Re: Windows did not start successfully

Melsey,

I, too had the exact symptoms and my problem was that my son downloaded a
file that contained a virus and he didn't scan the file prior to opening it.
The first thing this virus did was to disable my Anti-virus programs by
deleting some of the necessary Anti-virus program files. Then, it went into
the BIOS and changed the voltages on a couple of areas on my motherboard and
fried them. I wound up bying a new motherboard from H-P for about $178.00 (a
Media Center).

Once I installed the new motherboard and then put the Pentium into the
socket and applied the heat-paste and hooked all the wires back in place, I
used my emergency bootable floppy disks to scan the hard drive. I found out
that the virus also deleted the Master Boot record on my hard drive, so I
had to do a clean (re-formatted) install. Fortunately, my last (virus-free)
backup was only a week prior, so I didn't lose very many files. Thank God I
did that backup! If I hadn't done that backup, I would have lost about 140
Gigs of data and programs!

This was a nasty bug, and AVG, Norton, and my 3 anti-spyware programs didn't
catch it in time because the first thing it did (once my son opened the
unscanned file) was to go in and delete some of the Antivirus progam's files.
Bummer!

Here's another thing- Have you tried another set of H-P restore disks? They
will send you a set of CD's for about $10-12.00 (for a Media Center
Computer). I realize that you computer is pretty old, running only about 500
MHz on a Pentium III and probably using Windows 98. New H-P machines are
using 2 GBytes of RAM (mine can use almost 3 GBytes) at speeds over 6 times
faster than yours. Maybe it might be time to upgrade systems.....

Whatever you do, I wish you the best of luck!

"Melsy" wrote:

