Need Help Computer Wont Start

ArthurGuinness

Hi Folks

Have a Windows XP media centre, the power went and now it reufues to start up the usual message comes up abouting starting windows normally, safe mode, safe mode with networking etc, it dosnt matter which one I choose it dosnt work, it starts off as if its going to work with the xp logo screen, intel screen etc but always comes back to the same Windows did not start successfully screen. No disc came with the system, what do I do?

Cheers

MarkR

Unplug everything, and then plug back in the minimum (keyboard + screen) and try again. If it's still looping, try tapping F8 to get into safe mode.

After that it gets more difficult...

Odaise Gaelach

When you're starting your computer, press and hold F8 until you see a menu similar to the "starting Windows normally" menu. Select "Disable automatic restart on system failure" and start Windows. When it fails instead of immediately restarting the computer it'll hopefully come up with a blue screen with some error details on it, specifically an error message and a STOP code. Let us know what they are and we might be able to help with it.

ArthurGuinness

Thanks guys, Its a vaio media centre all that is connected is a tv through hdmi and a wireless mouse/keyboard. I tried holding F8 it stopped the countdown thing at the bottom where is says seconds until windows restarts nothing else came up, I selected Start windows normally and came back to the automatic restart tried again and tried holding F8 at other parts of the process but got nothing

yoyo

Could be the hard disk is failing/failed and windows cannot fully load so your getting a bsod, I would run a hard disk diagnostics, before that backup any important data using the likes of a Ubuntu live disc which should help.
Let us know if you need help with doing this

Nick

demanufactured

Dont hold f8 , tap it repeatedly until the menu comes up

ArthurGuinness

Hi Folks

Cheers for the help, I have tried tapping F8 still nothing. Thanks for the advice Nick I have no idea where to even start what do I need to do?

ArthurGuinness

Ok so I have got a blue screen up its giving me the following options,

Hard Disk
-3rd Master: ST325....etc
-Bootable Add-In Cards

CDROM
-1st Master: MAT****AUJ-846D

yoyo

ArthurGuinness wrote: »

Hi Folks

Cheers for the help, I have tried tapping F8 still nothing. Thanks for the advice Nick I have no idea where to even start what do I need to do?

On a working machine, download SeaTools for Dos ISO and burn it to a blank CD (you can use www.imgburn.com to do this), boot off the burnt disc and run a diagnostics on the hard disk.
Nick