Computer crashes etc.

Status
Not open for further replies.
I was following those instructions to the letter when this new issue occured and now I can't even boot the computer.

By the way, I rebooted and it is the same old problem...never ending boot loop. It seems I'm doomed.
 
How do you reboot while at the c prompt in the recovery console? Hit reset button?

I found the exit command but still stuck in loop. I will try the other suggestion above now.
 
Ignore what post?

As for the other windows repair recommendation that was made I think I might hold off a bit on that for now. It seems there are a lot of problems it will cause me...like reverted drivers and settings, etc.

I made an appointment with a pc rescue company in the meantime but I will cancel the appointment for wed if I can get this fixed first.
 
Well, I just tried the second repair option you all listed and now whenever I boot I get the dreaded blue screen of death and it says IRQL not less than equal or somehting like that.

This definitely makes me think it is a hardware issue...perhaps RAM.
 
This really sucks. I did the second windows repair option and it seemed it did its thing just fine but when it was time for the reboot I get the dreaded blue screen of death with the messafe "IRQL not less than equal" or something to that effect. I had this same message and blue screen once in the past and it turned out to be a faulty power system. I replaced the power and fixed the issue.

I noticed a while after that though some symptoms of bad RAM. I used a memory test and found a ton of errors on one of my sticks. I was trying to lock down which stick was faulty or if it was one of the DIMMs in particular on my motherboard but eventually stopped messing with it. I am wondering if some of my RAM is dying and if that might be the issue here. The RAM is 1024 MB of DDR 3200 dual channel RAM. It is by Crucial. I think I'm going to try booting with a single stick at a time in different DIMM slots to see if I might notice anything.

The first clue I had in the past that my RAM might be going bad was on the motherboard flash screen that first comes up when you boot the machine, the flash screen turned weird different colors and made like circular marks around the logo for the ASUS P4C Deluxe motherboard. I was told that it could be bad RAM. After the memory test it found a lot of errors in one stick.
 
DAMN! This is hectic.

Can you get to a command prompt ?

OR

Can you get to the menu where you can restore last good configuration?
 
I'll go check that in just a bit to see but I'm pretty sure the blue screen comes up before I can get to that menu.
 
If Memtest gives you errors, then most likely your ram is bad.

Try booting with just one stick of ram, if that doesn`t help, swap to the other stick and try that.

Regards Howard :)
 
That is exactly what I'm going to try next. Once again, thanks so much for your patience and your wonderful help. You really do a good service here.
 
I tried removing one stick of RAM at a time and still got the blue screen of death each way. I haven't tried moving the sticks one at a time to one slot at a time yet on the MB yet so I might try that next.
 
Any of you guys near Columbus, Ohio that would like to take a look at this thing? I'm so desperate right now. I have an appointment with a place called "All Computers Fixed" for tomorrow to come over to take a look at it. I am so worried because I do not want to lose a lot of my data. I have 4 hard drives on the machine and the drive that Windows is installed on doesn't contain most of my important stuff.
 
I don't remember how I ran it before but my question is how do I run memtest if I can't boot the computer? Right before windows would load, after the win xp flash screen and status bar, the computer gives me the blue screen of death.

Do I download memtest onto a different computer and put it maybe on a floppy or something?
 
if you can't boot the computer, then the only way to test ram is to put it in another system. You have a hardware failure. Memtest is really designed for systems with failing ram that still boot somewhat. If windows crashes immediately it can be caused by a variety of things.
What kind of BSOD are you getting?
 
Hey Daddystabz

You have : 4 hard drives
Drive 1 = Windows Installation = Not important to you
Drive 2,3,4 = All your data = Important

Why dont you reinstall Windows on drive 1 then?

That way you wont lose any data.

What do you think about that?

NB: When you install windows on a drive always make sure that you partion that drive, so that you can always reload windows if you have a problem without losing your data
 
That is basically what I did.....I installed windows to C drive but the vast majority of my important files are on the other 3 drives. I had some documents on C drive I'd love to have though. Maybe I should count my losses and just reinstall windows. As for what you mentioned Tedster, I don't have another machine that will accept the type of RAm I have in this system. My other computer uses RDRAM. What is BSOD?

I have an appointment for tomorrow to have some people come look at it. They are charging me $60 per hour to check it out. If you were me would you try to do a windows reinstall tonight to see if that works so I can save myself money? The only thing that worries me though is if it is a hardware issue then reinstalling windows probably will mean nothing.

Also....Wazza...is there a guide anywhere I can follow to do just that? I've always wanted to make a seperate partition just for the operating system on the C drive and have everything else on that drive in a different partition.
 
BSOD = Blue screen of Death

There is something definitely wrong with your comp. I rate its better to have someone else come have a look at it who knows exactly what they are doing.

I think you are in a lose-lose situation. You just have to weigh up the pro and cons.

You can reinstall and lose the data on that drive, but I think it might possibly fix your comp because right from the beginning it sounded like you had a software problem not a hardware problem. Reinstalling will fix that. This is what the PC Tech will probably do, but then again maybe he can fix it.

Tough Situation. **** Luck on your decision. Let me know what the outcome is !

How-to : Partitioning your hard drive and doing a windows installation

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=313348

If you need any help, just buzzzzzzzz

Later
 
Thanks for everything Wazza. You have been a fantastic help and I truly appreciate all you have done. As for the link you just posted, I already know how to partition a drive to install windows. What I am wondering is how to give windows its own seperate partition on a drive and have everything else in the other partition so that if windows crashes the rest of the data on that drive will be safe?

Does that article somewhere explain how to do that or is there a guide to do that somewhere else?

Thanks!

Upon further inspection it seems the article does indeed discuss how to set up multiple partitions on the same hard drive. Does anyone here know how large to make the partition that will contain windows only? I want to simply put windows in its own little partition and everything else in the other large partition on that hard drive.

Also, should I do a format c: before doing this windows reinstall/seperate partition bit? I know it is usually advisable to format the C drive prior to a new windows installation but what do you all think?
 
The one that currently contains windows is a 40 GB. I also have another 40 GB, a 160 GB and a 200 GB.

Anyone know the answers to my questions just above?

I guess what I'm trying to figure out right now is how much space will windows xp home need for its own partition?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

midian182
YouTube escalates battle against ad blockers, rolls out site slowdown (update)
2
Replies
47
Views
768
Benny26
Benny26
midian182
Netflix says it didn't copy Amazon and "force" ads on subscribers, but it was considered
Replies
8
Views
267
Shirley Dulcey
S
midian182
YouTube's crackdown on ad-blockers officially goes global
2 3
Replies
58
Views
2K
Vanderlinde
V

Latest posts

Back