XP freezes in boot, but goes in safemode, no apparent reason

[HELLBRINGER 0]

Well I had my computer off my network and at a friends house for 3 days this week. Everything worked fine I just reconfigured the network settings. I bring it back home today and plug everything back up. Boots fine and WORKS fine. Later in the evening I come back to my machine and wanted to physically move it a few feet back, should cause no problem at all, done it a million times. It shut it self off for NO apparent reason. So I fiddled with the power switch and unplugged it, flipped the switch on the PSU, etc. etc... Finally it turns back on, then turns off again after about 2 seconds. So I fiddle with it more. Finally, it boots and stays on, I move it where I want it. Ok... everything is fine now, wrong. It starts to start up Windows XP Pro and then it freezes, completely, for no apparent reason. So I reboot and go to Win98, works fine. So I figure maybe something got messed up. I replace my drive C files with an image with Norton Ghost from a backup I made a week ago. Finally it gets done and I boot thinking it will work. Still will not work.

 

I am not sure what is wrong. It was working fine earlier until I touched it... I am curious as to maybe the HD got damaged or something, but I restored the image and it worked fine no errors. For some reason it will not boot it just freezes. I am in safemode now with networking. This seems to work fine it's just ugly as hell.

 

Can someone help me out here? I am not sure what the problem is...

 

System configuration:

 

Microsoft Windows XP Professional and Microsoft Windows 98 SE dual boot on partition 1 (C

 

Epox EP-8KTA3

AMD Duron 800 @ 1000 (for 7 months, works great, rock solid)

256MB PC-133 Crucial/Micron memory

Hurcules/Gullimont GeForce 2 MX w/32MB RAM (latest XP drivers installed both OS's)

D-Link DE-530 TX+ 100MBPS NIC

Sound Blaster Live!

 

I have had this system for 7 months since I built it in the summer. It was worked great since then. Typical windows problems, but I get by them.

 

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance!!!

[clutch 1]

You seem to have indicated that Win98 does work, but did you check all the internal connections and make sure that the CPU fan is still operational? Maybe something was loose and that little move finally made it act up. Just going for the simple stuff first.

 

[HELLBRINGER 0]

You bet your *** I did. I am not an armature; I've had my fair share of computer adventures in my time. Heh. I cleaned out the entire system, removing cards, cables, and re setting them in position. I even got the old can of compressed air. I also cleaned out everything so well it shines in fact. I can't seem to find the problem. The system appears perfect. It is still exceptionally stable, I just got done playing a 30 minute game of Q3 in Win98 with about 12 bots and my graphics high as hell, as usual, worked great.

 

I have no clue what the problem is. I don't want to have to reformat this SOB because I have put a lot of time into configuring the system EXACTLY how I want it. You know how that goes... That’s why I used my backup image thinking maybe it was just a file or something got screwed up. Still does the same thing.

 

The problem is weird though; let me explain more in depth. When WinXP is booting nearly 3/4 way through the screen will flash to the blue background typical for login and continue loading, within a few seconds it will load up and go to the login screen. I have seen this a million times, but most peculiarly, it freezes right after the screen flashes, then the 3 little blue status bars stop, and wont move, the system is unresponsive. I have let it sit for about 20 minutes it did nothing. I have shut down the system for nearly 15 minutes (sometimes the simplest thing will fix a prob) but still nothing.

 

I have gone through everything I can think of and am killing my self here.

 

Got any more ideas? I'd really hate to reformat... and still there is no guarantee it will work.

 

[clutch 1]

I had something similar happen with a video card once, and I just reseated it and the problem went away. Other than that, I don't know what to tell ya.

[HELLBRINGER 0]

Well I think that I have probably restarted the hell out of this system by now... lol the whole damn POST should be in CPU cache by now! lol...

 

Well you have no other ideas at all?

 

Anyone else got any ideas?

 

Thanks for your help Clutch I do appreciate it even though you could not assist me in fixing this problem.

[clutch 1]

[HELLBRINGER 0]

Ok well does anyone else have any ideas? This is really beginning to piss me off big time.

 

Thanks in advance.

[isochar 0]

Quote:

I am not an armature

ar·ma·ture (ärm-c>r, -chr)
n.
Electricity.
The rotating part of a dynamo, consisting essentially of copper wire wound around an iron core.
The moving part of an electromagnetic device such as a relay, buzzer, or loudspeaker.
A piece of soft iron connecting the poles of a magnet.
Biology. A protective covering, structure, or organ of an animal or a plant, such as teeth, claws, thorns, or the shell of a turtle.
A framework serving as a supporting core for clay sculpture.

I sure hope you're not!

[HELLBRINGER 0]

You don't have anything better to do that to point out my spelling errors?

 

I was hoping this post might be of some assistance.

 

Does anyone have any serious help?

[isochar 0]

Quote:

You don't have anything better to do that to point out my spelling errors?

I was hoping this post might be of some assistance.

Does anyone have any serious help?

Nope, I have nothing better to do.

You answered your own question with your first post:

Quote:

It shut it self off for NO apparent reason. So I fiddled with the power switch and unplugged it, flipped the switch on the PSU, etc. etc... Finally it turns back on, then turns off again after about 2 seconds.

First order of business is to replace a power supply that isn't reliable.

[HELLBRINGER 0]

I don't think that it is the power supply. Please do not continue to bother me I am looking for someone who can help me, not pretend to help me.

 

Thank you.

[Wolf87 0]

Are the cooling fans in the case running?

[HELLBRINGER 0]

Yes! Of course they are. My system temporatures are fine. Sub 38 C. I have looked inside my system a lot to see if there are any problems. I see none.

[HELLBRINGER 0]

Well after hours of pain and agony I have found the problem. I started removing cards and devices from my computer until something different happened. I started by taking the clock speed of my CPU back to default 800. Nothing, then the video, nic, and then the sound card. Bingo! It works. The sound card was causing it not to boot? Weird. I have always had problems with this sound card. Now that I know what the problem is I am going to probably buy a new sound card.

 

Well that was the problem. Heh? you were way off! LOL J/K. But thanks for all your help everyone!