Failing to boot XP

Thanks db - will work my way thru your suggestions - not sure when I can get
on with it (gotta work for a living unfortunately) so not sure how soon I
can "report back" but you have my email address, feel free to contact me to
see what is happening.
Geoff


" db.·.. ><))) ·>` .. ." <databaseben.public.newsgroup.microsoft.com> wrote
in message news:exZP2K6BJHA.1224@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> btw: you might also
> consider re-installing
> the mobo drivers that
> are likely available
> from it's homesite.
>
> --
>
> db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
>
> " db.·.. ><))) ·>` .. ." <databaseben.public.newsgroup.microsoft.com>
> wrote in message news:OstM5$4BJHA.2264@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>> well, the best method
>> to find a needle in the
>> hay stack is to begin
>> the process of elimination.
>>
>> for example, i would
>> remove any speciality
>> boards from the mobo
>> and bring the system
>> down to a basic computer.
>>
>> so removing the added
>> video board, additional
>> usb boards, an extra ram
>> module, any usb devices
>> other than the kb, mouse
>> and monitor should sound
>> like a reasonable step for
>> you to take.
>>
>> so by having one cd device
>> one hd, you can focus your
>> attention on getting these
>> two things to work.
>>
>> as mentioned, i doubt that
>> you will overcome the
>> problem you have now by
>> erasing the hd on another
>> system.
>>
>> it might very well be that
>> your mobo has kicked the
>> bucket.
>>
>> however, if you want to
>> proceed with reformatting
>> the other drive and resinstalling
>> the o.s., then go ahead because
>> it would be something towards
>> resolving your issue as best you
>> can.
>>
>> but keep in mind that when
>> you install the o.s. on the other
>> machine, that o.s. may configure
>> itself for that particular machine.
>>
>> keep us aprised...
>> --
>>
>> db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
>>
>> "Geoff" <lvr181.RemoveThis@maybehotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:ems%23iBzBJHA.1180@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>>I have Western Digital diagnostic tool running at boot up and there was
>>>no sign of machine (HD) running hot and the report always said that the
>>>HD was in good condition.
>>>
>>> Was not able to select Last Known Good Configuration (or any of the
>>> other choices) the keyboard did not work during this stage and just kept
>>> going into this endless loop as previously described. The keyboard
>>> worked when I needed to change the boot sequence via the BIOS.
>>>
>>> The original BSOD stated there was a video card driver problem and that
>>> the system was in an endless loop because of a hardware or software
>>> problem. After some minutes then computer bought up the Windows splash
>>> screen and then went into this endless loop. After removing the video
>>> card, I noted that some capacitors were swollen (thus I assumed the card
>>> was passed its "useby" date), replaced the ATI card with an Nvidia card
>>> and got the same BSOD this time referring to the Nvidia driver. And once
>>> again into this "endless loop"!
>>>
>>> I would have thought that the Nvidia card would run on the Windows
>>> drivers to start with and then I would be able to install the updated
>>> drivers for this card. No such luck getting the system to start.
>>>
>>> I am now thinking there was a software corruption problem bought about
>>> by constant restarting and the endless loop it got itself into. This was
>>> the time (I thought) that I should try a "Repair" install, but how to do
>>> it if I could not get the computer to boot via the CD drive. I changed
>>> the boot devices via the BIOS so that both first and second were set at
>>> CD and the third and last one at the hard drive. No luck in reading the
>>> CD. I placed the CD in another machine and it read it ok (not a CD
>>> problem). I trid the CD in the DVD burner, did not read. I disconnected
>>> the DVD burner, leaving only the CD player connected and that seemed to
>>> make no difference at all.
>>>
>>> Both the CD reader and the DVD burner were working before this BSOD
>>> suddenly appeared. Maybe I should take a known good CD reader out of
>>> another machine and try that.
>>>
>>> And therein lays my dilema and my curiosity to learn about what has gone
>>> wrong.
>>>
>>> My thanks to you and John John and DB.".. >< ))) (etc) for your inputs
>>> and I am still listening for any further suggestions
>>>
>>> "nass" <nass.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> news:4412D8BE-0ACB-4990-87C5-FB38318A0E89@microsoft.com...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Geoff" wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Recently my computer failed to load Win XP Pro SP2 (seemingly a
>>>>> problem with
>>>>> a video card, BSOD referred to an ATI driver). Fitted another video
>>>>> card and
>>>>> received basically the same BSOD message this time referring to the
>>>>> new
>>>>> video card driver. The Windows splash screen would show, then the
>>>>> computer
>>>>> would go into a continous loop of wanting to Start Windows Normally
>>>>> (?) and
>>>>> would not allow me to make any other choices such as safe mode etc. I
>>>>> then
>>>>> went into the BIOS settings and change the first boot device to CD
>>>>> (the
>>>>> second being the hard drive), placed the XP Pro disc into the CD
>>>>> reader
>>>>> (with a view to doing a "Repair" installation) BUT the computer
>>>>> continued to
>>>>> go to the XP splash screen thence to the continual loop of wanting to
>>>>> Start
>>>>> Windows Normally, back to splash screen to Start Windows Normally, ad
>>>>> infinitum now ad nauseam! Whats happening?
>>>>
>>>> Either your machine overheated or your HDD is going bad!
>>>> Try to tets the health of your HDD by downloading the diagnostic tool
>>>> from
>>>> the HDD manufacturer website and run a test to see if it pass or there
>>>> are
>>>> bad sectors.
>>>> What happen if you selected the last good known configuration that
>>>> worked..does boot up okay?
>>>> HTH
>>>> nass
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>