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Computer restarts at Windows Boot-up...

C

Confusednewbie1552

Golden Member
Update: See post number 14. It's either the Hard Drive, Power Supply, or Motherboard.

One day I turned off my computer and now it won't turn on:

Whenever I turn it on it goes to the Windows Boot-Up Screen (with the bar that moves). It does 1 full bar pass and then 1/4 and then it instantly restarts. I don't think it's a power problem because it won't turn off while in the bios, and it always restarts at exactly the same moment no matter what is/isn't connected. I cleaned it up so dust can't be the problem and the CPU temps seem fine, at least according to the bios. Anyway there are some files on my hard drive, I'd like to retrieve.

So here are my questions:

Is it possible to retrieve my data back somehow without spending thousands of dollars? If so, how?

Is it possible to make a seperate partition on the hard drive and install Windows XP again, and then access the other partition with it?

I know I ought to backup, but sometimes you either A: Forget about it or don't have time for it.

Hardrive: Western Digital Raptor 74 GB
Power Supply: Enermax 470 W PSU

If you need more info then ask. Thanks in advance!
 
Is all your data on one big partition?
See if you can boot into safe mode (Hold F8 during boot).
If not, try a repair install of Windows on top of what you currently have.
As for making a separate partition now, I'd say, risky. The best bet (after exhausting the above) would be to see if you can get a spare hard disk, install windows, and slave your current one to pull out your data.

Another thing you can try is booting into some live version of Linux then reading off your hard drive and pulling off your data, via external disk or the cd/dvd burning program included.

Yes, it's true that backing up takes effort and all, but I suggest having data and OS on different partitions in the future. That makes nuking the Windows partition rather easy if that need arises.
 
If you have another computer make an MS-DOS Startup disk. Then use the DISKCOPY command to copy your files to a flash drive or CD or something. If you know the drive lables, you can copy there. Then pull them off onto another computer.

Yet if you're willing to reload windows when your done copying typ in format C:\
 
All my data is in one big partition.
I forgot to mention this, but before the windows boot-up screen with the bars comes up, a black and white message thing comes up and says: We are sorry for the inconvience, but Windows did not start succesfully, then it gives the following options:

Boot in Safe Mode
Boot in Safe Mode with Networking
Boot in Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Last Known Good Configuration of Windows
Start Windows Normally

Then there's a count down timer at the bottom.
Needless to say all 5 options don't work.

How do you do a repair install of Windows? When I tried that it took me to this command prompt like place and I didn't know what to do.

I do have a spare hard drive with Mandrake Linux 7.2 I believe (can't remember the exact version). Thanks for the suggestions Ionizer, I'll try those.

How do I make a MS-Dos Start-up disk?
 
How do I make a MS-Dos Start-up disk?
Click to expand...

Put a floopy in the drive, go to my computer, right click on the drive and select format, In the Window check create a MS-DOS Start-up disk Put that in the drive of your broken computer and it will start in MS-DOS
 
Originally posted by: Confusednewbie1552
One day I turned off my computer and now it won't turn on:

Whenever I turn it on it goes to the Windows Boot-Up Screen (with the bar that moves). It does 1 full bar pass and then 1/4 and then it instantly restarts.
Oh and I don't see a blue screen or black screen of any kind...
Click to expand...

Could you list the rest of your system specs. Thats sounds frighteningly similar to what happened when the second core of my Presler died.
 
Originally posted by: ding5550123
If you have another computer make an MS-DOS Startup disk. Then use the DISKCOPY command to copy your files to a flash drive or CD or something. If you know the drive lables, you can copy there. Then pull them off onto another computer.

Yet if you're willing to reload windows when your done copying typ in format C:\
Click to expand...

When I type DISKCOPY or C:\DISKCOPY or DISKCOPY C etc. it just says Invalid path or Bad File....

So what exactly do I type?

And I have an AMD 64 2800+ with a Newcastle core.
 
Sorry for the noobness, but what's [Drive1] [drive2] 😱

Where can I get a live version of Linux?

I'm going to try and install windows on another hard drive and try to pull data from it today.
 
Originally posted by: Ionizer86
Is all your data on one big partition?
See if you can boot into safe mode (Hold F8 during boot).
If not, try a repair install of Windows on top of what you currently have.
Click to expand...

Your entire windows install will remain intact, all programs installed and your settings also. Core components and drivers will be reset, that's all. It's a very good idea to try in such situations. If you have a SATA drive you might want to prepare a disk with your driver for that device. In this case you have to press F6 when the installer starts (watch the bottom line of the installer in the very moment it starts) then insert the disk when asked. You don't want the REPAIR CONSOL, that's different. Do everything as you would do when you install XP. Choose the drive where windows should be placed and press enter. The installer will ask if you want to repair the current windows installation. Obviously choose YES. Sit back and relax. If you don't have a SATA drive simply ignore the F6 thing.

Just realized that you have a RAPTOR. So you will need the F6 stuff after all. The driver disk should be in the mobo's box.
 
MS-DOS doesn't read NTFS file systems, so that's going to be an issue unless the system has all FAT32 partitions (not likely these days).

For a repair installation of Windows XP, you want what Microsoft calls an "in-place upgrade." The routine is documented on this page at Microsoft. Before you do this, unplug your network cable and/or wireless cards & dongles, you want the system isolated so it can't be attacked by worms. Have the full Service Pack 2 installer waiting on a CD-R so you can patch the system offline.

By the way, what version of WindowsXP is this? MCE, Professional, or Home? Because you'll probably have to also take NTFS ownership of the old installation's \Documents and Settings\your_account directory to get into it. Just don't panic if you get "ACCESS IS DENIED." when you try to get in, there's a way. 😉 Unless you encrypted stuff, that is.
 
Ok so sorry for not responding in a while...

I have tested all my parts except for the motherboard, hard drive, and power supply....

I have tested other IDE hard drives on this computer and they dont work either. But my hard drive uses sata so i havent had the oppurtunity to test it out as no other computers in my house or at my friends houses have sata motherboards. Therefore i'm thinking its not the hard drive. I have a 74 GB raptor.

It stays forever in the bios so I dont think its the powersupply. Maybe boot-up takes power and that makes it restart, but even so, when i took out everything except the bare neccesities (even took out the 6800 GT and replaced it with a GeForce 2) it still restarts at the same spot. If it was the POwer Supply you'd think it would go at least a bit farther.

Now I don't know how to test my motherboard so I'm guessing its the motherboard. As everything else seems to be fine. I have an Asus K8N-E Deluxe.

I have Windows XP Home Edition.

Thanks for all the help so far!
 
I've fixed a computer that restarts during XP boot. It had serious MBR problems. In your case, I would try another hard drive and put a fresh install of Windows on it. If that thing boots properly, then your Raptor has some thing missing.
 
I have tried another hard drive, that got a fresh install of windows not so long ago, it works on the other computer, just not on the one thats broken. So im guessing it's not the raptors fault.
 
Check BIOS settings too, my MB gives me issues once in a while where it will reset the BIOS settings, when it does this I have that exact problem, I need to reset my BIOS settings and it works fine. For mine it's the ACPI setting that causes it.
 
I said to 'Revert to Default Settings' and it still isn't working.

How do I change the setting so that when a blue screen happens it won't instantly restart and just show me the blue screen? I think I might see a blue screen flash really quickly right before it restarts.
 
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