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Have I killed my computer?

My trusty computer seems finally to have died on me. When I switch on the XP screen comes up and the loading bar just keeps rolling along forever and XP never atually loads, have tried rebooting but no joy. Is it dead?

Comments

  • Hit F8 as windows starts, go into safe mode, and try system restore:

    http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/systemrestore.mspx
    Ever get the feeling you are wasting your time? :rolleyes:
  • If I try to start in safe mode I just get lines full of:
    multi(0)disc(o)rdisc(o)partition(1)..etc...etc..etc
  • Do you have an XP CD, if so, try this:

    http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;314058

    and run chkdsk /F c: or chkdsk c: /p /r

    Also, unlug any usb devices, or anything that can be unlugged from your PC.
    Ever get the feeling you are wasting your time? :rolleyes:
  • If I try to start in safe mode I just get lines full of:
    multi(0)disc(o)rdisc(o)partition(1)..etc...etc..etc
    That's what normally happens; wait a while and the Welcome screen should eventually appear.
  • That's what normally happens; wait a while and the Welcome screen should eventually appear.

    Sadly not - it just stayed stuck on that screen for a good half hour
  • albertross wrote:
    Do you have an XP CD, if so, try this:

    http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;314058

    and run chkdsk /F c: or chkdsk c: /p /r

    Also, unlug any usb devices, or anything that can be unlugged from your PC.

    I do have an XP disc and back-up disc, but it won't read them and I can't seem to get to a screen which has any kind of prompt
  • Is your PC setup to boot from CD first in the bios, if not hit the bios key at startup and change the boot order.

    If the CD's aren't scratched, and it still doesn't boot from CD, you may have a faulty CD drive, which could be part of the problem, disconnect the ribbon cable to check.
    Ever get the feeling you are wasting your time? :rolleyes:
  • It recognises my back-up disc if it is already in the drive when I switch on...but of course it warns me that I will lose all my hard disc data and I of course have some photos on there that I haven't backed up. The XP sytems and drives disc it doesn't recognise whatever I seem to do and it seems in perfect condition
  • Browntoa
    Browntoa Posts: 49,612 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    If XP won't start it may be due to a damaged boot sector or a missing or corrupt ntldr or ntdetect.com files.

    To replace damaged ntldr and ntdetect.com you can copy fresh files from the XP CD using the COPY command. Boot with the XP CD and enter the Recovery Console (as above). At the Command Prompt type the following (where "X" is your CD-Rom drive letter) allowing the files to overwrite the old files

    COPY X:\i386\NTLDR C:
    COPY X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:



    it's taken from about half way down this web page (pictures etc on the page to show you the screens to expect )


    http://webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm

    if that does not work then try

    To repair a damaged Boot Sector at the command prompt type FIXBOOT and press Enter. Then answer "Y"



    doing this WILL NOT DAMAGE ANYTHING....you will not lose files


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