POST/Win Startup then Reboots

[kleinwl]

My computer has been unable to load xp. The system shows a blank screen, except for a bar across the bottom of the screen. Over a minute, the bar solidifes and the system goes to the Windows XP start up screen. It then goes to the Dell POST screen. Then it goes to the bar across the bottom of the screen again... and on ad infinitium.

I put in the XP CD and tried to use the repair fuction... and although it shows the hard drive has 80mb... I can not view any directories. (using dir at the C: prompt). It says something like "directory not valid" or something.

Anyway, it sounds to me like my hard drive died. Any suggestions for repair (recovering data?). I am loath to try to reformat the drive.

If I have to replace the drive I would like to install a SATA II (Maxtor Maxline) w/ NCQ for when I finally have the money to replace this old P4 1.7 Wilm. Will this work with a SATA controller? Or is the MB too old to use? Should I just get another PATA drive?

 

[DanTMWTMP]

installing windows off of an SATA controller maybe a pain because you have to load the drivers when you install windows. Maybe getting ATA will save you some hassle.

try the ice or drop methods to recover data hehe. more on that later. I have to go.

 

[sykopath79]

Did you have Service Pack 2 installed? If so, as Windows boots tap F8 repeatedly until you get the boot menu (should see options like Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, etc.).

Choose "Disable automatic restart on system failure" from this menu, if you see it, this way if it's a BSOD causing you to reboot it will stop at the BSOD so we can see the error message.