Question about a tutorial I read on here

[baloonatic]

I wanted to go to topic8356 over here at TechSpot to learn how to help my cousin with his computer but I couldn't PM the OP to get more information and I am one who hates to see the same topic over and over so I tried to be forum courteous but I cannot because of that whole no pms until you've made 45 posts rules. I've actually never been to a forum with that rule but whatever.

Here's the problem:
My cousin's computer was working fine this morning. He sat down and tried to move his mouse but his computer was frozen. It rebooted itself and so he waited for it to restart. It got to the loading screen where the scrolling Windows is loading type thing came up and rebooted. I told him to go into Safe Mode and he got the option to go into SafeMode and some other versions of Safe Mode but no matter what Mode he goes into the computer reboots. He even tried going to he last good working config and it reboots itself anyway.

A few times he saw a blue screen flash with some writing but it was so quick he couldn't even read it. He even tried to hit pause and it was just way too fast for him to react to the message.

Anyway......the computer was custom built by a friend of his so he doesn't have a Windows XP PRO CD to work with so he can't even reformat which is what I suggested. He wanted to know what else is there to do and I don't know. So he's upset he works from his computer and its his only one.

I told him to bring it to Geek Squad or have someone else work on it but he's money tight. So I don't know if he's SOL Or what.

 

[strategic]

topic8356 is over 5 years old, it's been closed to posting for quite some time now. You haven't really given enough information to expect any more information than that already stated on that post. If there is any more information you can give us, it may help, otherwise he may have to take it to his friend who built it. The only thing I can assume right now is that it's a hardware problem, maybe even the harddrive. What are the specs for the computer? The only thing we know is that it's XP PRO...

 

[captaincranky]

A few times he saw a blue screen flash with some writing but it was so quick he couldn't even read it. He even tried to hit pause and it was just way too fast for him to react to the message.

Anyway......the computer was custom built by a friend of his so he doesn't have a Windows XP PRO CD to work with so he can't even reformat which is what I suggested. He wanted to know what else is there to do and I don't know. So he's upset he works from his computer and its his only one.

I told him to bring it to Geek Squad or have someone else work on it but he's money tight. So I don't know if he's SOL Or what.

Boot into safe mode ,click on my computer, properties, then the "advanced" tab, at the bottom of the panel click on "startup and recovery" under "system failure" UN check "automatically restart".. That way you'll at least be able to read the BSOD error message.

As soon as I see a post that says "I don't have a Windows disc". it raises all kinds of red flags.
In this case, "his friend custom built the computer, so that's why there's no Windows disc", doesn't really fly. Any legitimate OEM copy of Windows carries a builders license that categorically states, "the system builder is responsible for support after installation". No exceptions.

So, if the installed copy of Windows isn't legit, move one name from the "friend column", to the "people who stuck it to me", column! Or as you so eloquently put it, "SOL".

XP is still available through Newegg, and you should be able to use any ol' Windows disc to do a repair install. Has you friend been able to use Windows update? If so, the copy of Windows is probably good. You should contact your friend ASAP, as he should pretty much be obligated to supply the OS discs with the machine.

 

[baloonatic]

Well I figured from the date that it was old I just meant I thought it would help to read it and maybe get some feed back from the original poster.

It didn't help because I don't think his problem is the same. He tried to unplug his older hard drive and restart the system but the same thing happened. He has 2 hard drives. He tried unplugging the newer one and plugging in the older one in and the same thing happened.

He doesn't think its a hard drive problem. He had a stroke a couple of years ago so he gets confused easy and he's almost 52. He mentioned the specs earlier but he said it all so fast I couldn't type it for you.

He can't get into safe mode at all. I don't know if I put that in my original post but it reboots itself no matter what he does. IT will load all fine then just reboot.

He tried to turn off automatic restart and it didnt actually help. He cant read the error message

I really doubt he has 150 dollars for a new CD so he'll just have to talk to his friend who built the machine.

 

[strategic]

Since he doesn't have the o/s this won't apply, but, you mentioned he has 2 HDD's, is the o/s installed on both of them? Wihtout the o/s, the system won't really go any further on startup...

 

[captaincranky]

It didn't help because I don't think his problem is the same. He tried to unplug his older hard drive and restart the system but the same thing happened. He has 2 hard drives. He tried unplugging the newer one and plugging in the older one in and the same thing happened.

To add to what strategic posted, the boot order in the BIOS can come into play when randomly substituting HDDs

I really doubt he has 150 dollars for a new CD so he'll just have to talk to his friend who built the machine.

The going rate for as OEM copy of Windows XP Home is about $90.00. You perhaps could make a sort of group purchase of hardware with this to validate the sale of the OEM disc. (Policies differ as to whether you must purchase hardware at the same time as the OEM OS, from Etailer to Etailer).
Although that said, going back to the builder would be my first attempt at a solution.

 

[Bobbye]

the computer was custom built by a friend of his so he doesn't have a Windows XP PRO CD

The fact that a friend built the computer system has nothing to do with not having the CD for the Windows OS. Each version can only be used one time. The CD should have been given to him when the OS had been installed.

If by chance, a pirated version of the operating system was used to load, that could be a reason for the problems.

Also a comment about the old threads: They are left here as a source of information to others. Members who subscribed to the thread originally are not likely to still be subscribed- that means they don't get notice of any new reply.

When you become a member of any help board, you agree to abide by the Terms of Use of that board. You spent an entire paragraph complaining about that.