Solve Boot Issues
Startup and shutdown problems aren't usually related – if your PC doesn't shutdown properly it tends to be annoying, but on the other hand a start up problem can lock you out of Windows XP completely, which could be cause for panic !
Fear not, however because armed with the right troubleshooting techniques you can get back into windows without putting your data at risk, plus discover how to go about fixing shutdown problems.
Cant boot, wont boot
Not all boot problems are catastrophic, but the most pressing concern is when windows is unable to start successfully. you may find it reaches a certain point in the process before inexplicably restarting, or it may throw up a blue screen with a STOP error on it.
Either way it’s bad news. When you first restart after encountering an error like this, Windows will throw up a boot menu that’s designed to help you get around the problem. It will apologize for not loading successfully and give you a number of options to choose from.
If Windows fails to start successfully, the boot menu gives you more startup options.
It may seem silly, but the first you do is choose “Start Windows Normally”. Sometimes a glitch that prevented you from loading Windows can resolve itself. so the next time you boot it’s gone. If this is the case, breathe a sigh of relief, but be wary: the problem may resurface or be indicative of something else.
The next option to try is “Last Known Good Configuration”. This restores the settings that enabled Windows to boot successfully last time, and in most cases will fix your problem. If you installed any hardware or software, or made changes to the way programs run or behave, you’ll find these have been lost. However, as the most recent changes to your system are likely to have caused the problem, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Try installing the program or piece of hardware again – if the problem persists, visit the manufacturers web site for more help and support.
Safe mode fixes
If “Last Known Good Configuration” doesn’t work, then try booting into Safe Mode. You’ll see there are three choices: basic Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, and Safe Mode with Command Prompt. All three load only a basic set of drivers and services, plus no start-up programs are loaded, so in most cases you will at least be able to access your PC in this mode.
If you choose the Networking option and you’re physically connected to your network by an Ethernet cable, you’ll have access to the Internet if you connect through your network (as well as the network itself).
If you can get into Safe Mode, log on as either your own user account or the master Administrator account. You’ll then have a number of options to try. If you suspect a virus or similar piece of malicious software, you may be able to manually run your security tool and see if it can detect and remove the problem.
You can also launch System Restore from safe mode. Launch System Restore by clicking Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore.
System Restore may offer a quick and easy solution to your start-up woes
If you can’t even get into Safe Mode, try Safe Mode with Command Prompt. This bypasses the basic Safe Mode interface to give you access to just the command prompt itself. If this works, launch System Restore using the following command: %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe Once done make sure “Restore my computer to an earlier time” is selected before clicking Next. Choose the most recent Restore point and see if that eradicates the problem; if necessary reboot into Safe Mode and try earlier Restore points until you find one that works. Be warned: the further you go back , the more unrecognizable your system will be after the Restore has been performed: your data will be untouched, but programs, hardware, updates and settings installed since that Restore Point will either stop working or vanish completely from your system.
Wont boot at all
In the worst case scenario you wont be able to boot into any flavor of Windows at all, even safe mode. When this happens there are two symptoms that point to a corrupt Registry: first your PC continually restarts when you try to start it regardless of the option you choose in the Boot menu. If your PC doesn't automatically reboot, you’ll get a STOP error referring to the Registry or a missing or corrupt file.
In these circumstances your only course of action is to recover your system manually. You could attempt a repair installation of Windows following the step by step guide below – if your PC came with a recovery disc, try booting from that and looking for a repair or non-destructive option (if no option exists, do not proceed – a full destructive system recovery will wipe all of your personal files and settings).
The upside is that you should be able to boot into Windows again; the downside is that all of your updates – including any service packs you’ve applied – will have been removed. Not only will you need to visit Windows update to download them all again , but you may also need to reinstall some of your programs again in order for them to work properly.
1. Boot from Windows CD
If you have a genuine Windows installation CD, reboot with it inserted, and press any key when prompted to. Let setup load the initial files, then press enter at the welcome screen.
2. Choose to repair Windows
Accept the license agreement by pressing F8, then wait. When asked if you would like to repair Windows, make sure your current installation is selected before clicking R. Windows will now delete a load of files.
3. Let Windows repair itself
The rest of the process is identical to what happens when Windows installs from scratch.
Hardware problems
If you can’t get your PC to even recognize your hard drive – you’ll get a boot failure message appear before Windows even begins to load – then you may have a dead drive to deal with. If the drive has been making funny noises recently, this is the likely scenario, and the downside is that your data is now inaccessible unless your willing to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to a data recovery specialists to get it back.
