XP Pro black screen on boot up - just started happening

[AZhelton]

This problem just started recently for me. My system was working fine for the past year and this just happened. When I boot up, the bios loads fine and the devices are all found, the ram checks out ok and then the XP Pro start up screen displays with the blue meter bar and loads for a few seconds and then, just when the desktop should display, it goes to a black screen instead and just sits there. It doesn't reboot or anything like that. I tried booting up in "Last good configuration" and it does the same thing. I can boot up in safe mode just fine (that's how I can even make this thread)and no problems with any devices in Device Manager.

My specs (just in case)

Enermax 465 watts
XP Pro
AMD XP 1700+
ECS K7S5A motherboard with SIS 735 chipset
512 DDR 2100
GeForce 3 Ti200 128 mb DDR
Hercules Fotissimo III

I can't even imagine what this would be. I'm completely stumped on this one. I want to find out if there is a possible reistry error or a corrupt system file I can replace before I try installing Windows over itself.

Please help - thanks much.

 

[hewissa]

Have you recently done an SP upgrade? Hewissa

MCSE, CCNA, CIW

 

[jsundin3]

have you tried the RECOVERY CONSOLE, try and do a chkdsk
-r at the command prompt, saved my customers many times with boot problems ......... JeffS

 

[Mulga]

The point where it is stopping is just when the video drivers are loaded. You may have a problem with these, they are not loaded when booting into safe mode which would explain why this is OK and would also explain why you just get a blank screen rather than a stop error. Try reinstalling the video card drivers in safe mode then try rebooting normally. It could even be a hardware problem with the video card that XP is only detecting when the drivers are loaded. XP is very sensitive to minor hardware faults that other OSes may not even detect. Help us to help you, please post back and tell us if this helped.
All things are possible except skiing through a revolving door.

 

[linney]

On your way into Safe Mode do you get an option to use System Restore? You might be able to go back a few days before the problem.

331799 - Your Computer May Pause with a Black Screen If You Press ESC During Startup

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;331799&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

Some general things to try.

Run the System File Checker program from the Run Box by typing.....Sfc /Scannow in it and have your XP CD handy.

HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q308/5/14.asp

If they don't work you could try repairing windows itself by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates but your files will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp