Cpmputer problems

I posted this in the Desktop Review,but I am not getting any responses,so I hope it's okay to post it here.

My aunt has a desktop computer that recently has been acting funny. It will not load to the desktop,and keeps displaying a mesage that Windows could not load sucessfully,and that it will restart with a countdown,and then it restarts,and does the same thing over,and over. I have tried to load in in safe mode,but it will not do this either. Any suggestions on what I can do?

 

It could have a virus!

 

boot to the windows cd and chose repair.

 

You could also try the 'Last Known Good Configuration' option.
Repair install should work....^

What is the particular error msg ? How is it displayed ? BSOD ?

 

I get a black screen with the message in white letters,no blue screen. I can't move the highlighed bar to get it to go to the option of repair or last known good configuration. When I press the F8 button as it is loading AGAIN. it flashes a blue screen with a message on it,but it flashes it so fast there is no time to even try to see what it says.

Message reads

We apologize for any inconvenience,but Window did not start sucessfully,could be due to recent hardware or software changes. if your computer stopped responding, restarted unexpectedly or automatically shut down to protect your files or folders,choose Last Known Good Configeration to revert to the most recent setting that you had.
If a previous start up was interrupted due to a power failure or because power or reset button was pressed,or if you aren't sure what cause the problem choode Start Windows Normally.

Safe Mode
Safe Mode with networking
Safe Mode with something else(I could'nt see it)

Then it has the countdown running to restart.

 

Then the repair install is the easiest solution... If you have a retail CD.

 

Can't really say without knowing the details of the BSOD....(Capture it with a video camera )

I guess the Repair Install is the best alternative, as mentioned above.

 

What is the BSOD?

 

Blue Screen Of Death:

 

Could be your loader is corrupted.. NTDLR. Sometimes even repairing or safe mode doesn't function. If both of them doesn't work then it's time to re-install the OS. This will mostly happen on an XP system rarely on a Vista one.

 

No I don't get that blue screen, I get this

 

You mean re install Windows XP?

 

What is that then ??

And if you start XP normally ?

 

I don't know..cause it's just a flash,it doesn't stay up,I would'nt even be able to get a picture of it.

I can't. It just keeps restarting by itself after the seconds have run out. My arrow keys won't move the highlighted bar.

 

Does you keyboard work when in the BIOS ??

 

Would'nt know..it's not up long enough for me to do anything. it up,and gone in the blink of an eye..literally.

 

It's not a BSOD - as Greg was so kind to post a pic of one - but most likely a corrupted bootloader or bootsector. Try the repair methods first; however, it may also be a failing hard drive that's developing a lot of bad sectors that just happen to be where the bootloader is (or some other part of the OS), so also run a hdd test to see if the hdd is failing (e.g., chkdsk from safe mode). I had a hdd that developed a terminal case of bad sectors, and each time I reinstalled the OS on it, it would stop loading, with a similar error, after about a week of use. After the second reinstall died, I finally got wise and replaced the hdd itself - nary a problem since then.

 

I can't get it to go into safe mode, so how do I run a hdd test?

 

I 2nd the motion of performing a windows repair, as stated by many posters above. It is the quickest way, and it will still keep the data intact.

cheers ...