Windows won't boot Normally or in Safe Mode

I had an old Gateway Notebook for about 3 years before I upgraded to an Alienware. I gave the old computer to my sister. I ran the recovery CD, wiped it clean, installed Avast!, found and got rid of about 11 Viruses (back then I didn't take good care of my computer...I know, shame on me), and I had it in decent running condition. Slow, and un-responsive for a few seconds sometimes, but working none-the-less.

She recently came up to me, and told me that when she tried to start up the computer (it has XP on it), that when it would load up to the Windows screen with the moving bar right after you start the computer up, that the bar would just keep going and going, and never booting up to the login screen.

First thing I did was tried to boot in Safe Mode, but after all the script appears, and fills the screen, it does not boot up, all the information just stays on the screen.

What can I do? I figure it's either a Virus, something wrong with the Boot files, or something internally is broken.

Do I have any other options other than running the recovery CD again?

 

most likely the hdd is about to die, if you can get a boot cd with hdd tools that should allow you to test i thats the reason and to try fix it

 

Tried to load "Last known good configuration"?.

To test the HDD get Ultimate BootCD.

 

Ya, I tried to load Last know good config, nothing.

 

If you have an actual installation cd, you can boot into the recovery console and do a repair.

 

I just have the recovery CD. If I recall, it only gives me the option to partial recovery, where it saves all my files and stuff in a backup, or a destructive recovery, where it deletes everything, and basically turns the computer back into "right out of the box".

 

I don't know of any way to repair using a recovery CD. I would remove her drive, slave it into your system (USB drive enclosures are cheap), and copy her important information to your computer. Of course, do a complete virus scan on the entire drive before you even think about copying files!

After that, install the drive into her laptop and use the recovery CD to reinstall the operating system.

 

Yea right about now I think your best bet is to actually re-install the OS.

 

Ya, that's what I thought. Lucky for me, I backed up ALL her files before I dumped her desktop, the one she was using before I gave her my laptop, so I have them all on my 250 gig USB HD.

Thanks for the responses guy's. I will re-install it, and hopefully it will hold out for a few more months or so.