neglus
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posted on August 24, 2004 11:28:12 PM new
Argh! My downstairs computer won't boot up - I get a screen that tells me sorry but windows not able to start - lets me select a mode ( safe mode etc, normal mode etc) to start and has a count down for start up. No matter what mode I select, it acts like it will start..and then cycles right back to that page!!
All I can find are recovery disks with software that was preloaded on machine (I don't have any Windows XP disks) When I tried inserting one it told me that if I proceeded I would lose all my data..so I stopped since I wasn't sure whether that was what I had to do...
Can anyone help me? Going to bed now as this is making me crazy - hopefully it will be all better tomorrow but I don't think so!!
I got the extended warranty on the pc - is this the sort of thing you use that for?
**********************************
Sig files are too much trouble!
http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards
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sparkz
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posted on August 24, 2004 11:32:43 PM new
<<I got the extended warranty on the pc - is this the sort of thing you use that for?>>
YES!!!
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
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CapYoda
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posted on August 25, 2004 12:07:14 AM new
maybe not. usually stuff like this is always just some driver/software conflict. where windows reloads indefinitely cuz it keeps trying to load the conflicted driver/software
did u install or update anything recently?
if there's an error message.. post it here or check on microsoft's database.. they have a solution for almost every single problem out there.
but sometimes its best to just go with the warranty service the computer manufacture provides.
which computer manufacture would this be btw? cuz some of the service out there is slow and ridiculous...
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paloma91
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posted on August 25, 2004 07:22:25 AM new
This happened recently to a friend of mine. You might want to try this. it may help atleast temporarily. You can atleast copy your files off of it and make some backups.
!. Log off of the computer and totally shut it down for about 5 minutes.
2. Turn it on, if it asks to go into the safe mode, do it. Let the computer totally boot up. It may take awhile. wait until the computer stops it grinding etc and is up. The windows screen will look weird because it is in the safe mode.
3. Reboot the computer through windows" START / SHUTDOWN / SHUTDOWN THE COMPUTER
4. Now power off the computer Wait for another few minutes
5. Now turn on the computer and it SHOULD boot back up into regular WIndows mode.
6. IF it does, back up everything before turning it off again. The reason why is that if you do take it to a shop, they may have to either reinstall Windows or replace the hard drive. In any case, you will lose everything in your computer.
Items to back up, Browser settings, fotos, documents, your email, data from programs you have on your computer. This is just for starters.
HOPE THIS HELPS!
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neglus
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posted on August 25, 2004 07:29:06 AM new
Thanks all..I can't get it to get past the screen. If I hit "safe mode" it tries to start and then just cycles back to the screen. I tried putting in the restore disk and booting from that..it gave me a choice of proceeding with installation (lose all data) or working from DOS prompt..I tried the DOS prompt and when I tried to switch to c:\ it said "invalid drive"  .
I can't remember what the whole screen said (can't copy and paste LOL). Something about recently installing hardware or software or losing power...I didn't install anything and I don't recall losing power (though they are doing work on the street so that may have happened momentarily). It told me to select the way I wanted to start up..Normal Mode was recommended if I didn't do anything..or Safe Mode..neither one gets it to boot up.
**********************************
Sig files are too much trouble!
http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards
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neroter12
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posted on August 25, 2004 07:35:36 AM new
neglus, i think if you over install you will lose all you had on your hard drive and it will return you to factory bought condition?
Maybe if you have two computers, you can just copy the windows files from one and load that on the down one?
I am not sure how that works, so dont do it without somebody else here telling you what you might need. But I know they sell emergency windows boot disks for like five bucks or something.
..
..
~~ Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues(forces)of life..Proverbs 4:23~~
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kiara
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posted on August 25, 2004 07:49:50 AM new
Hi neglus
Perhaps you can get some help here. The page has a sequence of ways to try to boot up. Good luck!
http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com/news/21.html
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southwesttradingcompany
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posted on August 25, 2004 07:50:43 AM new
we had to restore my windows (compaq) laptop over the wkend. there were no windows disks with it, just 4 system restore disks. i copied off the few things i wanted to save, then we did the system restore, which, apparently, contains the xp system.
its like having a new computer. it runs so much faster now.
one thing i did learn and thats when you put the restore disk in and power off/on the computer you want to press and hold ESC as soon as it comes up. that forces it to boot from cd, but youprobably already know that.
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neglus
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posted on August 25, 2004 07:56:22 AM new
Thanks Kiara - I looked all over Google for something like that last night and couldn't find it! You are amazing!
The good thing is that my upstairs PC is XP too and it looks like I can make a boot disk from that pc to use in the broken one.
Wish me luck!
**********************************
Sig files are too much trouble!
http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards
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neglus
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posted on August 25, 2004 07:58:06 AM new
I didn't know the "esc" thing-- thanks Southwest..will try that too.
**********************************
Sig files are too much trouble!
http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards
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sanmar
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posted on August 25, 2004 08:47:20 AM new
My HD crashed last week, everything on it was lost. It was 6 yrs old so no warrantee. I have it up & running again with a new 80Gig HD & XP Professional. XP takes some getting used to. It sounds like you have the same problem.
Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
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neglus
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posted on August 25, 2004 09:35:00 AM new
Well I decided that there was nothing on that computer that was all that earth shattering to lose...I just ran the restore disk and computer is running just fine. I have to figure out how to reconfigure the internet settings now. THanks all for help
**********************************
Sig files are too much trouble!
http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards
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aintrichyet
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posted on August 25, 2004 09:47:05 AM new
hurray, neglus!!! ... it's always neat to start with a computer 'just like new' anyway!  congrats.
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kiara
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posted on August 25, 2004 10:00:39 AM new
Glad to hear you're up and running again, neglus.
I printed out the info that I found on that site in case I ever need it.
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