PC was working properly for several months. Since yesterday, it keeps rebooting at start up. I have tried all the different boot options by pressing f8 (command prompt, safe mode, boot from CD e.t.c), nothing will work. Every time, after the XP logo, I receive a blue screen. I don't have time to read the error message because the PC automatically reboots. What should I do? Is this because of some hardware or software problem or some kind of virus.

Help greatly appreciated,

Thanks

thmastroko, virus maybe? Can you boot into safe mode and clean. Tap F8 as soon as the Windows screen appears and see if you can get to safe mode.
HTH.
Ed in Texas.

I've already tried all the different boot options with F8. They don't work. The PC keeps rebooting.

Thanks though...

Bad boot kernal? If so then you have to reformat :) good luck with that. Maybe your ram isnt enough? Have you installed anything new lately? If so what?

Don't remeber installing anything new lately. If RAM (512 MB) isn't enough wouldn't that be a problem since I first bought the PC? (It's been working properly for several months now).

Then I don't know :p maybe you might have to wait till more people are on the forums later today (but it might be courpted data or a bad kernal file, and I don't know how to fix bad data other then reformat)

Might not help but can you boot to your XP CD and enter recovery console? If so then you need to know your admin password (may be blank).
Use it to log into your current system and then enter the following commands one at a time answering Y when prompted: FIXBOOT then FIXMBR
When done remove the CD and reboot. I don't know if this will help but it's worth a try. If it fails then you've lost nothing. The next thing I'd try would be a repair instal. Boot to the XP CD again. bypass the first R for recovery and proceed to the instal menu. It will detect your current operating system and give you the option to repair.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.
Teach him to fish and his wife will never forgive you.

You have a good chance it will be solved when you follow this solution I wrote for another boot cq kernel error.
You can find it here:
http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/133655.html

Good luck and let us know it it worked for this problem also.

Thanks for the replies.
Unfortunately I dont' think I'll be able to solve this myself. I'll have the PC serviced by the manufacturer and I'll let everyone know what the problem was and how it was solved.

Thanks

Same problem here after PC locking up during the install of windows XP updates. XP kept rebooting, would not allow safe mode or anything. Booted to the Install CD, ran recovery console and used Richard59 & Erwin's fix - chkdsk, Fixboot, Fixmbr, etc.

The PC rebooted and opened windows! Thank you! My fiancee needed her college documents by the next morning - she got them! Kudos guys ;)