Reboot problem with XP repair install

[MarcLodge]

I have an old machine that is very slow and prone to errors so I decided to try a repair install from CD hoping that would make it more reliable.

The repair install went OK and asked me to reboot once it had copied various files to disk. This I did, and instead of dropping into the 2nd part of the windows setup, it gave me a msgbox. Unfortunately, the box flashed on the screen far far too quickly for me to read, before the system automatically rebooted. On this 2nd reboot, the expected 'windows setup continuing' screen appeared, but then just reboots with no message. It repeats this now everytime I boot up if I allow the system to load.

To check things out, I tried to re-install the repair install and it recognised that a repair install was in progress, but allowed me to continue with the install. This followed exactly the same path as the first install.

I can read the hard drive as I've got a USB caddy that I can put the hard drive into, so, is there going to be any logs that I can look up, or diagnostics to run, that will show me what is wrong with the install.

At the moment, the machine will not boot (safe mode not available). Any help gratefully received.

 

[kmills]

Marc,
When a similar thing happened to me, it was bad memory in the computer. So, start by re-seating your memory sticks.

Kmills

 

[linney]

Setup repeatedly stops and restarts in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/811150/en-us#appliesto

Use the Recovery Console to replace the Boot.ini file with Boot.bak or get a Boot.ini file that doesn't have XP Setup as the Default Operating System. This will the stop the Boot-Setup loop. (These are System and Hidden files).

HOW TO: Edit the Boot.ini File in Windows XP (Q289022)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q289/0/22.asp

See instructions at the end of this article.

316417 - "Setup Cannot Upgrade Some Settings" Error Message When You Reinstall Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316417&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

How do you stop an unwanted repair of XP?
thread779-746800

This will show you the location and details of the various Setup logs.

Setup stops responding or displays an unrecoverable error message

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811267&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

 

[wolluf]

If your install disk is SP2, try accessing the safe mode menu and disabling the restart on failure. if you can do this, you should get a blue screen to read - which may or may not be of any use.

If the original errors/slowness were caused by hardware problems, you'll not solve this without finding the bad hardware. If you have another machine available, you could transplant the drive there and try a repair reinstall - which if it works might point to hardware issues on first machine. Though I have known repair to work AFTER its been repaired successfully in another machine, even though it didn't initially in its own!

 

[wahnula]

Or, you could use that second machine as a vessel to remove all the important data from the problem drive and do a completely clean install rather than a repair install.

To me, a repair install is a temporary fix and leaves you with a lot of extraneous material, so I make sure I keep all my install CDs and download all my Setups to their own remote folder so I can recover my PC at any point in time just by doing a clean install. A couple of hours well spent, and ya know, I always find some app that I never use is easier to part with this way, rather than Add/Remove programs.

I'll look at the Add/Remove list, and think "yeah, I might decide to use/play/try this again" but once it's gone via clean install I never miss it.

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[MarcLodge]

I tried to run a memtest86 or windiag test but the CD player did not recognise either of the disks I have. Not sure if that's problem with the player or the hung setup, but nothing I can do at this time.

Looking at Linney's suggestions, I ran a chkdsk /r from the recovery console and had a look at the boot.ini but there was no reference to XP setup there. I had a good look at the directories to see if there were any log files which might be of use, but there weren't.

I then turned off the auto start after crash from the POST screen in the hope of seeing a blue screen, but still no joy.

I've tried getting into the system in safe mode, debugging mode, enable boot logging mode, all to no avail.

To recap, I get the windows logo screen, followed by a blue setup screen that says 'setup is being restarted', the screen then goes black, the mouse pointer appears and shortly afterwards a msgbox flicks up on the screen for a very brief moment. I think this might say something like insufficient virtual memory, but this is a guess as it flashes up far to quickly to read most of the time. I even got my video camera out and recorded the startup in the hope that I'd be able to catch it, but no joy.

I'm going to take the hard drive out and copy the data and then do a complete windows re-install, but before I do that, if anybody has any further ideas of how to stop the startup, or of tracing the msgbox error, please let me know.

Many thanks for your suggestions so far.
Marc

 

[linney]

There is a bit of information on the possible error message you are seeing about Virtual Memory, but no real solution other than what you are already considering, a clean install after a format.

http://www.google.com/search?q=insu...y+on+XP+repair+OR+install+&rls=com.microsoft:

 

[MarcLodge]

Thanks Linney for your post. I've now taken the disk out of the machine and put it in a USB caddy so I now have access to the disk. On looking at it, there is no pagefile.sys at all. This could well be the source of the reboot problem, and I will investigate that path and report back.

Marc

 

[linney]

The pagefile.sys is a hidden and system file, both those views must be ticked to show such files in Folder Options/ View. Also it may be that the operating system you are using when looking at the USB drive has it pagefile on C: drive and may have the drive letter of the USB drive set for no paging file?

 

[MarcLodge]

Linney, thanks again for your wisdom. I'm looking at the drive in a Vista machine which I've got the folder options set to show the hidden and system files. I don't therefore think it's that. I'm not sure what you mean by bit about drive letters. Yes my Vista machine has a pagefile.sys on the C: drive, but this would still show the pagefile.sys file on the USB drive, wouldn't it? Or are you saying that Vista might hide or fiddle with it in some way?

A further option that I'm considering is a manual restore. I seem to recall that in the past I've dropped into the Recovery Console and manually copied the files for a restore to various locations. Would this remove setup keeping occurring?

As you can probably tell, I'm getting desperate. I'd rather not do a complete install of windows as there are quite a number of programs on the machine.

 

[MarcLodge]

Decided to take the least painful option - life's too short.

Re-installed windows after reformatting hard drive.

Thanks for everybody's help.

Marc

 

[linney]

What I was referring to about losing the pagefile.sys was that if Vista thinks you don't want a pagefile on a certain drive it may remove that file from that drive to save you space. This is purely speculation on my part based on some observations from the very few times I have played with pagefile.sys in Vista with other dual booting systems. It was more of a question than a matter of fact. Sorry for any confusion.

Anyway you have fixed your problem, that is all that matters.