Cannot boot or reinstall - help please.

NeilC · 4th January 2006, 04:38 AM

Hi

I have Windows 2000 Professional running on a desktop PC with a 3 ghz Intel 4 CPU, 512MB ram and a 100GB SATA hard-drive.

Windows has crashed and now I cannot boot up. It won't work in safe mode or any other of the modes offered when I press F8 on boot-up. It gets as far as telling me it's starting up windows, the progress meter makes it about 3/4 way over and then freezes.

I've tried booting from the Windows Disk, this goes OK and lets me install the SATA raid drivers etc but when it gets to the part that offers me the choice of a repair or install I find the keyboard doesn't work anymore and cannot go any further.

I used Bart pre-installation environment which does boot and allows me to install the SATA drivers and therefore see the drive contents and explore it. The drive works fine and a scandisk on it turned up no results.

I tried renaming the WinNT folder and booting from the Win2K disk but this went so far and then froze again.

I also got XP and tried to install that with similar results.

So I am left with a PC that I cannot use. I'd like to get some data off it since my backups are not quite up to date. I'd mainly like to get it working again too. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

Wudang · 4th January 2006, 05:22 AM

try using knoppix (www.knoppix.org) which should let you recover the data. It will probbaly also give more info about what's wrong.

Oleron · 4th January 2006, 05:32 AM

Have you a CD-burner in the PC? Or some other form of backup device?

If so then my approach would be to use a 'live linux' disk such as Knoppix or Slax to boot into Linux and burn your data to a backup device. Then I would format the hard drive and re-install windows.

It might be possible to recover windows but it sounds as though your windows installation is toasted. You might even have a hardware problem of some sort. It sounds as though it might be easier to rescue the data and start again.

www.knoppix.com

http://slax.linux-live.org/

thrombus29 · 4th January 2006, 06:00 AM

Make sure you have the Keyboard and Mouse set to be driven by BIOS instead of OS in the BIOS, that might be why the keyboard seems to freeze.

Buy a new HD, install the OS on that and get all the Data off the old disk if you can.

NeilC · 4th January 2006, 07:27 AM

Thanks

BartPE has Nero on it which should let me back up files but it doesn't seem to work as far as I can tell. I'll check Knoppix out - it sounds a bit like a Linux Bart?

But I'm wondering if it is a h/w problem because it does the same thing with a renamed WinNT folder. I'm no expert but with this renamed surely the windows installation CD has no idea there even is a windows installation? IE it's pretty much the same as a clean disk as far as the installation disk is concerned. Or am I wrong?

Xeriar · 4th January 2006, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by Splossy

Thanks

BartPE has Nero on it which should let me back up files but it doesn't seem to work as far as I can tell. I'll check Knoppix out - it sounds a bit like a Linux Bart?

But I'm wondering if it is a h/w problem because it does the same thing with a renamed WinNT folder. I'm no expert but with this renamed surely the windows installation CD has no idea there even is a windows installation? IE it's pretty much the same as a clean disk as far as the installation disk is concerned. Or am I wrong?

Yes, such lockups are usually a sign of processor or motherboard component overheating.

a_unique_person · 5th January 2006, 05:31 AM

I have had lockups from spyware and viruses as well. After a re-install, no problem. (Well, not until the next one, anyway.)

NeilC · 9th January 2006, 02:12 AM

FYI - it turned out to be the CPU overheating.

Zep · 9th January 2006, 03:10 AM

See if it works under water. No? Then it's not overheating.

