Windows XP Pro Stuck at "Windows is Starting Up"

[nasttcar]

Last night my computer is running fine. I can access all 3 hard drives 40/200/300. Go to bed, leave computer running and this morning I cannot access the 200 gb WDC drive. Error message saying there was a write fault to that drive. I go to computer management and it says unhealthy.

I then shut the computer down and think a reboot would be a good thing. Nope, computer will not get past the blue windows screen that say Windows XP - "Windows is Starting Up.."

Does this in either Safe Mode or Normal Start Up.

Computer is a Dell 400SC, P4, 3.2, 2gb RAM, ATI 9800, XP Pro SP2, Panda AV, with 40 gb main boot drive 60% full, 200 gb WDC, and 300 gb Maxtor.

Suggestions

 

[KGB]

Try clearing the CMOS first.

 

[Mutilator]

If you have any USB devices such as HP printers, USB enclosures, etc - UNPLUG them.
Unplug power to non boot drives.
Try Windows again.

 

[nasttcar]

As it turned out, a hard drive apparently failed overnight. Got up this morning and their was a warnin saying Write Failure to Drive F:/. I could not click on that drive and get it to read. Computer Mgmt said the drive was unhealthy.

Only after removing the drive would the computer boot up. I do not understand why a data drive would keep the computer from booting.

I changed ide cables, slots, and where the cables attached but that did not help. The good thing is that 2 weeks prior I bought an external HD for backup and had all the important pictures, songs, etc. backed up.

When it rains it pours.

Thanks for the help.

 

[djheater]

Originally posted by: nasttcar
As it turned out, a hard drive apparently failed overnight. Got up this morning and their was a warnin saying Write Failure to Drive F:/. I could not click on that drive and get it to read. Computer Mgmt said the drive was unhealthy.

Only after removing the drive would the computer boot up. I do not understand why a data drive would keep the computer from booting.

I changed ide cables, slots, and where the cables attached but that did not help. The good thing is that 2 weeks prior I bought an external HD for backup and had all the important pictures, songs, etc. backed up.

When it rains it pours.

Thanks for the help.

I am having the exact same symptoms as you, and it's likely that my data drive is failing as well, though it's intermittent.
My wife just called and it's happening again.
I was able to get into safe mode yesterday, did a chkdsk /f on both drives and it found and repaired errors, worked on reboot, but maybe the drive is just to far gone.
Hope I can get it to back up