Weird XP Boot Problem

Hopefully this kind of thing hasn't been posted already...but anyways...

The other day after installing some add-on software, I was asked to reboot to make sure it was installed completely. I clicked "Yes ", computer restarted and next thing I know I couldn't get into XP. The XP Startup screen would load, and then when you'd expect to see the Login screen, this odd "screen saver" started up (that's the best way I can describe it...it goes from a white screen, to this blue-ish one, to a brown-ish image, and then back to white and basically you have no choice but to restart).

Checked the hard drive, and it didn't crash (I could access it on another machine with no problems, so I already got all the files I needed off it). I used the fixmbr and fixboot in the Recovery Console to attempt to fix the boot sector since I figured something had gone a bit 'haywire' there. Restarted and the screen came up and asked me if I wished to boot up in Safe Mode which I did. Uninstalled the add-on software and everything seemed in working order and I assumed the Recovery Console had solved the problem. So I attempted to boot XP normally and the good ol' "screen saver" re-appeared.

Anybody have any sorts of ideas of how to fix this situation? It seems the only way I can get into XP is through Safe Mode, yet I can't seem to run the programs in Norton Systemworks to see if it can find the problem. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

-Eric

P.S. - Sorry for the long description.

 

Turn off system restore then start~run~sfc /scannow (note the space after sfc) and let it run. Will be silent except to maybe ask for your XP install CD.

 

From safe mode, you can follow Newt's advice. If you have auto restart enabled, I would disable that, too, while I was in safe mode. I would also go into BIOS to make sure I could boot from cd first if it should become necessary.

Johanna

 

If something like this ever happens again, just go to safe mode and do a system restore FIRST, before using the Recovery Console, or ASR or other dramatic means. Whatever you downloaded made your system hiccup, and a simple SR might have saved you a lot of aggravation.

Of course, YMMV

Johanna

 

Newt: I tried sfc /scannow and a window really quickly appeared and then disappered. It didn't prompt me for the XP CD though, so I'm not sure if it did anything. I did try to restart and see if it'd let me into Windows, but the weird "screen saver" was the end result.

Johanna: Yeah, I had System Restore off because for some reason at some times, Systemworks likes to be picky and I had to go download something directly from Symantec's site and they have in their list of things to do to turn off SR. I can change stuff in BIOS without a problem; I've been switching around the boot sequence quite a bit to try different things (like getting into the Recovery Console and trying to use a 3.5" boot disk and getting into Windows through DOS).

I think something "hiccuped" in the boot sequence. I'm guessing somewhere along the line while the startup screen is shown, some boot process is messed up. It seems that fixmbr and fixboot worked since I can now get into Safe Mode. And it seems like it'd save me time and trouble if I try a bunch of different things to fix the problem than reinstalling XP, all the programs I've got on here, all the files, etc.

Thanks for the help though so far. Obviously any suggestions or tips are welcome.

 

No, it didn't do anything.
Start > Run then type "cmd" sans quotes
sfc /scannow
You will be prompted for 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.

System File Checker (sfc)
Scans and verifies the versions of all protected system files after you restart your computer.

Johanna

 

Okay, when I try to run from the command prompt sfc /scannow I get this:

"Windows File Protection could not initiate a scan of protected system files.

The specific error code is 0x000006ba [The RPC server is unavailable.]. "

I looked up on Microsoft's support site about this error and attempted to add the Verisign certificate to my machine, rebooted, and still getting that error. Not sure why it won't add the certificate, or maybe it's not letting me scan the system files since it's in Safe Mode (?).

I also looked at what it might replace (in Event Viewer) and there's a ton of "Errors" listed. Is it right to guess that the SFC would repair those errors listed? All of the ones from the Source listed as "DCOM" are Errors and then the Service Control Manager has maybe 1/2 of them as "Errors" rather than "Information. "

 

Possible sources for this problem/error

- you may have a virus. Try a full scan with an online scanner (your onboard one may be fried). RAV is good - link in the quicklinks from my signature.

- This article describes the issue with Win2K but I'm guessing that XP could have the same problem since the operating systems are very similar.

 

- Tried to get the certifcate from about 2 other computers; still get that error message though.

- Ran a virus scan from RAV and then the eTrust one. The eTrust scan found nothing wrong, yet the RAV scan found these errors:

C:\Program Files\SpyBot\Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.1\Recovery\Cytron1.zip->potd.dll - Trojan:Win32/Cytron -> Infected
C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe.tmp - TrojanDownloader:Win32/Small -> Suspicious
C:\Win XP Pro Files\I386\DPVSETUP.EX_->dpvsetup.exe - Win32/HLLW.Stepaik.C -> Infected
C:\WINDOWS\addfu32.exe - TrojanDownloader:Win32/Agent.AP -> Infected
C:\WINDOWS\msopt.dll - TrojanDownloader:Win32/Small.KQ -> Infected
C:\WINDOWS\$NtServicePackUninstall$\dpvsetup.exe - Win32/HLLW.Stepaik.C -> Infected
V:\I386\DPVSETUP.EX_->dpvsetup.exe - Win32/HLLW.Stepaik.C -> Infected

The interesting thing is that it found a virus on the XP CD which to me makes me wonder what happened there.

Anyways, I appreciate all the help. I think I'm just going to clean off the drive and reinstall XP and what not. Not sure what else I can really do other than that and then put GoBack on here and activate System Restore just to be on the safe side.

 

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=40651

 

snuzzbff : Hey guy, sorry to get in on this so late, but I thought I'd tell you I have a similar problem that remains unsolved. Maybe the difference is that after the strange boot up screen, in about 15 seconds my machine boots normally. I had posted on this before but never found a solution. Only suggestion was to change boot menu to "No GUI" which I don't want to do.

What happens on my machine, if I change the programs that start with Windows, either add one or delete one (or more) when Windows boots, instead of getting the Windows splash screen with the progress bar running, I get a "mottled" green screen that slowly resolves into vertical lines, then slowly fades out to pure white. After, like I said, 15 or so seconds after the pure white screen, Windows boots normally.

On the next boot, if startup programs are not changed, I get the normal Windows splash screen.

Just wondering, when you have the strange boot screen come up, if you wait a while, will Windows boot? Or if behavior still continuing, can you change you boot ini to No GUI? and see what happens?

Martin

 

Not sure if you were addressing the last bit to me, but if you were...

I've usually waited a good few minutes when it "fades" to the white colored screen. After that it's stuck and I have hit the reset button. I haven't played at all with the boot.ini file. But from what you're suggesting, it seems like I'd have to mess with something everytime I boot up, and I'd rather not do that and rather just clean the hard drive and reinstall XP from scratch. But if it'll get me into XP normally - what exactly do you mean by changing the boot.ini to "No GUI" ?

 

Yes, that was meant for you, If the machine does not boot into Windows, you can't change the boot ini. If in Windows, start, run, type in msconfig, click boot.ini tab, check mark in NOGUIBOOT. Won't get splash screen. It only has to be done once, repeat behavior each boot unless you uncheck.

Sorry it won't boot, I don't have an answer. But I would suggest you wait a while, maybe somebody on this board can help.

Martin

 

reboot card

this is not a solution..
just a suggestion
if u plan to 'play' with your registry or anything that might cause ur system to like crash or hang or anything..
use this card.... juzt reboot card..
http://www.juzt-reboot.com/
the next time u decide to manually tweak your system or infected by virus/worm, u dont have to worry..
im not selling this thing or work for this company.. this is not an ad..
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so its cheap..
thanks..