Computer won't boot

trillcat

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When I turn on the computer, it goes to the manufactures screen, then after about 10 seconds just goes to a black screen with a flashing cursor at the top. (I cannot move the cursor or type anyting ) Windows (I have XP, home version) does not start. I can get into the boot menu before it goes blank and then it will boot from there. Obvioulsly this is not right. The computer is also running slow now.
I have done a checkdisk, ran a virus scan, hardware checks, and various other diagnostics, and it tells me nothing is wrong. Well I beg to differ!
I have not downloaded anything, done anything out of the ordinary, Im at a loss.
Any clues what might be wrong?

ETA: I forgot I did have to do a hard shut down. I went to Hulu and it completly locked up the computer loading the main page. I had no choice.
 
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trillcat

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Just did a system restore, and rebooted, didn't work.
Did a boot to last known good configuration and rebooted again. Nope again.
Grrrrrr.
 

natalie_ca

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I asked on a techie forum I go to. This is their response

The XP disc has a repair feature. She can try that in case the boot path got messed up. It sounds like the computer is looking for something it can't find in order to boot up. She could have messed up something on the shut down she mentions.
 
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trillcat

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I asked on a techie forum I go to. This is their response

Quote:The XP disc has a repair feature. She can try that in case the boot path got messed up. It sounds like the computer is looking for something it can't find in order to boot up. She could have messed up something on the shut down she mentions.

Repair feature, Elaborate please, it sounds eveything I have tried so far short of a complete system wipe and reload, not really keen on that.
I dont have a boot disk so nope on that one. XP was with the compuer before I got it.
 

sk_pacer

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I just went through this crap a month ago. Piddled around with it at home, and found that XP had downloaded service pack 3, which had killed it twice before. Called a friend of mine, took puter in and we BOTH sat there and poked at keys, fiddled with software, and finally, even after trying the fix with XP (which did absolutley nothing but tell me the harddrive wasn't working despite me STILL being able to use DOS) I decided to wipe the harddrive and put in a different version of XP with Service Pack 3 integrated into the OS. I have had NO problems with the OS since - crash incidents are fewer, slow performance isn't as much of an issue and even Exploder......er Explorer doesn't lock up as much unless I play one certain game at bigfish games.

If you are very brave, restart the computer, and when screen lights up, even before the splash screen comes up, start tapping F8 - that will get you into advanced diagnostics and at the least you can poke through the menu and find what may be amiss. At any rate, if it is already hooped, you cant make it any worse.
 
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trillcat

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Originally Posted by sk_pacer

I just went through this crap a month ago. Piddled around with it at home, and found that XP had downloaded service pack 3, which had killed it twice before. Called a friend of mine, took puter in and we BOTH sat there and poked at keys, fiddled with software, and finally, even after trying the fix with XP (which did absolutley nothing but tell me the harddrive wasn't working despite me STILL being able to use DOS) I decided to wipe the harddrive and put in a different version of XP with Service Pack 3 integrated into the OS. I have had NO problems with the OS since - crash incidents are fewer, slow performance isn't as much of an issue and even Exploder......er Explorer doesn't lock up as much unless I play one certain game at bigfish games.

If you are very brave, restart the computer, and when screen lights up, even before the splash screen comes up, start tapping F8 - that will get you into advanced diagnostics and at the least you can poke through the menu and find what may be amiss. At any rate, if it is already hooped, you cant make it any worse.
I cant get into anything from the splash screen, except the boot menu. I have to boot from there then hit F8, thats how I got to "last known good configuration" which didn't work. I am leery to go willy nilly through there doing things because oh yea you can indeed make it worse! (and I have on other computers)
I will check into service pack 3,though I have not downloaded it myself it may have done it on its own, will check
 

mrblanche

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The first thing you should do, if you haven't, is get everything off that computer that you don't want to or can't afford to lose.
 
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trillcat

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Originally Posted by mrblanche

The first thing you should do, if you haven't, is get everything off that computer that you don't want to or can't afford to lose.
Did that after it started acting hinkey, then did a spyware clean and then a disk cleanup and a defrag. Still wont boot without me booting it, though the slow problem seems to be solved. (I was a bit tardy in doing routine stuff like that)
 

natalie_ca

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Originally Posted by Trillcat

I asked on a techie forum I go to. This is their response

Quote:The XP disc has a repair feature. She can try that in case the boot path got messed up. It sounds like the computer is looking for something it can't find in order to boot up. She could have messed up something on the shut down she mentions.

Repair feature, Elaborate please, it sounds eveything I have tried so far short of a complete system wipe and reload, not really keen on that.
I dont have a boot disk so nope on that one. XP was with the compuer before I got it.
They mean that you put in the XP disk and use the repair option instead of the install option.

But apparently that is not an option for you seeing you didn't get an XP disk with your computer.
 

wellingtoncats

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This happened to me 2 weeks ago with my vista laptop - everything you've described - flashing cursor etc.

I left it for a week and now it's good as gold but I'm so lazy I haven't backed up my files yet!
 
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