Windows will not boot

[gregcarr1701]

The boot process starts normally, POST completes fine. I can get into BIOS. The Windows startup screen for XP begins (Windows logo on black background, green status bar below). After 4 seconds, everything goes dark. The video card stops sending signal to the monitor (green standby light on monitor begins blinking), and keyboard stops responding (pressing NUMLOCK generates no change in the status lights on the keyboard.) The PC itself still has power, fans are still running and DVD drive can be opened and closed.

Any ideas?

[mjc]

What are the temperatures like?

Have you made any changes recently (drivers, new programs, etc)?

[Sylvander]

1. Black Screen on Boot (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/155053/en-us)
2. How to Create a Bootable Disk for an NTFS or FAT Partition (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/119467/EN-US/)

Alternative to 2...
The free "Emergency Boot CD" [EBCD] has on its 2nd menu...
"Create Boot Floppy for NT/2000/XP" program. [That reminds me I must make one!]

1. How to make a free “Smart Boot Manager” floppy
http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41498
This makes it easier to boot a chosen drive [particularly the one holding the EBCD].

2. How to make a free EBCD bootable CD
http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41485
This has a number of useful utilities included including "Image" [for DOS, by Terabyte] & "File Manager".

[gregcarr1701]

What are the temperatures like?

Have you made any changes recently (drivers, new programs, etc)?

CPU temp stays around 102-104 Farenheit.

No changes made recently. Virus scan comes up clean.

[mjc]

Can you get into Safe Mode?

Safe Mode (http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/boot_failsafe.mspx)