Help! In boot loop....continous reboots

[leekel]

Today we downloaded the new updates from Microsoft for Windows 2000. After the download, we went to restart. The computer booted up to the Windows 2000 screen then it went to blue and the computer restarted again. This continues until you turn off the computer. If you turn the computer back on it starts all over again.

We kept hitting the f8 trying to get into safe mode, but it would not work. We then tried to boot from the CD but it would not boot, just continued in the loop. Then we made floppies to boot from. We put the floppies in and it loaded disk 1, then we put disk 2 in but it wouldn't recognize input from the keyboard when we hit the enter key. So we then turned off the computer, unplugged the mouse then turned the computer back on. Finally it recognized the enter key and we were able to load all disk. We selected emergency repair and it checked our devices then it said it would restart. So it restarted then got to the Windows 2000 screen, the blank blue screen, and cycled off and on again and started the boot loop all over.

During the next cycle, we were able to get it to recognize the f8 and so we selected Safe Mode and basically would not come up in safe mode either, just cycled off and on again to reboot.

It is an old computer (had it since 1998). Right now we have taken out the power supply and plan on trying to get a cheap replacement to see if that is the problem. Other thought is perhaps it might be the video card. We are thinking that perhaps it is no longer support with the windows updates that just came down....it is an old ATI that has a television receiver in it.

Any other ideas as to what might be the problem?

It is driving me bonkers :bounce:

Thanks in advance for any advice you have to offer!

 

[RealBlackStuff]

Welcome to TechSpot

Maybe you should try and reseat every card and memory-stick and unplug-replug all HD and CD and floppy-cables on both ends (drive AND mobo). Unplug/reinsert power, monitor, keyboard and mouse cables.
Check that all fans are working, and that there are no dust-bunnies in your PC.

There are no standard W2000/IE updates that could have caused this, unless you installed new Windoze drivers for some hardware.

 

[leekel]

Update on Continuous Reboot Problem

Well...

We replaced the power supply - continued with same problem
We replaced the video card - continued with same problem

So we removed the hard drive and slaved it (by the hairs of its chinny chin chin) to another pc and started copying over all the files (except boot sector stuff) to our server (yes, we are computer junkies). During the copying process it would not copy one file because the name was too long.

This made me think about a problem we had a few days before we started having the rebooting problem. We had started to get an error periodically, stating that a particular dll could not be found - can't remember if it was the same dll or not each time. But when it showed the path, it was a huge path name that didn't make any sense. I could click ok a few times and then it would stop coming up.

We are thinking perhaps we contracted a virus of some sort (even though we have Mcafee Virus Scan with automatic online updates). So after we downloaded the new Windows 2K updates we rebooted for the first time since we had started getting the missing dll message.

Sound familiar to anyone? Is there a virus out there that shows any of these symptoms?

In any case, all is not lost - I'm getting a brand new laptop :giddy:

 

[RealBlackStuff]

Nice to have such a good boss (or whomever gives you that new laptop).

Don't rely on McAfee alone to keep your PC clean. Get the likes of Adaware and Spybot, and run them at least once a week.
Have a look at my post How to remove Begin2Search/Coolwebsearch and Other Nasties to get the download-websites.
You may find that you have spyware on your PC. If you are not sure, post a Hijackthis log here, and I'll have a look at it for you.
Then see How to post your Hijackthis log-files.

Rightclick "My Computer" on the desktop, select Manage. Then go to System Tools/Event Viewer. Are there any yellow or red alerts in the Application or System logs?