[Zen2007]

Hi,

My computer has been giving me big trouble recently. For the past few weeks, I've been having big problems with starting up my computer.

After the XP loading screen, instead of getting a welcome screen, I get a black screen indefinately. I can go out and come back 2 hours later, it will still hang there. The hard drive doesnt load anything else. The monitor's green lamp is lit and the screen is definately on. The keyboard however does not work.

Every time this happens, I just run the batch regcopy2.txt command under Windows recovery console to restore the registry (info here... http://www.aade.com/XPhint/XPrecovery.htm). It works fine afterwards but a few days later, I get the black screen again and I'm back to square one!

I had this problem in the past, but it was once every so often. I've tried formatting my hard drive 4 times to reinstall windows to see if it would solve the problem, but it never did. As it didn't happen too frequently back then, it didn't bother me too much, but now, it happens every few days. Its now got to a point that I cant use my computer properly. I have to permanantly keep the XP setup CD in the CD drive to open recovery console. Restoring the registry every few days isn't something I should need to do!

Things I've already tried

- Boot in Safe mode (I had to skip loading a347bus.sys as it hangs on this file). Result: I can get into my desktop

- Boot using last known good configuration. Result: Failed

- Formatting the hard drive. Result: Doesn't fix the problem.

- Restore registry using batch regcopy.txt. Result: Last only for days

- Removed the video capture card and uninstalled drivers which I though was causing problems. Result: Doesn't fix the problem

I had my computer for 3 years now and this problem only started last year and since then, I've been through re-intstalling Windows 4 times.

Is there anyone out there who may be able to help me? This is driving me crazy and I feel like thowing a brick at the computer!


Computer specs-

Windows XP Professional SP2
AMD Athlon xp 3000 (2.1ghz)
NVidia GeForce 5200FX 128mb RAM
1GB DDR1 RAM
120GB Hard Drive

[KanoakaVirus]

Could be your hd giving up on you, is your xp disk legit?, also sounds simple but have you made sure your machine is clean and dust free?

[redden137]

Does sound abit like the hard drive, you could try running chkdsk ( click start ,click run, type chkdsk then ok) to find out, or you could download the manufactors diagnostic tool to check your drive

[Zen2007]

Thanks for the response guys.

Yes, my copy of XP is a legit OEM copy.

It could be my hard drive, but surely, if its a hard drive problem, it will give more problems that just refusing to start up. And why does it temporarily work again when a older version of the registry is restored?

I will run chkdsk later on to see if it is the HD which is causing problem.

[Zen2007]

I've schedule chkdsk to run upon startup and here is the log (from event viewer). Could my problem be with the unused index entries?



Checking file system on C:
The type of the file system is NTFS.
A disk check has been scheduled.

Windows will now check the disk.
Cleaning up minor inconsistencies on the drive.
Cleaning up 849 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 849 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 849 unused security descriptors.
CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
Usn Journal verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying file data (stage 4 of 5)...
File data verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying free space (stage 5 of 5)...
Free space verification is complete.

120045680 KB total disk space.
115711296 KB in 329881 files.
218260 KB in 18600 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
556132 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
3559992 KB available on disk.
4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
30011420 total allocation units on disk.
889998 allocation units available on disk.

Internal Info:
c0 d3 05 00 4c 51 05 00 bd 32 08 00 00 00 00 00 ....LQ...2......
8e 4f 05 00 02 00 00 00 11 05 00 00 00 00 00 00 .O..............
04 03 6b 0b 00 00 00 00 42 87 f1 a6 02 00 00 00 ..k.....B.......
48 8f 36 0b 00 00 00 00 66 f3 1d a5 0b 00 00 00 H.6.....f.......
08 e9 02 75 00 00 00 00 c8 1e ee ee 0e 00 00 00 ...u............
99 9e 36 00 00 00 00 00 b8 3a 07 00 99 08 05 00 ..6......:......
00 00 00 00 00 00 75 96 1b 00 00 00 a8 48 00 00 ......u......H..

Windows has finished checking your disk.
Please wait while your computer restarts.

[andymac2k1]

i can only imagine it being your HDD or maybe your power supply is not supplying power correctly to your components causing your drive to cut out for small times causing errors

[nateshd]

To be honset It does sound like you harddrive is on its way out. Is it sata or Ide ?

[Zen2007]

andymac2k1, I think you are right about the hard drive not receiving enough power. My power supply is 330W and is powering 3 hard drives, 3 fans, a few cold cathode lights as well as he other hardware.

Also, back a while ago, I found that theres a slightly loose connector which connects to the hard drive and case fan. I was doing something to the inside of the case while the PC was on, when I knocked against that particular wire, the hard drive received an immediate power cut and powered back up when my hard moved away from that wire. Ths creen stopped responding after a few seconds so I had to restart the computer.

The hard drive is about 3/4 years old. Its an IDE drive.

SInce running, chkdsk a few says ago, I have not experience any start up failures... yet. Could the problem be linked to the lack of power or the possible very brief power cuts cause by that loose wire?

[KanoakaVirus]

Wow 330W? I'm running a 350W temporarily due to limited cash flow and that barely powers my stock components with just 1 fan... with you Hd's, cathodes, fans etc id recommend at least a 500w i personally favor the http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...23&subcat=1098 Psu which will most likely be included in my next build.


A bit pricey but a lot of people under estimate the importance of a good psu.