Windows XP Home

[soldierboy]

Hi everybody,

Windows XP just freezes. Reboot goes through checkdisk sequence. Sometimes it completes the checkdisk phase before freezing again sometimes it does not. Cannot access 'F8' and use the restore facility therefore unable to restore last good working version. Suspect corrupt files in connection with my Email package. Can get into setup. Would it help if I changed the bootup sequence to CD and try to restore from the CD.

Any ideas

[Budfred]

Welcome to http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif

WinXP Home has a Repair function on the CD that you can use to try to repair the problem. Put the CD in the boot sequence and boot with the disk in the drive. I believe you then choose to install, but the next screen should then give you the option of running Repair, so select that.

Good luck...

[Paul Komski]

First choose NewInstallation(Advanced) and not Upgrade.

Setup next copies the files from the CD (as with any new installation) and the pc reboots. If an existing installation is on the pc then, after the reboot, you will have an option to choose to repair that installation. Just read the blue screens with silver text carefully and ensure you don't delete the old installation and replace it with a new one.

[soldierboy]

Hi,

Thanks for your very useful advice. Tried what you suggested, put in disk went into set up but before I could chose the option of going into repair mode the computer goes into sleep mode. It does not shut down but the screen goes black and the message "No signal" apears on the screen for a short while. Help!!

Is there a rescue disk I can down load from Microsoft or anywhere which will allow me to at least get into safe mode and do something before it goes to sleep. I can access the net through my work PC!

Best wishes

Soldierboy

[Budfred]

If it is really Sleep Mode, I would check power management settings in BIOS, but it sounds like it could be something more than that. You may have a hardware problem, possibly something with the power supply or video... I would see what it says about power management and then post back more details about what you find and about your system...

[Paul Komski]

Could well be a number of hardware devices (PS, Monitor, Video Card, CMOS battery, Mobo or RAM for starters) or their connections giving the problem.

But also, why do you suspect corrupt files in association with your eMail Package??

Please give more specific details about your system's hardware and also tell us whether this pc is still under warranty.

BTW, the dark screen with the "no signal" doesn't sound like sleep or suspend mode if that is how you are "diagnosing" it.

A bootable ERD can be made from within XP using backup; don't know if one can be downloaded, but it would be useful to know if you can boot to any bootable floppy diskette.

More limited troubleshooting can be undertaken if you can get into the recovery console, which displays as a command prompt, from the bootable installation CD (see this (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/reskit/prmc_str_bjid.asp)) though this is not the same as running a repair installation as indicated previously.

[soldierboy]

HI
Thank you for your replay and the information on using Recovery Console.
I use edimail as my email software. I had heard of other users of this package having problems. My problem first started whenever I was trying to send email, in addition when I ran checkdisk sometimes it reported that a file path was too long and would be truncated although other times it reported that there was nothing wrong. Whenever it said there needed to be truncation it was always in the email folder.
Driven by your advice that it could be a hardware problem I disconected everything then reconected only the Monitor, keybord and mouse. Booted up and my computer ran the setup sequence from its last stop. I had tried onc e before to run SETUP to be able to get into the recovery feature. Anyway it ran and I was able to reinstale XP. Last night I quit while I was ahead. Tonight I will re-assemble the other hardware components one at a time e.g Printer, Scanner and Cable Modem. I have unistalled Edimail and will use Microsoft Outlook instead.

Thank you for your most helpfull advice


Soldier Boy:) :confused:

[Paul Komski]

Soldierboy I know you have uninstalled edimail, but it would interest me to try it out, especially if it is a front-end xml mail client that runs in IE like XeMail at tendotzero.co.uk (http://www.tendotzero.co.uk/)

Do you by any chance have a link to where you got yours from?

P.S. It seems like I used to change my main eMail client every few months - but my favorite for some time now has been Foxmail 4.1 (http://www.webattack.com/download/dlfoxmail.shtml). However I keep trying other ones out, when I get the chance. He he; Outlook is one of my least favorite ones. ;)