[SOLVED] Windows XP workstation hangs between the boot screen and the startup screen

[bogdansrb]

I have an XP machine at my workplace that hangs after the bootscreen for about 30-40 minutes then starts normally. I would like to avoid re-installing the system and try to figure out what's going on. There's no HDD activity when it hangs and the screen is black. No errors are thrown during or after the boot process. I've tried checking the hard disk, RAM, drivers, startup services, network - nothing seems wrong. Booting in safe mode hangs at mup.sys.
So is there a way to see what's happening when it does that?

 

[Mr.Tibbs]

Sounds like the SATA mode you are using. Windows XP only knew about IDE mode in yesteryear. You say eventually it will boot, so
AHCI mode will work after 15 minutes. No one ever waited to find out except you so far. The RAID mode should not be what is selected
in your bios.
Otherwise, check using another hard drive to isolate the problem, is my suggestion.

I have a HP Elite 8000 tower with Windows XP Pro SP3. When I upgraded from only two GB of memory to 8 GB, the difference caused the computer to ask me to press F1. Then I had that kind of a hang up problem, where the computer would not start and left me with a black screen after the initial screen with the lights going back and forth. When I selected SAFE MODE, with networking, it hung up with all the files installing and just sat there.
I tried my other hard drive, and it took a minute for the black screen to go away with my mouse pointer finally coming up and then it booted up. After booting up with the other hard drive, I went back to the first and it booted up in a similar manner.

You say this happens to you without you making any changes. Unplug the Sata cord and plug it into your other HD or boot off a USB that you made bootable with Rufus.