Sometimes drive cables can become loose, so it’s worth opening up your case and making sure everything's securely plugged in before assuming the worst.
memory is another problem that can manifest itself in start-up problems. If you suspect memory is the cause of your problems download the free diagnostic tool on a working PC from http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp – you can then transfer this to a floppy disk or CD, and boot from it on your malfunctioning PC. It’ll then test your memory and report any problems it finds.
Faulty memory should be replaced as soon as it’s been spotted. If you have more than one memory stick in your PC, try different combinations of memory in conjunction with the Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool to track down the faulty module.
If all else fails – you’ve recovered your data, determined there's no hardware issues, but still can’t get Windows to boot again – then bite the bullet and reinstall Windows XP from scratch.
Fix shutdown problems
Most Shutdown problems have been fixed by updates available through Automatic Updates (click Start, right click My Computer and select properties, Control Panel, then switch to the Automatic Updates tab). If your PC is fully up to date, but you still encounter shutdown problems, read on.
If your PC restarts instead of shutting down, then the likely culprit is a STOP error, By default Windows is set to restart when it encounters one of these, but if it’s preventing you from shutting down you need to take matters into your own hands.
First, force Windows to display the STOP error instead of restarting: open the System Properties Control Panel, switch to the Advanced tab, click Settings under “Startup and Recovery” and untick Automatically restart before clicking OK twice. When you next shutdown Windows, the STOP error should pop up. Make a note of it, and then visit http://www.aumha.org/a/stop.htm for more advice.
If your PC hangs during shutdown – in other words, it reaches a certain point in the process and then just stops for five minutes or more without powering down or displaying an “it’s safe to turn off your computer” message – then the problem could be caused by a program or process currently running on your PC. When your ready to shut down, try to end as many running programs as possible, including those that have icons in the notification area in the taskbar. If Windows can now shut down, you’ve traced the culprit to one of these programs.
If this doesn’t work, try running a diagnostic startup as described earlier and then immediately shut down. If Windows is able to do so, then something that starts with Windows and runs in the background is to blame. Once identified using the same techniques described for troublesome start-up entries, uninstall the program or look for an update or additional help at it’s website.
If this doesn’t work but your able to access Task Manager (press Ctrl+Alt+Del), then try ending individual processes from the Processes tab. Make a note of any processes that refuse to disappear, and do a search on Google to find out more about that process when you next start Windows. If all else fails at this point, and you have access to the shutdown menu try turn off computer from this menu.
Shutdown problems are numerous, and while non critical in the sense that you’re able to run Windows again afterwards, may be indicative of deeper problems with your system. For additional shutdown advice visit
http://aumha.org/win5/a/shtdwnxp.htm.
10 Reasons Why Computers Crash
Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications."
You have just been hit by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Microsoft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it from happening?
1 Hardware conflict
The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are meant to be unique for each device.
For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to use a single IRQ for itself.
If you have a lot of devices connected to your computer, or if they are not installed properly, two of them can end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. To check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the device manager:
* Start/Settings/Control Panel/System/Device Manager.
If a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer, if no numbers appear select the "view" tab then "resources by type" and then interrupt request (IRQ). If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.
Often a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The easiest way to fix this problem is to uninstall the problem device and then reinstall it.
If the device is a sound card, or a modem, it can usually be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).
When working inside a computer make sure its switched off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity in your body.
To be fair to Microsoft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not their fault. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip.
Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.
2 Bad Ram
Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.
But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.
One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash.
When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.
Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be the cause of trouble.
EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programs.
3 BIOS settings
Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.
Once inside the BIOS, care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.
A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SD Ram has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.
Microsoft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).
4 Hard disk drives
After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. Go to
* Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Disk Defragmenter
This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.
The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows desktop on the task bar.
Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.
Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to
* Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Scan Disk
Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.
5 Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors
Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.
These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to
* Start/Settings/Control Panel/Display/Settings
Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.
If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go to
* Start/Settings/Control Panel/System/Device Manager
Select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Highlight it and press properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.
If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse.
The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.
Another useful way to resolve video problems is to go to
* Start/Settings/Control Panel/System/Performance/Graphics
Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. The most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).
Look up your video card's manufacturer on the Internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.
6 Viruses
Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why its a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to
* Start/Settings/Control Panel/Add/Remove Programs
Look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.
A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the web site of your anti-virus software manufacturer.
7 Printers
The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.
Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.
If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you should be able to carry on.
8 Software
A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it.
The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. There are plenty of free registry cleaners available Regscrub XP and easycleaner are two good one's.
Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.
Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.
Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't work.
Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.
9 Overheating
Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been over clocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.
One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU.
CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should also be more stable.
10 Power supply problems
A power surge or spike can crash a computer and damage the CPU and motherboard as easily as a power cut.
If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.
It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost.
