Computer shuts off and restarts before w'xp can load

[johnny52]

Why does my computer shut off and reboot while w xp is loading?

I see the motherboard logo, as usual, and then windows logo with loading dots underneath.

I hear a click and the logo disappears.

A white on black one-line message flashes on but it's too fast for me to read.

Then, the computer reboots and the whole schmagaggie repeats itself.

Will do this until I shut it down.

F8 and delete don't help me because my computer knowledge level is low.

Cannot get to safe mode.

Was asked to choose last good session but when I chose it, computer did same thing again.

Inside is clean; all 3 fans are clean and running; no skidmarks on mobo.

This began the day I set up verizon dsl.

Any ideas?

 

[raybay]

You gave us no information with which you answer?
Motherboard, computer brand and model, power supply, OS, age, memory, video card, for what is your computer used?
What do you mean by "no skidmarks on mobo."
What research and discussion have you had with Verizon?

 

[johnny52]

Verizon phone help said it was conflict between

my virus program, which was disabled by the installation of dsl, and the Verizon program I ran.

Tried to confirm this with online help but just received stock text that picked up key words from my query.

Computer is AMD, 18 months old, store brand, motherboard does not show damage or burn marks; use it for writing, email and net and excel phone lists (not commercial).

Was told by someone it might be power source. Is this possible?



Thank you. J

 

[raybay]

Much of what I post here will require that your computer run long enough to test for things.
It may very well be that the problem is connected to your DSL and Verizon connection, but I would be surprised if that is the case, based on your signs and symptoms.
Previously requested information on brand and model is perhaps necessary for us to be helpful. See if you can see the motherboard Part Number. It will usually be embossed in what letters and numbers near the center of the motherboard. On others the information is on the edge of the board, opposite the side with the external connections.
Or you can download and run the free Belarc Advisor, Everest, or CPU-Z/CPUID. They will inventory your computer (if you can stay up and working long enough) so you can print or write down the key information about the computer. Then you might want to download and run the latest HiJack This, and post the log here.
It could be anything at this point. Hard drive failure will cause what you described, as will a defective video graphics card, bad memory module, bad cpu fan, dirty fan and heat sink. The signs and symptoms you describe make it less likely it would be a bad power source, but AMD cpu's do make greater demands on power.
If the cpu fan blades are dirty or there is hair and dirt in the heat sink, blow them out with canned air with difluoroethane gas... such as dust off. Do NOT use a vacuum cleaner or a power blower. If you are good with tools, remove the heat sink, clean and replace the thermal paste with a very thin layer, and reassemble. But obviously this is risky for someone who has never had their hands inside a case. Get help.
Then start to rule out the obvious. You can find MemTest86 with a gurgle search. It comes in floppy, flash, and ISO cd versions. Run the test for four hours or 7 passes, which ever comes first.
My bet is on the hard drive, video card, or excess cpu heat... as all will cause those signs and symptoms when going bad.
You can try booting in Safe Mode, where you press the F-8 key once per second as soon as you press the on button. This will allow you to run at a lower resolution with some components disabled.
Good luck. Keep us up to date.

 

[johnny52]

Thank you for such a detailed reply. Gave up and

brought it to tech.

Tech said it's the hard drive.

Never had a problem with it until verizon dsl installation.

Ever heard of vdsl or verizon antivirus doing this?

J

 

[raybay]

Unrelated failure, unless your compute was hit with a lateral impact while the hard drive was on.
Nothing about Verizon DSL will do this, unless you had a tech do it, and you had a power surge, or a lateral impact during install.
Likely your computer hard drive coincidentally failed. It may still be possible to retrieve your data.
18 months is not an unusual amount of time for a hard drive failure if it is a Western Digital, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Travel Star, Tri-Gem, or Samsung hard drive. You would expect more from a Toshiba, Seagate, or a Western Digital Scorpio hard drive drive.