Windows XP not loading properly during boot up???

**mantra777**

Just out of curiosity, What could it cause it??? It was fine the other night and then I just keep getting a black screen after the Windows XP screen shows up and when I reboot it it goes to the Safe Mode selections.

**MxO_Neopill**

When that has happened to me, it has always led up to me buying a new hardrive. And at the least, doing a full system restore.

Bad Sectors perhaps.

**flecky**

Corrupted files probably. It would probs boot from you windows disc okay. Just try to repair your install

**Kybutra**

Could also be a bootldr virus aswell.

**DaJustifier**

I would run your anti virus from the safe mode to see if it picks anything up. You might indeed have a virus.

**jeffers**

Run an antivirus scan, run a chkdsk on the drive as well.

Might also be worth going to run and typing "sfc /scannow" and let that run through and see if it changes anything.

Other then that, probably a repair install like flecky said would be my next step.

Jeffers

Vtech01

I had recently had the NTLDR is missing error and I ended up reformatting.
But If you can log in to your computer do so and backup any important data

**phi** · 04/13/2008 16:46:02

If you can use a System Restore point, it might be worth doing so.

If you can manage to boot to command prompt, insert your WinXP install CD and run the following System File Checker command:
sfc /scannow
The system will then check all it's core files and ask you if you want to replace any corrupt ones or ones that differ from the original version (so some updated ones will be replaced as well.

Your other option for fixing windows boot is to follow the following procedure: CAUTION: use this procedure as a last resort, it will not wipe your profile but a lot of core windows programs will revert to default settings. It never really causes much of an interruption.

boot from your Win XP install CD
select install (not repair)
select your currently installed partition
select repair this installation
it will then reinstall yourcore system files and you will boot.
once this is done you will need to visit http://update.microsoft.com about 3 or 4 times in a row (with reboots in between) to re-apply the core security updates.

If you have any programs installed that change your windows appearance such as windowblinds or similar, then that will need reinstalling to make it work again.

Whatever your choice you will need to visit Microsoft Update afterwards to finish updating the repaired files.

**phi**

As for the cause, it could have been a crash at the wrong time (like windows update replacing files in the background and a game crashing and stalling disk writes)
or
it could have been a rootkit trojan such as Vundo.

If the "not booting" is the only symptom then it was probably just an unlucky crash.

Once you have restored things I'd run a scandisk with "damaged sectors" find and repair selected as well.

**Croesis**

Occasionally my XP halts booting up on the bootscreen (little moving bar thingy stops moving and just sits there) I have to turn off the PC and turn it back on again (not really dificult though tbh) it comes up with the list for safe mode etc... I select run up as normal and it loads properly the following time.

I've ran virus checks with a few virus checkers, rootkit checkers, checked both HD's for errors, defragged them and everything checks out as normal. I don't think I'll bother reinstalling XP or attempting to replace files (tried it in the past and really messed up so had to reinstall the lot!) as it only happens occasionally. Although in the past few days XP has been halting on powerdown too at the login prompt...

**phi**

Vinia... Your issue is most likely driver related.

Whatever the driver is, it's not initializing it's piece of hardware properly.

The shutdown issue is a program getting stuck.

If you post your issue and the info requested here in a new thread, I'll see what the issue is.

**Croesis**

phi wrote:

Vinia... Your issue is most likely driver related.

Whatever the driver is, it's not initializing it's piece of hardware properly.

The shutdown issue is a program getting stuck.

If you post your issue and the info requested here in a new thread, I'll see what the issue is.

You got it, although I'll have to get in from work first. Perhaps you'll be able to find out why my PC tends to turn itself on all by itself too...

**mantra777**

DANGIT!!! I couldn't save my HD and had to reformat it as we speak. i'm using my Lappy just so I can let you all know. Maybe WE can have some sort of "Stickied Tutorial of how we can take care of Our Computers" here. From Defragging it, to how to make a restore point as I never knew how to do such thing. I lost all Projects I had in there.