Windows restarts during startup

[bbBird9043]

Ok here's what happened. I had turned off the computer to do something and I turned it back on and it said that it was going to do a scheduled disk check. I let it do the disk check. While the computer was doing the disk check I was doing other numerous things and saw that the computer was still on and I had completely forgotten that it was doing the disk check. So I do a 5 second hold on the power button and just before it turns off I look at the monitor realizing that it was still in the process of doing the disk check.(I know, a lot of you guys are probably like "What Were You Thinking!")

Now whenever I turn it on it starts to start up and brings up a message saying that a hardware or software that I have recently downloaded may not be installed properly or something along those lines (I haven't installed anything for about a week) and it gives three me three options:

Safe Mode
Last Known Configuration
Normal Start Up

I have tried all three and neither of them work.

When I go into Safe Mode it brings up all those driver files in white and instead of going to the log on screen it goes black and then returns to the HP screen and does the whole thing over again.

If I choose the other two options it goes on showing the Microsoft windows logo screen with the little blue loader under it. The three little blue loader buttons do one cycle and by the time its about to do another cycle I hear a click, see a black screen and then see the HP screen once more and it does this fun little cycle all over again. Fun.

Just a quick question which I think I already know the answer to, was it a bad thing that I turned off my computer by accident while it was doing the disk check?(I'm guessing a yes...)

My computer is a Windows XP Home Edition. And if you need anything more specific about my computer please do tell.

Thank you!

 

[raybay]

There are a number of fixes, but the simplest thing to do might be to boot to your Windows Disk and run the Windows Disk Repair... (NOT REPAIR MODE !!) but just wait for the choice to repair the install... it is easy and quick... but watch it very closely so you remain in control... then later you will be given the option to fix that problem by re-running the disk check...
Or you can run Chkdsk /f or whatever... with these command parameters: Chkdsk /R to locate errors on the disk, or Chkdsk /f to fix errors on the disk... or Chkdsk /r to locate bad blocks/

Some command line versions require a space between the flags and the command:

CHKDSK /F /R C:

The six character file name shows that this utility has its origins in the old MS-DOS world of eight character file names. The name is short for "CheckDisk." Its original function was to verify the consistency of the file system FAT pointers. Then along came the ScanDisk utility that incorporated the file system checking features of CheckDisk and added the ability to examine the hard disk for media defects. Now in Windows XP, the ScanDisk utility has gone away and its newer features have been incorporated back into CheckDisk... and are often very useful.

 

[bbBird9043]

There are a number of fixes, but the simplest thing to do might be to boot to your Windows Disk and run the Windows Disk Repair... (NOT REPAIR MODE !!) but just wait for the choice to repair the install... it is easy and quick... but watch it very closely so you remain in control... then later you will be given the option to fix that problem by re-running the disk check...
Or you can run Chkdsk /f or whatever... with these command parameters: Chkdsk /R to locate errors on the disk, or Chkdsk /f to fix errors on the disk... or Chkdsk /r to locate bad blocks/

Some command line versions require a space between the flags and the command:

CHKDSK /F /R C:

The six character file name shows that this utility has its origins in the old MS-DOS world of eight character file names. The name is short for "CheckDisk." Its original function was to verify the consistency of the file system FAT pointers. Then along came the ScanDisk utility that incorporated the file system checking features of CheckDisk and added the ability to examine the hard disk for media defects. Now in Windows XP, the ScanDisk utility has gone away and its newer features have been incorporated back into CheckDisk... and are often very useful.

In doing this would it erase any files or programs from the hard drive?

I recently got a new hard drive because I didn't have enough room on my other one and lately I've been having problem after problem after problem with this new hard drive so I haven't been able to create a backup disk so I'm a little worried that I might lose everything doing this.

Also by me shutting the computer down while it was doing the disk check would that have messed up anything majorly?

Sorry for all the questions but thank you for helping me with this. It's much appriciated!

 

[raybay]

No, you should not expect to lose any files from the drive...
But as forever in good advice, it is always smart to make a backup when you can.

 

[bbBird9043]

No, you should not expect to lose any files from the drive...
But as forever in good advice, it is always smart to make a backup when you can.

Ok thats good news and I'll have to do that soon...once this problem is worked out.

Another question...sorry for all the questions >_<. What are the other ways to fix this error? just incase this doesn't work for some strange reason since windows seems to do that kind of stuff a lot.

 

[bbBird9043]

Ok thats good news and I'll have to do that soon...once this problem is worked out.

Another question...sorry for all the questions >_<. What are the other ways to fix this error? just incase this doesn't work for some strange reason since windows seems to do that kind of stuff a lot.

Would you look at that, it's not working for some strange reason. Goody!

I pressed R like it said to repair the installation and it brings up an error message saying:

Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer.

Make sure any hard disk drives are powered on and properly connected to your computer, and that any disk-related hardware configuration is correct. This may involve running a manufacturer-supplied diagnostic or setup program.

Setup cannot continue. To quit setup, press F3.

What does this mean because I know that my hard disk drives are properly connected and all that stuff.


Thank you for the help!

 

[Shifat]

I suggest getting your OS disk and doing clean install of your OS. it sucks when you lose all your files and data but IMO your files are already screwwed anyways since windows repair cant find a hard drive.

hope i helped

 

[bbBird9043]

I suggest getting your OS disk and doing clean install of your OS. it sucks when you lose all your files and data but IMO your files are already screwwed anyways since windows repair cant find a hard drive.

hope i helped

What I don't understand is how the files got screwed up in the first place. Was it when I did the forced shut down during the disk check or what?

Please reply back!

 

[bbBird9043]

I suggest getting your OS disk and doing clean install of your OS. it sucks when you lose all your files and data but IMO your files are already screwwed anyways since windows repair cant find a hard drive.

hope i helped

I forgot to say that my hard drive (Western Digital Caviar Black) has a SATA adapter so I had to use a SATA card controller(Rosewell) to actually use the hard drive because my computer didn't have a SATA adapter aready built in. Would that change anything about what has happened?

 

[BlasterLP]

did you back up your system ?

 

[bbBird9043]

no because at the time I was trying to solve the other problems that I was having on my computer so I couldn't. I just did a clean install and reinstalled Windows. Thanks for all the help though! I really appreciated it!