Won't boot into windows

I had posted this as a hard drive question, but I'm having the same problem
after replacing my hard drive so...

Basically, if I shut down, I can't boot back up. Before Windows starts to
load, I get a black screen with a blinking cursor and that's it. I can
restore from some of my backup images (not all - some will give me the same
black screen upon reboot.) but then I can't shut down or I'm back to square
one (sorta defeats the purpose of a laptop, doesn't it?)

Can not boot to safe mode.
Fixmbr and fixboot don't help.

Scanned for viruses, spyware, malware etc. etc. - nothing.

Could this be a bios problem? I'm running out of ideas, and I SO SO SO do
NOT want to reinstall and start from scratch.

XP Pro SP 2 Dell Inspiron 8600

"operaflute" wrote:

> I had posted this as a hard drive question, but I'm having the same problem
> after replacing my hard drive so...
>
> Basically, if I shut down, I can't boot back up. Before Windows starts to
> load, I get a black screen with a blinking cursor and that's it. I can
> restore from some of my backup images (not all - some will give me the same
> black screen upon reboot.) but then I can't shut down or I'm back to square
> one (sorta defeats the purpose of a laptop, doesn't it?)
>
> Can not boot to safe mode.
> Fixmbr and fixboot don't help.
>
> Scanned for viruses, spyware, malware etc. etc. - nothing.
>
> Could this be a bios problem? I'm running out of ideas, and I SO SO SO do
> NOT want to reinstall and start from scratch.
>
> XP Pro SP 2 Dell Inspiron 8600

Can you sned the error message and did you tried to test the memory/RAM to
see if they are okay?
On Start Up press F8 as you do for Safe Mode and on the Boot up Options
select Disable Automatic Restart on Failure and see if you can capture the
error message and post it back in your reply.
HTH,
nass
---
http://www.nasstec.co.uk

"operaflute" <operaflute@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:EAFC6DC5-D509-4940-93E3-877AB8BF6549@microsoft.com...
>I had posted this as a hard drive question, but I'm having the same problem
> after replacing my hard drive so...
>
> Basically, if I shut down, I can't boot back up. Before Windows starts to
> load, I get a black screen with a blinking cursor and that's it. I can
> restore from some of my backup images (not all - some will give me the
> same
> black screen upon reboot.) but then I can't shut down or I'm back to
> square
> one (sorta defeats the purpose of a laptop, doesn't it?)
>
> Can not boot to safe mode.
> Fixmbr and fixboot don't help.
>
> Scanned for viruses, spyware, malware etc. etc. - nothing.
>
> Could this be a bios problem? I'm running out of ideas, and I SO SO SO do
> NOT want to reinstall and start from scratch.
>
> XP Pro SP 2 Dell Inspiron 8600

A blinking cursor in the top left corner is usually a sign of a damaged boot
environment. I would boot the machine off a floppy boot disk in order to
establish if the Windows installation itself is intact. Here is how to make
one:
- Format a floppy disk on some other WinXP PC.
- Copy these files from the \i386 folder of your WinXP CD to A:\
ntldr
ntdetect.com
- Create a file a:\boot.ini with these lines
[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Boot diskette" /fastdetect
/noexecute=optin

If you don't have a floppy disk drive, create the boot floppy on some other
machine that does have an FDD, then burn a boot CD based on this boot
diskette.

On 13 okt., 04:40, operaflute <operafl...@discussions.microsoft.com>
wrote:
> I had posted this as a hard drive question, but I'm having the same problem
> after replacing my hard drive so...
>
> Basically, if I shut down, I can't boot back up. *Before Windows starts to
> load, I get a black screen with a blinking cursor and that's it. *I can
> restore from some of my backup images (not all - some will give me the same
> black screen upon reboot.) but then I can't shut down or I'm back to square
> one (sorta defeats the purpose of a laptop, doesn't it?)
>
> Can not boot to safe mode.
> Fixmbr and fixboot don't help.
>
> Scanned for viruses, spyware, malware etc. etc. - nothing.
>
> Could this be a bios problem? *I'm running out of ideas, and I SO SO SO do
> NOT want to reinstall and start from scratch.
>
> XP Pro SP 2 Dell Inspiron 8600

SEE YOUR VGA CART OR SCREEN

Make sure ur BIOS says 'boot from Floppy->CD->HDD
I seem to recall you can write them to bootable CD too. Mine r.

