So, to sum up: Windows NT4 was the basis for Windows 2000. 2000 core was initially called NT5.0 during production. XP is in simplest terms, a new front end to the NT5.0 core with some extra bells and whistles. XP acts a little different and looks different to 2000 (you can actually get it to look identical by setting all visuals and methods back to "classic"). In simpler terms still (I'm not suggesting anyone is simple, it's just how I like to describe it) XP is 2000 with a different "look", so all underlying code is almost identical. We can therefore act on XP as we would with 2000. All error codes and other system errors you will get with XP have probably some relation to a solution provided for 2000. (Ignore NT4, it's a bit different from NT5 and 2000 has been around long enough for us to sort out it's flaws.) We think it could be a memory problem, or hard disk problem. However, other factors can cause these problems and the above components may not be the initial cause or indeed, faulty. You need an approach to isolate the problem with your system. This is what I would do to start with: To isolate a hardware problem: remove all components not necessary: ie. you'll only have CPU, MOBO, RAM (one stick), GPU, HDD, FDD (useful), ATA 33 IDE cables (40 conductors, not 80). If it starts good with this, a piece of hardware you removed is at fault. Start to replace one by one until the error presents itself and you have found the problem. If this is not the case, try a different power supply (my favourite which many people miss, if faulty this can cause problems with disk errors, memory faults, graphics card failures, in fact anything that requires power). A note from me is that you require good, clean power (not necessarily lots, but clean and reliable - a 250W PSU with clean power is better than a wavering 550W PSU even for a P4! - with very little else though). If it's software... see the next post! You can do a lot with nothing... look in to space, what's there?

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Software... Here are the main questions I would ask to begin with: Can you start up in Safe Mode? (press F8 during start up) If you can't, then you're stuck still determining a hardware or software fault. Does a clean install make any difference? (If in doubt, try again after using hard-disk manufacturer's software to do a low-level format - not a real low-level format, as they won't usually let you and it's a stupid idea anyway - then partition the drive and format it using the setup, or do all of that using the manufacturer's software - Seagate is highly recommended: fast, stable, reliable and quiet.) If you can get it to boot in to safe mode, are there any errors in Device Manager? If no errors, what software is installed? Are there errors in the event log? If no additional software is installed, run disk and system checks, check all drivers are digitally signed and all files are present, check that all XP files are original from CD using SFC (system file checker). These scenarios may help, or may not. They may help others with similar problems to yours. I hope some of these steps may give you some ideas. The best thing to do, is define your problem as accurately as possible, eliminate as many causes as you can, work on a minimal set up to determine the route cause, decide on a cost-effective solution, or if you can spare the capital, a comfortable fix. Most of all, record what you do in every step, one step at a time. Look at what you've done and the results obtained, make your conclusions and research for ideas. A good approach to a problem makes way for an excellent solution. However if you have the money and not the time, just replace things until the bugger works! :D Start with memory, you'll always benefit from more. You can do a lot with nothing... look in to space, what's there?

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