computer diagnosis

[Crono]

i have a broken computer im trying diagnosis whats wrong.

well the problem is that it wont go past this screen (picture below) i have picked every single option but it the computer just restarts.



http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/support/nostart.mspx

[dahlarbear]

1.  What operating system and service pack level are you using?  Windows XP Home Edition SP2?

2.  If the following item is on your Windows Advanced Options Menu, select it and your system hopefully will stop on a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) with error message text and numbers.  Copy the text and numbers exactly as they appear and post them to this forum:

    Disable automatic restart on system failure

[Crono]

im guessing its windows xp sp 2

any ways the whole middle part is missong my only options are

safe mode
safe mode /w net
safe mode /w cmd

last known good config

start win norm

[dahlarbear]

1.  More Info.  I'm going to need more information on what we have to work with.  For now I'm just assuming you have Windows XP.  I don't know whether it's "Home Edition" or "Professional"; Original, Service Pack 1 (SP1), or SP2.

By the way does "SP1" in your motto "I love YaBB 1GB - SP1!" mean anything... like "Service Pack 1"?

Without the "Disable automatic restart on system failure" item, I don't know how to stop the restart... without fixing the problem... which we can't identify... because of the restart cycle.

If anyone knows how to "make" the system speak and provide error message text and numbers, don't hold back.  But I cannot and will not condone water torture or any so called "enhanced" interrogation techniques.  Would you consider shipping the system to Eastern Europe? Egypt?  Alberto Gonzales' last known address?


2.  System Specs (whatever you know):
    a.  Manufacturer:
    b.  Model:
    c.  Motherboard:
    d.  Year Made:

    e.  Operating System (Home/Professional, Original/SP1/SP2).  Was system purchased with current operating system pre-installed?

    f.  Hard Drive (Capacity- Partitions - Free Space):
    g.  Memory:
    h.  CD-ROM:
    i.   Floppy Drive:


3.  Recovery Resources:
     a.  OEM Recovery Partition (Hidden on Hard Drive?):
     b.  OEM Recovery CD
     c.  Windows XP Setup CD (Home/Professional, Original/SP1/SP2)
     d.  Windows XP Setup Disks (set of six floppy disks):


4.  Little bit of history about this problem.  Any hardware/software changes and/or problems before the restart cycle began?  Did you power down without following proper shutdown procedure for the operating system?


5.  Unless someone knows how to force error message, I think you'll need to use the Windows XP "Recovery Console" to proceed towards a solution.  It can be booted up from either the Windows XP Setup CD or the six floppy disk Windows XP Setup Disks.  See the following link to download and make the six volume floppy disk set:

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310994/en-us

If we can get into the Recovery Console, I'd recommend checking the integrity of the file system and surface of the disk in the partition upon which it resides.  This would be either the "chkdsk -p" or "chkdsk -r" command executed against both the system and boot volumes if they are different.

[Crono]

i dont know if this helps but

heres my motherboard info
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=bph07027

its a home edition xp im pretty sure its sp2

its got 40 gb
its has 2 sticks 128 256

and it has a cd and floppy drive

and it can run boot cds take a look at this i have it on a cd and it works

http://ubcd.sourceforge.net/

[iman]

Why don't try repairing your system with your windows installation CD. maybe that will work.

[Crono]

don't have it anymore its a real old comp

its a compaq passario 6000

[Crono]

im still trying to diagnose the problem i put a old hardrive in and this is what happen

my linux os wont boot all the way it pauses at the [ok] and then it just stops

[Shynnie]

Are you runinig 2 operating systems?

[Crono]

no its 2 hard drives

the first one window
2nd linux

i switched the windows one out to see if it might be a hardrive problem

but both dont seem to load up

i put in a ubuntu 7.10 live disk and it booted up (just more info)

[Crono]

More info- well i asked my cousin what he had done to the comp before he gave it to me and he said he booted and shut it down constantly

also i have deduced it is not a HD problem or a Ram problem

[dahlarbear]

More info- well i asked my cousin what he had done to the comp before he gave it to me and he said he booted and shut it down constantly

also i have deduced it is not a HD problem or a Ram problem

1.  So...  The computer was "broken" when you received it?  (That is, you've never been able to successfully boot it into Windows?)

2.  It is not a HD problem because...  You ran the manufacturer's hard drive diagnostics to ensure the physical drive works?

3.  It is not a Ram problem because...  You ran a reputable memory test for twenty-four hours with no errors?

[dahlarbear]

1.  During the boot process do you ever see:

    a.  A progress bar displayed at the bottom of the screen.  If so, at what point during the boot process?  Before the "Windows Advanced Options Menu" display or after?

    b.  The graphical Windows XP logo screen (as Windows operating system is loading).  If so, at what point during the boot process?  Before or after you make your selection on the Windows Advanced Options Menu to continue?


2.  If your Ubuntu 7.10 live disk (CD?) boots and runs, then it sounds like you have a problem with the file system, system files, or device drivers used by Windows XP being loaded from your hard drive.


3.  Sounds like you do not have:
     o  Windows XP Setup CD
     o  OEM Recovery CD (aka Restore CD)

Do you know if the hard drive contains a "hidden" OEM Recovery Partition?


4.  Remove Devices  - first remove all non-essential peripheral devices (e.g. printers, scanners, USB devices, audio devices, etc.) so that only the display, keyboard and mouse are still connected.  See if system boots.


5.   If not, proceed with the Windows XP Recovery Console to see if you can repair your Windows XP installation.  Download the appropriate Windows XP Setup Disks (six volume floppy set for Windows XP Home Edition SP2?) and create the floppy diskettes.

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310994/en-us


Boot into the recovery console from the set of floppys or a Windows XP Home SP2 Setup CD:

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654

    a.  Use the "chkdsk c: /r" command to verify the integrity of your file system where "C:" is the logical disk that contains your operating system:

    http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/r_c_cmds.htm#Chkdsk

    b.  If system still does not boot (try Safe Mode first), you can return to recovery console to verify your boot files are present and correct (they are probably hidden, system, read only files):
    o  Boot.ini
    o  NTLDR
    o  NTDetect.com

    c.  If your boot files are present and correct (not corrupt), then attempt to enable boot logging and see if you can read boot log from recovery console "more C:\Windows\NTbtlog.txt" or "type C:\Windows\Ntbtlog.txt".  Look for problems noted within the bootlog.

[Crono]

Heres the breakdown

HD test
got another hardrive that i knew worked the os was linux
it did not boot up
hence i assumed that it might not be a hardrive problem not sure till i test the first hard drive but this means that there is something more than a hard drive problem

Ram Test
simple replaced the ram ram a test said it was error free

Cpu test
In progress
the program said it was 1 week to test 1 thing

1. A and B no i do not see them
it goes compaq then strait to the safemode options that dont work

2.im not sure if its a hardrive thing but ill test the hardrive on my comp later too

3.im not sure if i have a recovery partition can you tell me how to get to this?

4.ill try that and get back

5.again ill try and get back to you

LATEST UPDATE
This is wired i wanted to test out the new ubuntu 7.10 so using the live cd i installed it and it worked it booted all the way up