Solved Error at bootup ... Stops and displays error message ...

HopperRox November 2, 2013 at 10:08:48

✔ Best Answer

I hope you learning about why we just leave the registry alone! Misplaced faith in registry cleaners has lead many here. Have you attempted to get in via "safe mode with networking" Tap F8 a few times when you first turn on the computer, that should bring up a black screen with windows advanced start up options. Select safe mode with networking, a bunch of writing will scroll off the screen and then it will hopefully load up to the login screen. Yes it looks different, it is a stripped down version. Report back if you can get that far, and what operating system are we trying to repair, xp I gather? thx message edited by HopperRox

Derek November 2, 2013 at 12:18:09

If you can get Windows to run (even in Safe Mode) it would be worth running System Restore back to before you tried to install the printer. That way there would only be the printer problem to deal with and not a messed up registry. This might well be what HopperRox has in mind. Always pop back and let us know the outcome - thanks message edited by Derek

Hello .. Well this morning the Windows XP box failed to boot up. I put in the Windows XP pro cd and rebooted. I was going to do a repair when the system just died. The power supply is totally dead. What else it might have taken with it - when it died .. I don't know. Anyway .. Thanks for the help folks .. much appreciated! I didn't get far enough to try any of the suggestions. I hope I can recover my files off the hard drive of the dead XP machine. I think it is time for a new box. Now, what to do with a perfectly good Windows XP Pro CD? Oh and I'm on a Win7 Laptop at the moment.

Derek November 2, 2013 at 19:09:45

Wow, that was a bit of bad luck. I guess you can either slave your HD or put it in a USB enclosure to get your stuff off. Thanks for taking the trouble to let us know. EDITS: My XP went the same way, with a bang and smell of burning. Rushed out and bought a Win 8 box (interesting). Fine, but when the panic died down I got myself a second hand PSU and the old XP is available again. Felt sure the mobo would have taken a hit but it was OK. Still have a working Win 98 in the loft (online with AV updates) - guess its time I dumped it tho. Always pop back and let us know the outcome - thanks message edited by Derek

Yes, it must have been on its last legs when it finally fried. The old XP machine was a good old box. I still need to check the HD and see if my files / data is still available. I hope so, because there is a lot of stuff I want to keep. Last backup was about 5-1/2 months ago. I have an old DOS machine in the basement. It will power up, but needs new cables. It has ms-dos 6.22 (used to have 5.0) installed and windows 3.11. I forget what the motherboard is. The cpu is a DX4-100 and the video card might be a Trident. Thats about all I can remember about it. ttyl

HopperRox November 5, 2013 at 04:16:45

Power supplies are fairly easy to change, not too pricey and some shops will sell used ones that test ok (not my preference, but hey some are on tight budget). Usually if the power supply dies that is all that goes. Now when they take a power surge they can sometimes fry other components but what you describe, everything may well be ok. Unless you are very unlucky your hd should be fine and the data too. To err is human but to really screw things up, you need a computer!

Derek November 5, 2013 at 06:00:28

Yep, a fry up is always possible but my old XP PSU went bang and smelt of burning. Even that didn't fry the mobo. I reckon you are in with a good chance. Always pop back and let us know the outcome - thanks

Hi all .. I tried a "working" used power supply and the system remained dead. I pulled the video card (only card) and replaced it with a borrowed nvidia 510 and still no go. I tried pulling 1 stick and leaving the other and then swapping, but still no joy. I got some spare ram here someplace, so when I find it, I'll try that next. The hard drive is ok and working. I pulled it out and got all my data off of it using a sata to usb adapter. So no loss of data and I'm pretty happy about that. :) I know all about windows XP end of life, but I'm really missing XP. I'm thinking about getting something new / newer to put Windows XP Pro (retail 32 Bit) on and that way I'll be able to run most of my old software [ I'm Old ;) ] that won't run on a 64 bit machine. I see they have refurbished Dell systems on Ebay, but they come with XP (or other) already installed. Most are between 3 and 5 hundred dollars. Thanks! .. All for now.

Derek November 14, 2013 at 17:57:43

As an aside, if you are wanting to stick with XP in some shape or form then see these: http://www.computing.net/howtos/sho... http://www.computing.net/howtos/sho... Always pop back and let us know the outcome - thanks

Thank You .. Derek The price being right, I've thought about buying a barebones box, but most of them would be beyond / overkill for XP 32 bit. That is why I've been looking at older refurbished boxes. Setting up a modern barebones system might very well be over this old guy's head.