Computer freezes on startup

[02ranger]

OK, so I've got this computer I'm fixing for a guy my dad works with, and I've just about got it finished. When I got it it was FULL of viruses and spyware, but I somehow managed to clean that all off. It was also on XP SP1, and I've done all of the recent updates. I've tried stopping different startup programs, but ever since I got the computer, it has frozen on the "Windows is starting up" screen. If I wait for the screen saver to come up, then wiggle the mouse it will move on to the logon screen. The screen saver can come up for just a second, but that's all it takes to get it to work.

I thought maybe a registry problem so I've tried using Registry Mechanic, against my better judgement because I've heard that registry cleaners can be kind of dangerous and as a last resort, but it didn't work. I'm at a loss of what to try next. I've searched for the problem, and it seems that there are all kinds of things that can cause this.

Formatting isn't an option because they don't have the restore disk, so I really need to fix it. Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated. TIA

 

[simondedalus]

See if the system will run if you boot Windows in Safe Mode. (you get to the safe mode boot option by hitting the F8 key as your computer is starting up). When Windows boots into Safe Mode, it loads only a bare minimum of drivers, processes/programs, etc., but that will at least get you to a place where we can do some initial looking around and troubleshooting.

 

[02ranger]

Sorry, I should've mentioned that I've tried safe mode too. It works fine there now. It works fine in regular mode once the screen saver comes up, though. I just have to wait the ten minutes to get the screensaver to come up. I think it had the problem in safe mode too, before the updates. But I don't really remember now. Thanks.

 

[montag451]

There was always a problem installing SP2 on a machine if it had just the hint of malware/virii.

You will probably find it a lot quicker to look for all the hardware/chipset drivers, format, reinstall.

 

[02ranger]

The only problem is that I don't have a Windows disk to install on the computer. They can't find the restore disk and it didn't have a separate windows disk. Believe me, I'd much rather go that route than try and fix it, but I don't have a choice. And SP2 installed just fine, the problem was present before SP2. The biggest reason I went on with the updates was in the hopes that if the problem were in a system file or the registry, MAYBE the updates would fix it. No such luck. I've run several virus/spyware/malware programs on it and it seems to be all clean now. I'm thinking the problem is the aftereffect of one of the viruses it had.

 

[montag451]

Could try booting into recovery console and running:
sfc /scannow

 

[02ranger]

I've run sfc /scannow from safe mode, but never recovery console. Will that make a difference? It seemed to run OK, it didn't throw any errors, so I guess everything was all right. I've never used sfc /scannow before.

BTW, I've got a copy of XP Home that I used for my brothers' computer here at home, can I use it to do a repair install without needing the broken computer's CD key. I only ask because if I can use this CD and let the computer keep it's old key, then it may fix the problem. I didn't want to try until I was sure it would work, and the computer is a Compaq so I'm not sure if there's anything proprietary that the computer is gonna look for in the XP CD I have. It wouldn't be piracy since the copy of XP is legal, and the computer I'm fixing has XP Home on it, so I'd be in the clear there. Thanks.

 

[montag451]

There should be a sticker on the computer with a key that you can use.
It should also specift whether the key is for XP home or pro.

 

[daveybrat]

In safe mode try this:

Go to run, type in msconfig and hit enter

Click on the startup tab and uncheck everything under here.

Click on the Services tab and near the bottom put a check in the box labeled "Hide all Microsoft Services" and now uncheck all services now showing.

Hit ok on the bottom and let the pc reboot.

Fixed??

 

[02ranger]

OK, so I tried disabling all non-microsoft services and all startup items with no success. The computer still hangs. I still haven't tried doing a repair install of Windows because I'm still scared it will get halfway through the install and go stupid because it isn't a Compaq disk with a Compaq key. My guess is that it could be a Microsoft service causing it to hang, since I've read that there have been people who've had a service cause the same problem. Is there any way to repair all the services in case something is wrong with them? Or does anybody know anything else to try? Thanks again.

 

[montag451]

tbh, even if you fix this prob, and it isn't guaranteed that you will, you may end up triggering another. Even a system repair may not fix the problem.

We are pretty sure that the problem is to do with a program - driver/service/something else?

Go into BIOS and disable all onboard non-essential periphs, ie sound,nic, usb.

Try again.

Try booting up using the 'choose progs that load' option - can't remember the exact wording.
say no to the driver lookalikes

 

[Captain Nate]

I had a laptop that took forever to boot like yours. sometimes it would just hang...

The problem? some nasty virus/malware/adware/spyware concoction that my ex-wife caused.

Solution... about 3 days of cleaning it. It wouldn't even let me install an AV or a anti-adware program. I googled the virus names until I found a (legitimate) program that ran through the dos prompt to clean the one particular malware trojan that was causing alot of the problems. This let me install Mcaffee, ad-aware 2007, and Spybot killer which between the three cleaned it all off. after like 6 reboots and about 4 hours of thorough cleanings...

give it a whirl.. some of the fake virus crap from those bogus "virus protection" companies are really sick.

 

[02ranger]

The worst virus I had was one of those bogus anti-virus things, and it took three spyware programs to get rid of it. All the virus/spyware programs I've run say the computer's clean now, so I don't know what it is. I'm in the process of trying to disable everything in BIOS one thing at a time, so we'll see where that gets me. Thanks.

 

[montag451]

The worst virus I saw on a computer led to me running out of the house screaming, then sneaking back in the middle of the night with a can of petrol and a lighter.

 

[02ranger]

OK, I disabled all non-essential BIOS options, one at a time and all at once. It didn't make any difference. I did notice that one time the computer started up perfect, but when I restarted again the problem was back. It's done that before when I changed some setting in Windows, and it did it once when I enabled the guest account and created a test account. They originally had just one account, and it was automatically logging on for them. When I made the new account it booted perfectly fine once, then went back to hanging. I'm not sure what you mean by starting with "Choose programs that load" option, since I don't see anything like that in the startup options list. Another thing that I think is weird is that when you boot the computer, it comes to a screen like a multi-booted PC, with Windows XP Home and Windows Recovery Console as the options. Any more ideas? Thanks again.

 

[02ranger]

Well, I kinda sorta halfway maybe might've fixed it. I installed TweakUI because I remember it had logon settings, and checked the option to automatically logon, and it's successfully restarted four times now. This is a doable workaround since they only have the one user account, Owner, anyway. It isn't really a fix, but I really think it's the only way to get it working short of dumping it and starting from scratch. Thanks for all your help and if you have any more ideas of how to actually fix it and not just bypass the problem, I'd be happy to hear them.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Did you try the fixboot command from the recovery console? I would install Active Virus Shield on the system for the owner too, it'll save them from more headaches later.

 

[02ranger]

Actually, I got it fixed for real last night. I ran the trial version of Kaspersky on it, and it found things Mcafee, Bitdefender, Ad-Aware, and AVG Antispyware wouldn't. That doesn't really surprise me about Ad-Aware and AVG though, since they aren't antivirus programs, but I always trusted Mcafee. I don't remember the name of the virus, but one of the ones it found affected Winlogon, so after I removed it and then removed TweakUI, it works great. It is completely fixed now. I was going to put an antivirus on the computer permanently, but the owner says they want to do it themselves. I don't know why, but because of that I uninstalled all of the trial versions of Antivirus I'd put on it. I hope they get an antivirus on it quickly though. My dad swears by Mcafee, so I'm betting that's what he'll get them to put on it. I used to like Mcafee, and I guess it's still alright, but I think I like Kaspersky better now. Oh well. Thanks everybody for all the help.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Active Virus Shield is free and is made by Kaspersky. Why pay for AV software when better stuff is free?