need to press reset button to start Windows

I have an older no-name machine with an athalon processor and 512 of memory - Win XP Home.

When I turn it on after being unplugged from the wall I have to press the reset button to boot it again so windows will start. If it has been plugged in then it will start normally.

Any thoughts from anyone?
Thanks.

 

If that was the case wouldn't I be sent to the BIOS setup screen by default?

 

Yes, settings are OK

Now I am getting a srvhost.exe application error on startup.

 

Where does it fail in that initial boot process?

If that battery is more than 3 years old, I would replace it. I would also want to verify the PSU was good. Note the ATX Form Factor standard requires +5Vsb standby voltage to be applied across many points on the motherboard when the PSU is simply plugged in (and "IF" equipped, the optional master power switch on back set to on). This voltage is used for such options as Wake on Modem, Wake on LAN, Wake on Keyboard as well as to keep alive settings, notably with the NIC, and to allow the front panel power button to remotely signal the system to power up fully.

Are you sure you don't mean svchost.exe? In any case, right now, IMO, the svchost.exe issue is another problem for a subsequent discussion. A computer, specifically, digital electronics needs good solid power first. And hard drives, among other things, don't like "ungraceful" reboots. Fixing the power problem may allow for error free boots and graceful shutdowns, and fix your svchost problem.

If you are concerned about the data on your drive(s), I would urge you to pull the drive and temporarily attach it to, or install as a secondary drive into another computer, then backup your data.

 

Thanks Bill - the first thing I did was backup everything to another computer.

Will try another PSU and replace the battery.

You are also correct, it is svchost. I turned off Automatic Updates and it does not come up any longer but that is not a permanent solution.

 

Wise move!

No, but it may be a clue to keep in mind for later.

If a typical CR2032 battery, they are a couple dollars at just about any battery/camera/watch counter. Take the old battery with you, in case you need to cross reference numbers and also most counters will recycle the old batteries to help keep lithium out of landfills. Make sure you unplug the computer from the wall and touch bare metal to discharge any static before reaching in. Do not touch the new battery with bare fingers as skin oils attract dust and promote corrosion. I put a clean sock over my hand.

Pulling the old battery will reset the BIOS. So upon first boot after inserting the new battery, IMMEDIATELY go into the BIOS setup menu, verify drives are properly identified, set date and time, Save and Exit, and allow it to boot normally.