> Hi,
> I'm not sure what you should do. My hard drive already has xp on it, it was
> working fine now I can't get into anything. Maybe you should start a new post
> so other people can help you. I have tried the hard drive on my other pc and
> it is works fine, xp and everything else is up to date but it just won't work
> in my other pc, it just keeps hanging.
>
> "DrummsB4" wrote:
>
> > Hey Melsey,
> >
> > I am havin the exact same problem you are having. Once Windows XP Pro
> > installs the installation files to the hard drive, the system does not get
> > past "Setup is starting Windows". I cannot perform any diagnostics on the
> > drives that I install to because Windows is not installed...therefore what is
> > there to do? My system has been paralyzed for a week or so now. I have 1
> > new hard drive, and an old one that I am using for storage. Both are Western
> > Digital. The newest one (160GB Western Digital) had Windows on it, and when
> > I noticed my BIOS was not seeing the full 160GB (it was seeing 137.4 GB), I
> > reformatted, updated my BIOD tot he latest revision, and the problem STILL
> > exists... I cannot install Windows!!
> >
> > Help?!!?
> >
> > - Kevin
> >
> > "Melsy" wrote:
> >
> > > Hi,
> > > I don't think that it is the hard drive. We have just replaced it recently
> > > thinking that that was the problem but it still does the same thing with the
> > > new one as it did with the old hard drive. Could it be the power lead or
> > > something? It wants to get into windows but it just hangs. Tried to get into
> > > safe mode, recovery console etc. but everything just hangs and won't go any
> > > further. Thanks.
> > >
> > > "Will Denny" wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi
> > > >
> > > > Can you get into the Recovery Console? If so, try running the following
> > > > command - it will check the hard disk for any errors:
> > > >
> > > > chkdsk /r
> > > >
> > > > Please note the space between the k and /
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > >
> > > > Will Denny
> > > > MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
> > > > Please reply to the News Groups
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > "Melsy" <Melsy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> > > > news:B37769CA-A24E-4643-AF4A-B95E766CFDF7@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > > Hello,
> > > > > Yes I have tried the XP cd on another pc, runs no problems. I just had
> > > > > another go at trying to get the pc to work. It still starts up with the
> > > > > windows did not start successfully screen (still) but now it tries to
> > > > > start
> > > > > windows but it just hangs on a black screen with a gray line at the bottom
> > > > > of
> > > > > the screen.?????
> > > > >
> > > > > "Will Denny" wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >> Hi
> > > > >>
> > > > >> I wonder if theXP CD has become corrupt somehow? Have you tried it with
> > > > >> any
> > > > >> other system, apart from your own?
> > > > >>
> > > > >> --
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Will Denny
> > > > >> MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
> > > > >> Please reply to the News Groups
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >> "Melsy" <Melsy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> > > > >> news:57DAFC33-D28C-4AA5-BD00-A04FF3E5F9CB@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > >> > How would I go about doing that if the xp disc won't go past setup is
> > > > >> > loading
> > > > >> > windows? Thanks..
> > > > >> >
> > > > >> > "Will Denny" wrote:
> > > > >> >
> > > > >> >> Hi
> > > > >> >>
> > > > >> >> If you've tried all the possible options - LKGC, Safe Mode etc. - and
> > > > >> >> still
> > > > >> >> can't get into Windows, I can't see any other way round it, but to
> > > > >> >> 'Clean'
> > > > >> >> install XP. Although that is a drastic measure.
> > > > >> >>
> > > > >> >> --
> > > > >> >>
> > > > >> >> Will Denny
> > > > >> >> MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
> > > > >> >> Please reply to the News Groups
> > > > >> >>
> > > > >> >>
> > > > >> >> "Melsy" <Melsy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> > > > >> >> news:91F5D537-3C63-4A66-B1D2-61FD50FB1391@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > >> >> >I have tried my xp disc but it hangs on setup is starting windows. I
> > > > >> >> >have
> > > > >> >> > also let it sit but it still won't go past that point. Thanks.
> > > > >> >> >
> > > > >> >> > "Will Denny" wrote:
> > > > >> >> >
> > > > >> >> >> Hi
> > > > >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >> Try another 'Repair' install - refer to the following article by
> > > > >> >> >> Michael
> > > > >> >> >> Stevens:
> > > > >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >> "How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install"
> > > > >> >> >> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
> > > > >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >> If you still can't access Windows at all, you may have to think
> > > > >> >> >> about
> > > > >> >> >> a
> > > > >> >> >> 'Clean' install, although you will lose all data on the hard
> > > > >> >> >> disk/partition.
> > > > >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >> --
> > > > >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >> Will Denny
> > > > >> >> >> MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
> > > > >> >> >> Please reply to the News Groups
> > > > >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >> "Melsy" <Melsy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> > > > >> >> >> news:BA89BEEA-8430-44F6-8760-C9BA29EFE44B@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > >> >> >> > Thanks for replying. I have been trying to do a system restore
> > > > >> >> >> > via
> > > > >> >> >> > safe
> > > > >> >> >> > mode
> > > > >> >> >> > but it won't go into safe mode it just keeps rebooting. I have
> > > > >> >> >> > tried
> > > > >> >> >> > to
> > > > >> >> >> > get
> > > > >> >> >> > into everything. I also disabled the reboot when system fails but
> > > > >> >> >> > it
> > > > >> >> >> > seems
> > > > >> >> >> > not to have worked
> > > > >> >> >> >
> > > > >> >> >> > "Will Denny" wrote:
> > > > >> >> >> >
> > > > >> >> >> >> Hi
> > > > >> >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >> >> Have you tried a System Restore via Safe Mode?
> > > > >> >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >> >> --
> > > > >> >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >> >> Will Denny
> > > > >> >> >> >> MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
> > > > >> >> >> >> Please reply to the News Groups
> > > > >> >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >> >> "Melsy" <Melsy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> > > > >> >> >> >> news:8B4504D8-DF3B-4FD6-9417-FEDB4108245A@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > >> >> >> >> > Someone please help me!!!!! Recently my computer shut down and
> > > > >> >> >> >> > rebooted
> > > > >> >> >> >> > on
> > > > >> >> >> >> > to
> > > > >> >> >> >> > the same message. The message was as follows:
> > > > >> >> >> >> >
> > > > >> >> >> >> > We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start
> > > > >> >> >> >> > successfully.
> > > > >> >> >> >> > A recent hardware or software change might have caused this.
> > > > >> >> >> >> >
> > > > >> >> >> >> > If your computer stopped responding, restarted unexpectedly,
> > > > >> >> >> >> > or
> > > > >> >> >> >> > was
> > > > >> >> >> >> > automatically shut down to protect your files and folders,
> > > > >> >> >> >> > choose
> > > > >> >> >> >> > Last
> > > > >> >> >> >> > Known
> > > > >> >> >> >> > Good Configuration to revert to the most recent settings that
> > > > >> >> >> >> > worked.
> > > > >> >> >> >> >
> > > > >> >> >> >> > If a previous startup attempt was interrupted due to a power
> > > > >> >> >> >> > failure
> > > > >> >> >> >> > or
> > > > >> >> >> >> > because the Power or Reset button was pressed, or if you
> > > > >> >> >> >> > aren't
> > > > >> >> >> >> > sure
> > > > >> >> >> >> > what
> > > > >> >> >> >> > caused the problem, choose Start Windows
> > > > >> >> >> >> > Normally.
> > > > >> >> >> >> >
> > > > >> >> >> >> > Safe Mode
> > > > >> >> >> >> > Safe Mode with Networking
> > > > >> >> >> >> > Safe Mode with Command Prompt
> > > > >> >> >> >> >
> > > > >> >> >> >> > Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that
> > > > >> >> >> >> > worked)
> > > > >> >> >> >> > Start
> > > > >> >> >> >> > Windows Normally
> > > > >> >> >> >> >
> > > > >> >> >> >> > Use the up and down arrow keys to move the highlight to your
> > > > >> >> >> >> > choice.
> > > > >> >> >> >> >
> > > > >> >> >> >> > Seconds until Windows starts: 30
> > > > >> >> >> >> >
> > > > >> >> >> >> > I have tried to get back into windows but none of the options
> > > > >> >> >> >> > work.
> > > > >> >> >> >> > I
> > > > >> >> >> >> > have
> > > > >> >> >> >> > also tried to use my xp disc to repair it but that gets stuck
> > > > >> >> >> >> > on
> > > > >> >> >> >> > setup
> > > > >> >> >> >> > is
> > > > >> >> >> >> > loading windows. My pc was working like 5 days ago normal. It
> > > > >> >> >> >> > is
> > > > >> >> >> >> > an
> > > > >> >> >> >> > HP
> > > > >> >> >> >> > Pavilion 8513. Please help me.
> > > > >> >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >>
> > > > >> >> >>
> > > > >> >>
> > > > >> >>
> > > > >> >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
.

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