XP Home won't allow log on

[FSCB]

I have a laptop running XP Home which until recently was working fine. It now boots up to the normal login screen but when the user is selected a straange dialogue box appears with no discription of what is happening in it. No matter whether the Yes or No button is pressed, the system logs back off.

I have tried to log on using safe mode in its various guises but this dialog still appears and does not allow me to log on.

I have also created a boot floppy but the same problem occurs.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[pscowboy]

This feels like you've been "hit" with something.

But first, let's see if we can get you to boot. We'll try a "Repair Install".

1. Put your Windows XP Install CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. Reboot your computer.
3. Let your system boot off of the CD.
4. Let the Setup go through the first part of the Installation procedure.
5. When you come to the screen in which it says "Welcome to Setup." press Enter to Setup Windows XP.
6. Press F8 to agree to the End User License.
7. Let the Setup search your system for previous versions of Windows.
8. When the Setup is finished searching your system, select your Windows XP Installation and press the R key on your keyboard to start the Repair Procedure. In 30-40 minutes, hopefully you'll be back at the desktop.

This is a normal procedure, which works some times; and is worth trying.

Now, assuming you have two up-to-date spyware apps from the following trustworthy app list: AdAware, Spybot, MS AntiSpyware, Pest Patrol, Spy Sweeper, Spyware Doctor, and Counter Spy; and an up-to-date anti-virus (only have one of these installed).

Run the three of them and report back.

 

[FSCB]

Sorry for taking so long to get back in touch.

I've tried what you said to repair my system but no good. When I choose R to repair as you suggest, it asks for the administrator password which I enter but then simply sits at the C: prompt and does nothing.

I have tried creating an ASR recovery disc but also with no luck.

 

[pscowboy]

You posters have to read more carefully.

You obviously hit R at the first instance of Repair, and put yourself at the Recovery Console. This is not what I told you to do.

Ignore that first R suggestion, and proceed as if you are really doing an install. After the F8 eula thing, install will search for a previous version of XP. You select this and now press R for repair.

 

[old_times]

It might be a battery problem but I doubt it. My laptop does not allow me to logon if the battery level is too low. What laptop do you have?! Consider using rescue CDs of ur laptop. They have a working image of you disk.

,,

 

[FSCB]

pscowboy, I tried following your instructions as listed but was not given the option of pressing R after setup had searched through the system.

The system wants to install another version of windows onto the same partition.

Should I let it reinstall windows as the system suggests?

 

[pscowboy]

I'm surmising from your answer that the install is NOT seeing your existing XP.

Virtually always, right after the EULA-press F8 screen, you will have two options:

Repair the existing Windows (and it will approximately read that way)
Install a fresh copy

That tells me that your boot sector, or the MFT has suffered damage.

Try this. Press R at the first instance of it, to go to the Recovery Console.

It will ask for an Administrator password. If you know there is one, type it. Otherwise just hit Enter. (Hopefully none was entered at the time of installation). You will probably be asked to choose which Windows, normally there is only one, so you put in the number 1.

You're now at a prompt. Type fixmbr; and then fixboot.

Reboot, and see if you now get the Repair option AFTER THE EULA-F8 screen.

If not, you've lost your XP. A fresh install is necessary.

But, you should debug the boot sector. If there's a virus up there, debug is the only way to eliminate it. You will need a W98 boot floppy with debug.exe on it, and of course, a floppy drive?

Do you actively use an av app & spyware fighters?