BSOD before Windows Loads

Hey all,

My gf's HP came down with a case of the BSODs. Essentially, when it goes to the screen where it asks whether you want to start in normal mode or safe mode. Regardless of which one she chooses, the Windows XP screen shows, then a BSOD flashes and the comp restarts itself. I think that a boot disk can fix it, but I'm not completely sure. Any advice? It probably also doesn't help that I don't have a copy of an XP startup disk and MS's site is telling me to use a floppy

thanks

 

BSOD's usually indicate a hardware issue. Well, if you can find any windows disc, you can boot to it and use the Recovery Console.

Without a Windows disc I'd definitely start with Memtest. Bad enough memory could definitely cause this. Get it here, burn it to cd, and boot to the disc. The rest is automated.

http://www.memtest.org/#downiso

 

Thanks, is there any windows recovery type disk I can download from the net? She's at school and all her recovery stuff is back at home (won't be heading back until Friday night.)

 

Yeah, this is a great question. I've seen my friends' laptops do that and I tried recovering or what not and it still didn't work. Turns out the hard drive died... I'm hoping this isn't the case for you :S

 

I'm running a HDD self test right now. I ran the quick 2 min one and it worked fine, I'm doing the comprehensive right now. Thanks for the link to memtest, I'll get right to it.

 

So I ran the memtest and I did the hard drive test and I still get a BSOD that flashes on the screen faster than I can read. I guess the only option left is the startup CD for windows. Anyone know where I can d/l it seeing as I don't have it with me right now?

 

Enter BIOS on bootup and see if there's an option to run diagnostic tests (such as a memory test) from the BIOS.

You could also see if any bootable CD works. If you can't find the Windows startup CD, you could download a Linux live CD or something... maybe Knoppix? I think Knoppix has a live CD you can download... I've never actually tried it myself.

 

Don't use the manufacturer's tests, they're utterly worthless. Try MHDD. Best HD testing software I've ever used.

 

Of course you still get a BSOD. Tests won't fix the problem, only help you determine what the cause of the problem is.

Anyway, if your system passes an extensive memtest (meaning at least one full pass) and MHDD doesn't throw any errors or even warnings, then you have an O.S. problem. At that point you'll want to attempt a registry recovery, and if that doesn't work, subsequently a repair install.

 

Ran the memtest over night and also ran the MHDD before that. No errors so it looks like the problem lies in the system files. Windows startup disk is the last hope. Is it wrong that I hope it doesn't work so that I can build a new computer?

 

Can you get to a command prompt? Keep pressing f8 on boot up until you see a menu (or it beeps at you, in which case you can stop pressing f8 as it's got the message).
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315222

The menu should have items on such as safe mode, safe mode with command prompt, safe mode with network support, boot normally, last known good configuration etc etc .. then chose safe mode with command prompt (you probably won't need network support so ignore that one).
Note this isn't the menu you get when your computer crashes and on restart asks if you want last known good configuration etc.

If you can get to a command prompt see if you can find the boot log file and see whats in that? It might give you some clues. The last item in the list should be the thing it is having problems with.. bootlog.txt usually is found in the root of your C drive. So just typing bootlog.txt at your c:\> prompt should display it.

If your prompt shows anything other than c:\> then type cd\ or just type c: then hit return that will take you to the root of c:

Obviously just ignore all this if the menu you're talking about is the one I've just mentioned as you'll probably have tried the above already ..

 

Problem is I can't even get to the command prompt. It crashes before I have the chance to type

 

aah.. not good..

is the cpu fan working properly? just a thought but could it be rapidly overheating and shutting itself down?
I guess a way of checking this would be if you can switch it on and check through a few pages of the bios settings ok without it restarting? I know the CPU wouldn't be under load at that point but it would at least be running.

If you can run through bios settings ok with no reboots then (if it were me and if you can get your hands on the Windows disk) I'd try a repair installation as Techguy2k7 suggests.

 

How old is the machine? It'd be fun to build her a new one. But you'd probably be more of a hero if you fixed her current machine.

