Hi
I'm not very tech savvy so apologies in advance. I'll try to describe the issues as well as I can but I may lack the right vocab in places. Pls bear with me.
Using windows XP home edition on a 4 year old machine. Not been experiencing any issues recently, but when I came to boot the pc up today I encountered a loop of problems.
The machine boots up to the first windows screen (mostly black screen with the windows logo and an indicator like a cylons eye with cycling blue colour inside it), but then the pc clicks and returns to the very top of the boot process (manufacturer's name etc)
Following this I get an error message saying that windows failed to start properly and offering me various manual boot options ("Safe mode"; "safe mode with networking"; "Last known configurations which worked").
Whatever option I choose just as the machine starts to work BELOW all this text at the top of the display an interrupted white line - like a zebra or a fence - begins to extend across the screen from the right side to the left. As the pc continues to work (I can hear the hard drive operating) that zebra line gradually fills up solid white.
Once that line is finished the first windows screen flashes up again (windows logo, cylon eye), but only for a couple of seconds THEN we just click back right back to the very top of the boot process AGAIN and shortly I'm offered the manual boot options list ("safe mode" etc) AGAIN.
Whichever boot option I choose I can't get Windows to start. It's the same loop.
Any suggestions as to other options I can try before I get someone to look at it, or thoughts as to whether it might be a hardware or software problem would be really helpful.
Thanks in advance.
I'm not very tech savvy so apologies in advance. I'll try to describe the issues as well as I can but I may lack the right vocab in places. Pls bear with me.
Using windows XP home edition on a 4 year old machine. Not been experiencing any issues recently, but when I came to boot the pc up today I encountered a loop of problems.
The machine boots up to the first windows screen (mostly black screen with the windows logo and an indicator like a cylons eye with cycling blue colour inside it), but then the pc clicks and returns to the very top of the boot process (manufacturer's name etc)
Following this I get an error message saying that windows failed to start properly and offering me various manual boot options ("Safe mode"; "safe mode with networking"; "Last known configurations which worked").
Whatever option I choose just as the machine starts to work BELOW all this text at the top of the display an interrupted white line - like a zebra or a fence - begins to extend across the screen from the right side to the left. As the pc continues to work (I can hear the hard drive operating) that zebra line gradually fills up solid white.
Once that line is finished the first windows screen flashes up again (windows logo, cylon eye), but only for a couple of seconds THEN we just click back right back to the very top of the boot process AGAIN and shortly I'm offered the manual boot options list ("safe mode" etc) AGAIN.
Whichever boot option I choose I can't get Windows to start. It's the same loop.
Any suggestions as to other options I can try before I get someone to look at it, or thoughts as to whether it might be a hardware or software problem would be really helpful.
Thanks in advance.