Help win XP Crash

[ryanh1213]

I did system restore last night and my computer crashed(?) When I turn on my computer I only get the windows XP logo and nothing more. I tried to reinstall my software and when I get to the screen that asks if I want to repair, reinstall or exit my keyboard is frozen. Please help me.

[hudsonsmith]

Suggest you boot from the xp cd and do a repair install.

[digi]

I am trying to restore a XP system on a dell and it will not see the rom at boot. Bios shows both and when i remove the cables it notices they are gone. But will not boot from them

[hudsonsmith]

I am trying to restore a XP system on a dell and it will not see the rom at boot. Bios shows both and when i remove the cables it notices they are gone. But will not boot from them
Check the order of your boot devices in BIOS. The CD drive needs to be before the HD.

[digi]

I've done that and it wont recognize either of them. I even tried to make it from the Bios screen

[ryanh1213]

Suggest you boot from the xp cd and do a repair install.

when I get to that option my keyboard is frozen. Nothing seems to work.

[hudsonsmith]

Are you using a usb keyboard? Check the bios options to enable usb keyboard support, otherwise you need to get your hands on a ps2 keyboard.

[JeffO93]

ditto for hudsonsmith
otherwise you need to get your hands on a ps2 keyboard.
Often I find a USB keyboard will not work before Windows. It isn't "supposed" to work this way, but reality...
The newer computers don't seem to have much trouble but it can still happen. The older the computer, the more likely it is to happen. PS2 will remove this from the list of "possibles".

If it's a Dell, try hitting F12 at boot. Not all Dells have this option, but if yours does, it won't matter how your BIOS is set; it will allow you to choose your boot device for one boot-up, regardless of BIOS settings.

Also, recently had similar problem. It was the CD drive. I had installed WindowsXP a year ago, Linux Redhat half a year ago, and FedoraCore3 a month ago, all successfully with the same equipment, so it was all tested. But I couldn't get Mandrake installed. The CD drive went bad. The BIOS recognized it, Fedora recognized it, but it wouldn't boot. I swapped it with another on the shelf, but it also wouldn't work. Then I swapped one from another machine and Mandrake installed from CD fine.
If you try all the hardware and BIOS stuff and it still doesn't work, I would swap the CD drive.

[digi]

I'm still dyeing here!!! I'll have to try to swap a drive because f 12 and bios cgs do not help. Yet in recovery console it see's both of the drives!

[hudsonsmith]

I'm still dyeing here!!! I'll have to try to swap a drive because f 12 and bios cgs do not help. Yet in recovery console it see's both of the drives!
how are you getting into recovery console if you can't boot from the cd?

[digi]

I can boot from my win 2k floppys. then i can get into recovery and it will see the cd but will not run them from that location.

[hudsonsmith]

When you boot from the floppys, are you able to copy files from the CD? If so, you could copy the setup files to your hard drive and perform the repair install from there.

Have you confirmed that the cd drive is not bad? Can you try it in another computer?

Have you tried updating the bios?

[ryanh1213]

Suggest you boot from the xp cd and do a repair install.


I did what you said and it worked. Thank you for the help.

[digi]

When you boot from the floppys, are you able to copy files from the CD? If so, you could copy the setup files to your hard drive and perform the repair install from there.

Have you confirmed that the cd drive is not bad? Can you try it in another computer?

Have you tried updating the bios?

I removed the drive and replaced it with an old one and it took OFF ! I still find it strange though. I'll play with it a little to see what it is thats bad! Thanks again!