XP Can't Login

[clusterm2]

After a blue screen full of white writing (I've seen it several times over the last year or so) usually a reset and it's fine however not on this occasion.
My PC boots up to the login page, I log in then I get the 'loading your settings' page which then just hangs there for ever eventually turning into just a blue screen.
I can get in in safe mode but there are no earlier restore points for some reason???
I've also tried booting from the XP CD but it does exactly the same. Any ideas?

[Smike]

What does the white writing say?

It's not just there for decoration.....

[a_unique_person]

Hardware?

I had a similar problem, but it was some piece of ***** driver remnant, or similar. Reformatting and re-installing XP, not a problem since.

[Soapy Sam]

clusterm2- Did you by any chance load software, or significantly alter the hardware before this happened?

[clusterm2]

I installed Office 2003 a day earlier but the pc had been running fine up till then (probably 8 hours use since the install).
The white writing may well be there for a reason but as it's a full page and I've seen it many times before with no subsequent problem I failed to reach for a pen and paper.
It says words to the effect of 'If this is the first time you have seen this screen...blah blah. try uninstalling new software/hardware blah blah...
I do have a cloned hard drive but it's a month or so since I backed up to it. I think I'll try a bootable 'DR Disk' from Ebay

[TragicMonkey]

I wonder why the Blue Screen of Death has to be blue. Did someone say, "Hey! Blue is soothing! So when everything goes straight to hell and converts a thousand dollar computer into garbage, causing the user to scream and trash his own office, the blue will exert a calming influence right up until he puts his fist, his head, or a bullet through the screen!"

[Soapy Sam]

Retrospective advice:- Always create a restore point before installing new software.

If you can boot in safe mode I would do so and uninstall, if you can, the new software. You should not be seeing this blue screen so often as you are- or indeed at all.

I think it's time for a Windows reinstall and a major hard drive clean up.

[Smike]

If you try running windows ME, you develop a relaxed attitude to blue screens of death.

I get, on average about 4 a week, but playing some games is more likely to make it happen.

Presumably in XP it's a bit more worrying?

[a_unique_person]

Originally posted by Smike
If you try running windows ME, you develop a relaxed attitude to blue screens of death.

I get, on average about 4 a week, but playing some games is more likely to make it happen.

Presumably in XP it's a bit more worrying?

If I got 4 BSDs a week, I'd even buy an Apple.

[El Greco]

Maybe one of these? -> Troubleshooting Windows STOP messages (http://aumha.org/win5/kbestop.php)

[clusterm2]

Put my old hard drive in as master and the 'problem' hard drive in as slave hoping I could access my files and folders that way. The old drive booted up fine if a little slow so I updated my antivirus (pc-cillin), from there on things went down hill. I tried opening various applications but the machinme was so slow I gave up (proccessor was running at 100% nothing unusual appeared to be running). I then tried to restart the machine but it won't go past the first XP page, doesn't even get to login.
So now...my back up is knackered too...gulp I've had a quick look witha Knoppix CD which allowed me to access some files but I guess my bank stuff which was locked up in Staganos will never see the light of day again...virus (my antivirus was up to date) or Microsoft fault who knows.:(

[clusterm2]

Dr Disk arrived today just a warning to anyone who's temted after reading their excellent 'big up'... it's actually a copy of Knoppix with a few pointers as to where the useful applications are, however I got stuck in and discovered what an amazing thing Knoppix is.
It accesses all my pictures, music etc without having to use my Windows password, damned useful what, has burning software to get it all onto CD/DVD, allowed me on to the internet with no setup at all, then let me run an antivirus scanner to check out my hard drives, download SP2 and Slipstream onto CD so I can run XP repair.
It'll even play DVDs perfectly, brilliant free bootable CD....Knoppix that is, not Dr Disk