Windows won't boot normally or in safe mode

DamoKen

Hi Guys, yeah I know this topic has been done to death but as it's a reoccuring problem I just wanted your opinions on what the causes might be.
Also not sure if it's that relevant but as any problems I have with my pc started around the time of the thread below maybe they're connected?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055077874

Anyway at the end of that thread I did a reinstall of Windows. Was away for the following 6 weeks but my girlfriend was using it nightly and seemed to be functioning ok.

So 2 weeks ago whilst uninstalling an application that was missing dll's (due to the windows reinstall I would imagine) my machine hangs. Ok, waited a few min, tried to access task manager with no joy so do a soft reboot.

Now this is where I find something new, get a screen stating as windows didn't close down corrrectly last time I have the option of safe mode, last known good config, start normally in 15 sec etc. Basically the advanced boot up options.

But.., if I try to boot up normally it makes it as far as the windows logo appearing faintly, the second it gets a bit brighter the machine restarts again.

Ok, try last known good config and same as above.

Getting a little worried so try safe mode, get the usual scrolling list of what's loading, but then after a few seconds of this it just restarts again!

So, last resort and try a repair using the windows cd. Can't see much of a difference between this and a reinstall to be honest as it takes from what I can tell the same length of time, as well as asking for regional settings etc???

Anyway I digress, this works so I go about reapplying drivers, virus protection, hotfixes etc and all seems well. For about 2 days and same thing happens, switch the machine down normally with no errors but can't reboot.

This time it freezes during the setup, can't remember precisely (was 3.00am and was shattered), but think it was during the intial phase when windows setup is scanning the sectors on the hdd. Would have to run the setup again to remember precisely so apologies.

Rethink anyway and decide to format and reinstall as after the last time I'd already backed up most of my stuff.

That was a week and a half ago and most of the time it seemed to be running fine. One weird thing I noticed was around 3 times my machine hung totally when just browsing, I'd be using the mouse wheel and suddenly nothing, resulting in a reboot and hoping it wasn't going to give me the advanced boot up options.

Anyway yesterday morning checked my mail, shut down normally and went to work. Came home and same problem, can't boot up!!!

Started wondering if it's the drive, so installed windows on another drive and did a sfc /scannow and chkdsk /f /r on the drive. Chkdsk said it found problems which were now fixed, tried rebooting off that drive and still nothing.

At this stage I've reinstalled so often that I'm sick of having to carry out the windows updates so decided to make a slipstream version of windows plus service pack 2 and hotfixes. Running on the new drive, half way through the integration of these into the WinXp folder I'd copied from the cd I get a bsod with the message (too quick to read properly) stating something like "A serious hardware error has occurred".

Rebooted to the new drive and tried the slipstream again, this time it worked ok so using this newly burned slipstreamed version of Windows I again format the offending drive, and go through the installation. Set up regional settings etc, installing devices, but just before the installation is finished same bsod again!

That's as far as I got last night, didn't have time to try again as it was getting too late.

So thoughts, opinions? Is it a software problem, this would to me seem unlikely due to the format last time. Is it a ram problem, processor, hdd?

Any ideas appreciated and apologies for the length of the post!

Cheers

Offalycool

You could try wipeing the hard disk alltogether. U need to make a boot floppy, it may take a while. http://dban.sourceforge.net/

DamoKen

Hi Offalycool, not sure if it is the hard drive at this stage though as it also crashed when running off the winxp installation on my secondary drive?

Offalycool

You could try right clicking on my computer, and select properties. Then select the advanced tab, and open start up and recovery. Deselect automatic reboot, it should now display a reason for the crash, or a BSOD. Write it down and Google. Let us know here also.

DamoKen

that's a good tip, will do so tomorrow evening (wedding tonight ). I'll post the results next time it crashes.

cheers

Gadgetman496

Odds are it's one of three things,

Driver
Bad stick of RAM
Processor overheating.

DamoKen

yeah am thinking the same, most likely culprit I think at this stage is RAM. Reasons being:

driver conflict: formatted the drive twice and still experiencing problems, plus some of the same problems (bsod) running off another drive winxp install.

cpu overheating: this was a problem a while back (see the thread link on my first post). Have replaced the cooler so temps are no higher than 45 now. (will reinstall systools and double check just in case this has changed).

While waiting for the next inevitable crash I think a ram test would be a good idea.
Anyone recommendations for ram diagnostic tools out there? Quick google and came up with Memtest86. Would this do the job or are there better out there?

While I'm at it, recommendations for diagnostic tools for cpu, mobo etc would be cool

cheers