PC reboots after 1 second of XP splash screen

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SteveFari

108 posts

Master Geek

#57262 7-Feb-2010 22:07

Hello,

I have an XP home edition pc that will no longer boot past 1 second of the XP splash screen, it just reboots every time. It might be possible the MBR needs repairing but I am unable to use the XP recovery console because it fails to find a hard disk which I've read is because of SATA mode being enabled in bios. Unfortunatley there is no option to change SATA/IDE so I'm a bit stuck as to how I can repair this corruption.
Is there a way to run a fix MBR on a disk that isn't the primary? I have removed the drive and connected it to another PC, which I ran a virus scan on too as I think that is the cause of this problem.
Any suggestions on how to fix or what to do (avoiding a format if possible).

Thank you,
Steve.

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831 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#296937 7-Feb-2010 23:14

Have a read of <this> (in place upgrade) and see what other people suggest first. But certainly, this would be something you'd try before a format.

b0untypure1

1426 posts

Uber Geek

#297202 8-Feb-2010 21:19

id try reinstall windows.. after a format of course :S

askelon

879 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#297211 8-Feb-2010 21:40

download hirens bootcd.. Run the first or second NTFS program on its utils and it should do a chkdsk on the drive.. will most likely fix the problem..

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79289 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

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Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#297213 8-Feb-2010 21:42

It is not the MBR - otherwise you wouldn't even see the Windows splash screen. It's probably (a) incorrect drivers or (b) some malware.

jaymz

1133 posts

Uber Geek

#297221 8-Feb-2010 21:52

freitasm: It is not the MBR - otherwise you wouldn't even see the Windows splash screen. It's probably (a) incorrect drivers or (b) some malware.

Agreed, does it come up with a "Windows failed to start last time" and give you options like safe mode etc?

I have seen this with corrupt disk drivers and also with corrupt registry (ERD Commander fixed this up)

Any recent changes to the system that we should be aware of?

SteveFari

108 posts

Master Geek

#297233 8-Feb-2010 22:12

Hi, thanks to those who have replied so far, and yes you're right the splash screen does appear so can't be MBR.
It now gets weirder.
I connected the drive as a slave to a working pc to back up the data on it. I then connected the drive as a primary boot and ran the XP setup (this spare pc can detect SATA drives during XP setup) deleted the partition, formatted it and installed XP on the drive. It successfully booted to the desktop. I then took out the drive, connected it to the problematic PC and it's back to doing exactly the same thing. Boots to the Windows failed to load..... I hit normal boot or safemode, doesn't matter, and it reboots immediatley back to the POST screen.
Does this mean that the problem after all is not the hard drive (suspected it was because false XP antivirus window was accepted and installed when on the net, the malware one) but perhaps the mainboard? I have spare RAM I tested in the PC but still no joy.

I'm hoping it's not the mainboard or cpu but can't think what else it could be now.....

SteveFari

108 posts

Master Geek

#297240 8-Feb-2010 22:20

Sorry just wanted to add that why I find it weird is because before I reinstalled XP on the drive I connected to the spare PC and tried booting but it showed the same symptoms which is why I assumed the disk was at fault. So after it booted to the desktop ok upon completion of the new install it was fair to assume that the drive would now work back in the orignal PC, but no :)

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

SteveFari

108 posts

Master Geek

#297247 8-Feb-2010 22:31

Working HD from spare PC put into 'broken' pc, disk boots fine to the xp desktop.
That now rules out mainboard, RAM, CPU, Video etc.
How the h3ll does the disk still have this issue? could it be that the malware is on one of the other partitions on the disk and trigures when it's in a PC with a hardware matchup?

I'm really stumped lol

GF74

85 posts

Master Geek

#297287 9-Feb-2010 08:19

In the 'Safe Mode' screen there should be an option to disable automatic restart on error. If you change this option you may be able to see the results of the crash that is causing the restart.

jaymz

1133 posts

Uber Geek

#297300 9-Feb-2010 08:44

SteveFari: Hi, thanks to those who have replied so far, and yes you're right the splash screen does appear so can't be MBR.
It now gets weirder.
I connected the drive as a slave to a working pc to back up the data on it. I then connected the drive as a primary boot and ran the XP setup (this spare pc can detect SATA drives during XP setup) deleted the partition, formatted it and installed XP on the drive. It successfully booted to the desktop. I then took out the drive, connected it to the problematic PC and it's back to doing exactly the same thing. Boots to the Windows failed to load..... I hit normal boot or safemode, doesn't matter, and it reboots immediatley back to the POST screen.
Does this mean that the problem after all is not the hard drive (suspected it was because false XP antivirus window was accepted and installed when on the net, the malware one) but perhaps the mainboard? I have spare RAM I tested in the PC but still no joy.

I'm hoping it's not the mainboard or cpu but can't think what else it could be now.....

Right, so let me make sure I have read this correctly:

You installed windows xp on a hard drive that was connected to a different set of hardware?
Then installed that hard drive into a different set of hardware?

If so, then it is an issue with hard disk drivers. One of the things to do would be to:

Reinstall the new hard drive back into the machine it was built on
Boot windows
Inside device manager change the driver for the IDE/SATA controller to Generic IDE Controller (Update Driver option)
Then put that hard drive back into the new hardware and boot.

daman88

81 posts

Master Geek

#297323 9-Feb-2010 09:52

Well, I know what's your problem lies........ it happened to me once...

IN BIOS, try this few methods:
1. try to disable SATA and only use IDE to see if it boots up or not.....

If 1 doesn't work, then reenable SATA and make the primary drive plug into the SATA before.....but you will need specify which SATA to boot...... read your mobo manual

SteveFari

108 posts

Master Geek

#297338 9-Feb-2010 11:06

Hi,

Unfortunately the bios gives me no option to change between sata and ide. It's not a big bios menu and I am 100% it's not there. If I had found that option I could have reinstalled XP on that machine without having to move the drive into a spare PC for the installation.

I know what you're saying and I have seen reboots because of such a setting too but even after updating the bios that option just isn't there. If the drive was dual IDe and SATA I'd be in luck but only SATA connections.

askelon

879 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#297347 9-Feb-2010 12:15

Make a new windows CD. Slipstream the drivers into it.. http://www.nliteos.com.../ for instructions and check out the forums for slipstreaming the drivers. All very easy to do - I doubt I have a stock standard windows disk left that I could easily put my fingers on in a hurry! Gets around drivers once and for all :)

SteveFari

108 posts

Master Geek

#297354 9-Feb-2010 12:32

Thanks mate I'll check it out and let you kow how I get on.
I have the sata disk drivers and pressed F6 during setup but because there's no floppy drive it offered no other way to browse for the drivers that were on my ucb flash drive.

I'll update later this evening when I'm back home to try it out. Mission!!! :)

jaymz

1133 posts

Uber Geek

#297425 9-Feb-2010 16:47

jaymz:
Right, so let me make sure I have read this correctly:

You installed windows xp on a hard drive that was connected to a different set of hardware?
Then installed that hard drive into a different set of hardware?

If so, then it is an issue with hard disk drivers. One of the things to do would be to:

Reinstall the new hard drive back into the machine it was built on
Boot windows
Inside device manager change the driver for the IDE/SATA controller to Generic IDE Controller (Update Driver option)
Then put that hard drive back into the new hardware and boot.

BUMP

Did you try the above?

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