Recall 6Ps : 'Proper planning prevents **** poor performance'

Hope that helps. Larry

On Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:53:31 +0200, "Pegasus \(MVP\)"
<I.can@fly.com.oz> wrote:

>A blinking cursor in the top left corner is usually a sign of a damaged boot
>environment. I would boot the machine off a floppy boot disk in order to
>establish if the Windows installation itself is intact. Here is how to make
>one:
>- Format a floppy disk on some other WinXP PC.
>- Copy these files from the \i386 folder of your WinXP CD to A:\
> ntldr
> ntdetect.com
>- Create a file a:\boot.ini with these lines
>[boot loader]
>timeout=5
>default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDO WS
>[operating systems]
>multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Bo ot diskette" /fastdetect
>/noexecute=optin
>
>If you don't have a floppy disk drive, create the boot floppy on some other
>machine that does have an FDD, then burn a boot CD based on this boot
>diskette.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

A working unsecure OS is infinitely better than non-working secure OS.
Just spent 1 week cleaning up the mess WUpdate made preventing
hypothetical security problems. http://microscum.com/comsense/

Error message? There's no error message. I get the Dell Splash screen,
then the black screen with blinking cursor. When this first happened, I ran
the diagnostics using F12 and got DST Short Status Test Error 1000-0142.
Unit 4: Drive Self Test failed Status byte = 79. That pointed me towards
the hard drive, but I jsut replaced it and have same problem.
Will try boot disk when I get a moment...

Can you explain this in more detail? I can format and copy the files, but
how do I create the file?

BTW - I did MemTest overnight last night - no errors.


"Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:


>
> A blinking cursor in the top left corner is usually a sign of a damaged boot
> environment. I would boot the machine off a floppy boot disk in order to
> establish if the Windows installation itself is intact. Here is how to make
> one:
> - Format a floppy disk on some other WinXP PC.
> - Copy these files from the \i386 folder of your WinXP CD to A:\
> ntldr
> ntdetect.com
> - Create a file a:\boot.ini with these lines
> [boot loader]
> timeout=5
> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
> [operating systems]
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Boot diskette" /fastdetect
> /noexecute=optin
>
> If you don't have a floppy disk drive, create the boot floppy on some other
> machine that does have an FDD, then burn a boot CD based on this boot
> diskette.
>
>
>

"operaflute" <operaflute@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
newsC3D1663-9DC1-4EF6-8747-3BB19F2810A0@microsoft.com...
>
> Can you explain this in more detail? I can format and copy the files, but
> how do I create the file?
>
> BTW - I did MemTest overnight last night - no errors.

- Click Start / Run / notepad a:\boot.ini{OK}
- Accept the prompt to create a new file.
- Copy and paste the lines I previously gave you.
- Save & close the file.

Okay, I made the floppy, and know how to boot from it. But will it just
automatically "go" from the floppy to the C drive after booting, or do I need
to know to do something to make that happen?
(I want to make sure I understand everything before I shut this thing down
again!)
THanks!
>
> - Click Start / Run / notepad a:\boot.ini{OK}
> - Accept the prompt to create a new file.
> - Copy and paste the lines I previously gave you.
> - Save & close the file.
>
>
>

This boot.ini line
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
tells the floppy disk-based boot loader to continue loading Windows from the
\Windows folder located on the first partition of the first hard disk in the
system.


"operaflute" <operaflute@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:003C52AF-3488-4EEB-8A3E-4A8531EDB3F1@microsoft.com...
> Okay, I made the floppy, and know how to boot from it. But will it just
> automatically "go" from the floppy to the C drive after booting, or do I
> need
> to know to do something to make that happen?
> (I want to make sure I understand everything before I shut this thing down
> again!)
> THanks!
>>
>> - Click Start / Run / notepad a:\boot.ini{OK}
>> - Accept the prompt to create a new file.
>> - Copy and paste the lines I previously gave you.
>> - Save & close the file.
>>
>>
>>