4th January 2006, 04:38 AM	#1
NeilC Graduate Poster Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: London, UK Posts: 1,331	Cannot boot or reinstall - help please. Hi I have Windows 2000 Professional running on a desktop PC with a 3 ghz Intel 4 CPU, 512MB ram and a 100GB SATA hard-drive. Windows has crashed and now I cannot boot up. It won't work in safe mode or any other of the modes offered when I press F8 on boot-up. It gets as far as telling me it's starting up windows, the progress meter makes it about 3/4 way over and then freezes. I've tried booting from the Windows Disk, this goes OK and lets me install the SATA raid drivers etc but when it gets to the part that offers me the choice of a repair or install I find the keyboard doesn't work anymore and cannot go any further. I used Bart pre-installation environment which does boot and allows me to install the SATA drivers and therefore see the drive contents and explore it. The drive works fine and a scandisk on it turned up no results. I tried renaming the WinNT folder and booting from the Win2K disk but this went so far and then froze again. I also got XP and tried to install that with similar results. So I am left with a PC that I cannot use. I'd like to get some data off it since my backups are not quite up to date. I'd mainly like to get it working again too. Any ideas? Thanks in advance

4th January 2006, 05:22 AM	#2
Wudang BOFH Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Sheffield Posts: 8,245	try using knoppix (www.knoppix.org) which should let you recover the data. It will probbaly also give more info about what's wrong.
	__________________ Aphorism: Subjects most likely to be declared inappropriate for humor are the ones most in need of it. -epepke

4th January 2006, 05:32 AM	#3
Oleron Muse Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Belfast, NI. Posts: 948	Have you a CD-burner in the PC? Or some other form of backup device? If so then my approach would be to use a 'live linux' disk such as Knoppix or Slax to boot into Linux and burn your data to a backup device. Then I would format the hard drive and re-install windows. It might be possible to recover windows but it sounds as though your windows installation is toasted. You might even have a hardware problem of some sort. It sounds as though it might be easier to rescue the data and start again. www.knoppix.com http://slax.linux-live.org/
	__________________ Buggrit.

4th January 2006, 06:00 AM	#4
thrombus29 Flame War Master and JREF kid Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 1,925	Make sure you have the Keyboard and Mouse set to be driven by BIOS instead of OS in the BIOS, that might be why the keyboard seems to freeze. Buy a new HD, install the OS on that and get all the Data off the old disk if you can.
	__________________ Now I am not going to justify what may appear to be a failure in carrying out this prediction but rest in the fact that there will be success. -St. Paul Bethke Targzissians are obviously reptilian

4th January 2006, 10:23 AM	#6
Xeriar Critical Thinker Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Twin Cities Posts: 253	Originally Posted by Splossy Thanks BartPE has Nero on it which should let me back up files but it doesn't seem to work as far as I can tell. I'll check Knoppix out - it sounds a bit like a Linux Bart? But I'm wondering if it is a h/w problem because it does the same thing with a renamed WinNT folder. I'm no expert but with this renamed surely the windows installation CD has no idea there even is a windows installation? IE it's pretty much the same as a clean disk as far as the installation disk is concerned. Or am I wrong? Yes, such lockups are usually a sign of processor or motherboard component overheating.
	__________________ Give fire to a man, and he will be warm for the day. Set him on fire, and he will be warm for life. Dumb quotes

4th January 2006, 07:27 AM	#5
NeilC Graduate Poster Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: London, UK Posts: 1,331	Thanks BartPE has Nero on it which should let me back up files but it doesn't seem to work as far as I can tell. I'll check Knoppix out - it sounds a bit like a Linux Bart? But I'm wondering if it is a h/w problem because it does the same thing with a renamed WinNT folder. I'm no expert but with this renamed surely the windows installation CD has no idea there even is a windows installation? IE it's pretty much the same as a clean disk as far as the installation disk is concerned. Or am I wrong?

5th January 2006, 05:31 AM	#7
a_unique_person Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Mt Disappointment Posts: 33,327	I have had lockups from spyware and viruses as well. After a re-install, no problem. (Well, not until the next one, anyway.)
	__________________ *Continually pushing the boundaries of mediocrity.* Everything is possible, but not everything is probable. For if a man pretend to me that God hath spoken to him supernaturally, and immediately, and I make doubt of it, I cannot easily perceive what argument he can produce to oblige me to believe it. Hobbes

9th January 2006, 02:12 AM	#8
NeilC Graduate Poster Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: London, UK Posts: 1,331	FYI - it turned out to be the CPU overheating.

9th January 2006, 03:10 AM	#9
Zep Banned Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 26,985	See if it works under water. No? Then it's not overheating.
Zep Banned Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 26,985