Re: Can't boot XP Home PC

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Thanks for your answer, I think you are right and I don't have SP2
installed - the fact that Windows displays "Build 2600.XPSP1.020828-1920"
tends to back that up.

However, I still don't understand why not having SP2 installed would stop
the PC from booting. I also don't understand how I'll be able to install SP2
when I can't boot the PC - does SP2 come on a CD that includes a bootable
version of Windows?

Thanks for your help.

Neil

"Byte" <Byte@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:2C55226B-8D13-4F2E-9ED7-F9B36726EBC1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I believe the answer is in your question. You state a "green" progress
bar is displayed. Well, if you are running WindowsXP with SP2, the
progress bar is "blue". You very likely do not have SP2 installed.
Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD (it is FREE)
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default.mspx
--
XP - WNP
Today is the first day of the
rest of your life.


"Neil" wrote:

I've got a severe problem with my home PC. It's an oldish HP Pavilion
740.
There were no hardware changes before this problem occurred, but it was
about the time of the last Microsoft automatic Windows upgrade. I ran a
memory test from a floppy diskette for several hours with no sign of
error
so I don't think it's a memory problem.

When switched on, the HP invent screen is displayed followed by a blank
screen with a progress bar across the bottom. Then the Windows XP Home
full
screen splash screen with green progress bar is displayed followed by a
blank screen with arrow cursor. After this a Window appears with "Please
wait" "Windows is starting up". Following another blank screen, the
system
reboots and starts again.

If I try to load in safe mode, I get a black screen with "Safe Mode"
displayed in all 4 corners and ""Microsoft (R) WinXP (R) (Build
2600.XPSP1.020828-1920). This is followed by the "Windows is starting up"
window, then the system reboots. Sometimes, the system asks which OS I
wish
to use - and it offers just MS Win Whistler Personal, and I may get a
long
list of drivers as they are loaded (finishing with AGP440.sys).

Trying debugging mode or VGA mode or safe mode with command prompt just
goes
through the process to the reboot.

My daughter has some schoolwork on the system that she really needs, so
I'm
hoping there is a way of recovering the situation without a full restore.
Can anyone help please.

TIA

Neil






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Relevant Pages

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