them separate

BB

 

have you added ram ?

 

system did nothing different when i tapped CTRL while rebooting, and putting sfc /scannow into run brings up an application error.

machines share nothing, except for net connection, and table they sit on ;-). i have a router attached to both machines, and one machine is attached to a printer. i exchange things on pc's with ftp's and i can usually tap into each pc using vnc, however at moment that isn't working...

So far, only one machine is having problems, i am using the other machine to type this now...

and no, i haven't added any ram....

any other suggestions?

 

Your detailed information is appreciated. Right now, the second machine has no bearing on this so leave that out of the equation until we get the problem child to boot.

It is my understanding that when you try to boot, you eventually get to a message screen that you can't start normally but you are given options to start using safe mode, safe mode with networking, command prompt, etc etc etc, Last Known Good Configuration and start normally.

Please do nothing else except confirm yes or no. If no, please elaborate.

 

Please correct me if I am wrong but I see a BIG controversy in the above.

I believe that having a Router with a Printer plugged in says that the Printer is being shared. Or am I thinking wrong ?

Also, doesn't "exchanging ftps etc. say things are shared ? Files, folders etc. Otherwise how could it be done ?

BillyBob

 

BillyBob:

Yes, there is a potential conflict (different word choice than controversy, but we are on the same page). That's exactly why I'm trying to isolate what is happening. Let me explain.

Deanna says this won't boot normally and she can't run last known good configuration. What I believe she is getting to is the startup option page (same as tapping F8 on startup), but now the question - what startup option did she select when she tried to type SFC /scannow? Thats why I'm trying to make sure I understand whats going on here. That part was left out.

As I see it there were three potential options that she might have pursued.
1. Safe Mode
2. Safe Mode with networking
3. Command prompt only

Options 1 & 3 wouldn't have loaded network drivers and therfore the second machine's (conflict/controversy) is a non issue

Option 2 would have loaded network drivers and the second machine could be an issue but keep in mind, she says she can't boot.

Thats why I'm trying to flush out just what it is that we haven't been told yet - how did she get to a Run command or alternatively, a Command Prompt? To keep things simple, I don't want to throw out too much at once because I'm never sure of one's "knowledge level ". (yes, there is a method to my approach on things)

Now, you have wisely read my mind - depending on Deanna's next series of answers to a couple of questions that haven't even been asked yet - it may be very smart to isolate this machine but we don't know that just yet. Remember, we've been told that the operating system won't load - however, I'm not yet sure that this is true. I think that one can bank on the fact that the operating system won't load normally because this is exactly what Deanna described - however, we can't be sure (because we haven't been told) if it can load in safe mode for example or if she can get to a command prompt or how she got to the Run command. Once we have an answer to this, we'll know how to proceed and that may or may not bring that second machine into play. For the time being it only confuses the real issue from this author's perspective.

Good Thinking though - see, you are still on the ball!

 

yes i can get on pc using safe mode... i press start, run, and type SFC /scannow, but when i did that i received an application error.

printer is hooked up to pc that is having problems but not to this one... router only connects internet to pc's, i haven't yet figured out how to tap into one pc from the other using the router... ftp isn't left on all the time, and since pc problem, i cannot use it. but as far as that goes, i could tap into almost any pc using the same ftp as i, with or without router.

 

OK, I thought you were unbootable. If you can get into safe mode, go back to Charlesvar's suggestion and undo your last restoration point. Unless there is more to this situation than you've told us, that should do the trick.

 

i cannot do that... when i try clicking on system restore, to revert changes, nothing happens... and i am telling you all i know, if you need any further info, please let me know what you need... unfortunately, i am no pc tech...

 

Hello sdeannas,

Start > run and type the following commands followed by the enter key after each one.

regsvr32 jscript.dll
regsvr32 vbscript.dll

Regards - Charles

 

Charles, i typed regsvr32 jscript.dll into run and received two messages; first i received a 'RegSvr32 "DllRegisterServer in jscript.dll succeeded. "' and second (well, no more than a millisecond after the first message) i received a 'Windows - Application Error "The application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000005). Click on OK to terminate the application. "'

same happened when i typed the second comand too...

any other suggestions?

 

If it assists anybody.

I have come across that message once or twice. I concentrated on "...a recent hardware or software change... ".
Any software changes, (in Safe Mode) find the last changes in Add/Remove Progams and uninstall them. ALSO, the most recent Windows updates.

I am pretty certain that mine related to hardware, so I would look in Device Manager to see if any problems were listed. I would reseat the connections inside the case. I would remove any added hardware (including PCI cards). Check that all the fans are spinning freely and remove any dust. (If you have not worked inside a PC before, get somebody that has to help you.)
For hardware, there will be one of two reasons. Something has gone wrong with the drivers (did you happen to update any drivers at the Windows Update website, don't, update them at the hardware manufacturer's website). Drivers can get corrupted by seemingly unrelated changes. The other reason is an actual fault with the hardware or communication with the hardware like a bad connection.

Matt

 

just wondering who made this machine ? i see it's a xp but on what ? did i miss it