 

Windows disk is going to wait until the weekend and the machine is like 3-4 years old. And yes the fan works fine, it was on the last time she shutdown before the bsods started

 

No- BSOD's are typically because Windows *thinks* there's a hardware issue. I.e. it's trying to load drivers for something that isn't present, or it is missing drivers for something that is present. All that really means, is that Windows F--ed itself up and now the system files are screwed.

Even Windows "gurus" can never seem to fix a BSOD, the only suggestion being to "format and reinstall" I.e. the universal solution to all problems windows.

Perhaps after this fiasco she'd be open to buying a computer that doesn't run Windows. The new iMac's are nice.

 

Bah...semantics. LOL

If what you say in the first sentence is correct, then fixing a BSOD is as simple as finding a driver that works for the installed hardware. I know I've corrected BSOD's, to the point where they stop occurring. Isn't that fixing?

 

What do you mean by HDD self test?

Are you referring to chkdsk?

 

On the desktop (Gateway) right after I got it, I tried to play the Roller Coaster Tycoon and it BSOD right off the bat. All I did was restart and the computer was fine. That was 3 years ago. Never had to reformat and never tried to play that game again. Also have never had another BSOD.

 

Pressed F10 to enter a basic setup mode before the option to load Windows in safe mode. There was an option to check the HD to at least make sure it works so I went ahead and did that. I also ran the program that was mentioned in an earlier post.

 

what i suggest is to try a ubuntu live cd and see if it happens(if it does use flash drives until you get home with the recovery discs

 

do this. Boot a windows installation CD and go into the recovery console. do this command

chkdsk /p /r

This will deep scan for errors and repair them. It takes over an hour to run on my HEL-80. I've become very familiar with this process after some bad drivers would cause a crash in HL2 that would prevent windows from launching.

 

Step 1

If you have a windows xp cd, start the computer and boot with it and choose recovery console.

Then follow the instructions beginning at STEP 2

If you do not have a Windows XP CD, do the following


download RC.iso from the following link:

http://www.thecomputerparamedic.com/rc.iso

You need to burn this image to a CD and boot your computer with it--this is different than burning a file to a CD. If you do not know how to burn an ISO image, then download the following program to another Windows XP machine, install it.

make certain you download the proper installation for your version of windows. Open MY COMPUTER, choose HELP > ABOUT. Note the service pack and get the appropriate version of the iso burner power toy

http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm

After installation, reboot, then right click the RC.iso file you downloaded above and choose COPY IMAGE TO CD.

Then reboot your broken PC with that CD in the CD-ROM drive.

This will give you a recovery console to use to run

Insert the cd into the non-functioning PC



STEP 2

When boot begins, a windows setup will appear to start, but you will be taken to a recovery console.

You will need to select your windows installation by pressing a number, most likely 1

Windows will ask you for a password

If you have XP home, press enter...there is no password

If you have XP Pro, you need to enter the password you set when you installed your machine with XP Pro.

After entering the password, you will find yourself at a command prompt that looks like this

c:\windows

type
chkdsk /r
<enter>

follow the prompts, then when it is complete, remove the CD

type

EXIT

<enter>

the machine will reboot

Did that fix it?

 

Thanks for the advice guys. I got the XP disk in there and am running the chkdsk's. I'll write an update once that is done. Thanks again

 

Big thanks guys, ran the chkdsk's and comp is up and running again. There seemed to have been 3 errors (I'm assuming because the prompt "Continuing search for blah blah" came up 3 times.

Thanks again

 

there were probably a whole lot more than three errors.

You can probably get an idea by checking
start > run, type
eventvwr.msc
<enter>

look under applications for
winlogin

You may want to consider running it another time or two

start > run
cmd
<enter>

type
chkdsk /r
<enter>

say Y and reboot.

Finally, go here
http://www.hdtune.com/
get that program, install it, and check the HEALTH tab

Odds are you had simple disk corruption and that is it, but on the outside chance your drive is failing, this program will read the S.M.A.R.T info off the drive and determine if a failure is imminent