My mates pc starts up and gets to the 'windows xp' start up screen and then promptly reboots itselfs. He can't therefore go into windows or do a scan or anything - the only place he can get to is the setup page (the 'open windows in safe mode', 'start windows from last time' etc)

Is this a virus - can anybody help?

I would suggest checking the memory in the computer! How many sticks are there?, if there is more than one, take one or the over out to see if it now boots correctly.

Also overheating causes it alot of the time.

Software.. Flatten it and reinstall XP. You could try running the XP recovery console but you will probably just be delaying the inevitable!! It will claim to have fixied some broken or corrupt files giving you a glimmer of hope, but next time you reboot it will just hang on one of the services whilst starting! Not likely to be a temperature problem if it does it on every boot.

Originally posted by Skatiechik
I would suggest checking the memory in the computer! How many sticks are there?, if there is more than one, take one or the over out to see if it now boots correctly.

he has just recently put some more memory in... will try that - thanks

Originally posted by neeeeeeeeeek
Software.. Flatten it and reinstall XP. You could try running the XP recovery console but you will probably just be delaying the inevitable!! It will claim to have fixied some broken or corrupt files giving you a glimmer of hope, but next time you reboot it will just hang on one of the services whilst starting!

ok will try that too - 'flatten it' ?!?!

XP recovery console - how doi i get into that?

Originally posted by adaline
Also overheating causes it alot of the time.

can't be that on this occasion as the PC won't work

Flatten it - format and start again!
If you have upgraded the memory it is worth trying it how it used to be first so take the new memory out and give it a go. To get into the recovery console you need to put you XP CD in the drive boot from the CD. When yoy start the computer with the XP CD in the drive it will hopefully say something like 'press any key to boot from CD' If it does not then you will need to change the boot sequence in the setup so CD-rom is at the top of the list. (del normally takes you into setup on most modern computers)
Once it is booting from the CD (it will take a few mins) it should give you the recovery console option (press R if I remember correctly)

let it boot up and it will probably ask which drive you want to repaiir, your only option will normally be 1. Press 1 and it should come to a prompt. (White writing on a black background) It may also ask for a password, if you set one then type it in, if not then just press enter.

Type chkdsk /r

It will take ages checking all the system files. once it has done it will tell you if it fixed anything. You can then restart the computer. It may then work, if it then starts to boot but stops, leave it for a while. if it does not get any better then you might as well format your hard drive and reinstall windows from scratch. Don't forget, if you do this you will loose EVERYTHING that was on the computer, if you have stuff you need to retrieve then don't do it!

Hope that makes sense!

Lol sorry didnt read the post :blush: , il give u something to giggle about tho, once i denied all the rights for the svchost.exe to all accounts (even admin)........:hihi:

Originally posted by neeeeeeeeeek
Once it is booting from the CD (it will take a few mins) it should give you the recovery console option (press R if I remember correctly)

let it boot up and it will probably ask which drive you want to repaiir, your only option will normally be 1. Press 1 and it should come to a prompt. (White writing on a black background) It may also ask for a password, if you set one then type it in, if not then just press enter.
Small note... the "automated recovery console" is for experts and those familiar with it...

What I think Neek was referring to was to go through as if you were about to reinstall WinXP which means NOT choosing F2 to run automated recovery console... continue on through the user agreement and the system should at some point look at your hard drive and check to see if there's a windows installation on there already.

It should then find your Winxp installation and offer you the chance to repair it... This is when you choose the R option and it does what Neek said (ie: scans the drive, deletes a bunch of files, reapplies a few and then runs though what looks through a standard installation...

NOTE: It is important not to go as far as reformatting the hard drive if you get the option as this means you've gone too far.

You'll need your WinXP Cd key to hand too as it will be asked for.


This can often resolve most foobars but as has already been noted this is likely to be a duff memory issue... always worth thinking back to what you've changed recently.

Hope that helps :)

Neeeeek and martin - Cheers guys, have printed off your advice and will try that - if successful i will then get my mate to frame said advice and stick it on wall! :thumbsup:

Hang on. Is it not worth booting to safe mode and restoring the system to an earlier time just in case the cause is something as simple as a corrupt driver?

Just a thought.

I am 95% sure its a memory fault. Before you do anything with windows recovery console etc. Take out the newly fitted memory, and replace it with one known to work then see if it makes a difference.

Originally posted by Skatiechik
I am 95% sure its a memory fault. Before you do anything with windows recovery console etc. Take out the newly fitted memory, and replace it with one known to work then see if it makes a difference.

ur'e ACE!!!! it worked!!!

:thumbsup:

Excellent :clap:

Originally posted by Skatiechik
Excellent :clap:

:love:


erm getting a bit carried away now me thinks :blush:


thanks though chuk

ok he's put it back in and the same problem occurs... he put this memory in a while go however (before xmas) so why is it causing problems now??

Originally posted by Bedhead
ok he's put it back in and the same problem occurs... he put this memory in a while go however (before xmas) so why is it causing problems now??
Could be a dry solder issue... some form of static shock when he's opened up the case and done something else... or just a knock that has resulted in damage.

Either way if it's under warranty I'd send it back..

If the new stick of memory was fitted in addition to an existing stick, here's something to try....

Try swapping the dimms over.

eg. If the original dimm was in slot 1 and the new dimm was in slot 2, swap them over.

If your memory timings are set automatically in BIOS, and you have dimms of differing speed, you may have some success putting the slowest in the first slot. It's as if the timings are taken from the first dimm.
Slower memory can't be expected to work at a faster speed, but faster memory can quite comfortably run at slower speeds.

It may sound implausible but it worked for me.

Of course, if it's your only stick then ignore the above.

His Monitor is now not working (he thinks) the PC seems to be booting up but he's getting a black screen and the monitor stuck in standby mode...

anybody shed any light (ha) on this??

Originally posted by LesMcQueen
If the new stick of memory was fitted in addition to an existing stick, here's something to try....

Try swapping the dimms over.

eg. If the original dimm was in slot 1 and the new dimm was in slot 2, swap them over.

If your memory timings are set automatically in BIOS, and you have dimms of differing speed, you may have some success putting the slowest in the first slot. It's as if the timings are taken from the first dimm.
Slower memory can't be expected to work at a faster speed, but faster memory can quite comfortably run at slower speeds.

It may sound implausible but it worked for me.

Of course, if it's your only stick then ignore the above.

thanks for that - will bear it in mind if he gets it working again!

Originally posted by Bedhead
His Monitor is now not working (he thinks) the PC seems to be booting up but he's getting a black screen and the monitor stuck in standby mode...

anybody shed any light (ha) on this??
He's probably knocked the graphics card out of its port or he's shorted it out by touching it without being properly earthed.

Get him to turn everything off, re-seat the graphics card... make sure he's got the thing plugged in properly and go from there...

Also check that he hasn't plugged it into a different graphics port to the original one if he has a dual head graphics card..

Loose VGA connector?
Unseated video card?
Bent pin on the VGA connector?

If he's been up to his elbows yanking memory and such, he may have knocked something.

Take the whole thing apart and put it back together, that way you can make sure all connections are ok.

For memory get someone to download MemTest86+, burn it to a CD and set your puter to boot from CD in the bios. Memtest will perform checks on the memory and is good for spotting errors.

For the HDD, you can normally get tools from the HDD manufacturers website that let you diagnose faults from a bootable CD/floppy disc.

Having a faulty PSU can also cause reboots.