windows startup - hard drive

[craftycooky]

Just built a new pc and was running fine... but was loading various progs and when i next started it up windows hung on the main startup screen (left it for hours). will boot in safe mode. tried running chkdsk in safe mode and recovery mode and that also hangs after 26% comp and only way out is to reset and start again.

using a asus board with a sata 160gb HD windows xp and a amd 3200.

is my hard drive faulty??? any other ideas please..thanks

[Nuttapper]

wouldn't have thought your hard drive was at fault M8, it runs ok in safe mode...

Boot into safe mode and uninstall the last couple of programmes you put on, it sounds like data corruption, you may even have to do a fresh install if you cant trace the fault, sometimes quicker to do that than attempt a programme error, specially as its a new etup HTH

[craftycooky]

tried uninstalling a few things in safe mode but still no joy, if i do a reinstall can i still register windows using my prod id?

[PH/\T B,5TARD]

If it's XP you are using do a system restore in safe mode as XP creates a checkpoint when installing new progs, this should at least get you running and able to identify the offending item.

[PhilEnfield]

This may be off target, but I see you have a 160gb HDD here ..... did you install SP1 ? or how did you partition/format the drive ?

XP will only support partitions above 134gb if SP1 is installed .... data loss can occur if things are forced/set up incorrectly.

[craftycooky]

mmm cud be a problemit is sp1...its a single partition, but its been working great till i was install a few progs..tried restoring in safe mode and it just hangs there too...

[PH/\T B,5TARD]

Sounds like you mayl have to boot from your XP cdrom and repair the OS.

[craftycooky]

have booted to the win cd and tried running chkdsk but it wont run...is there something im missing cos ive only been in the command mode...

[PH/\T B,5TARD]

Boot from the CDROM (select boot device in bios) Dont run chkdsk select install XP and once a little further on it will ask if you want to repair the OS.

[PhilEnfield]

mmm cud be a problemit is sp1...its a single partition, but its been working great till i was install a few progs..tried restoring in safe mode and it just hangs there too...
See how your repair goes ... it may be the answer.

If it isn't, did you format the drive from XP with SP1 installed or did you use Partition Magic or similar ?
Also did you edit the Windows Registry to enable 48 bit LBA support or run the drive manufacturers patch to do this ? and did you check that your BIOS supports 48 bit LBA ?

Like I mentioned above, data loss/corruption can occur if things have been forced/set up incorrectly.

[Nuttapper]

from the time you posted this, to now, you could have done a clean install and reinstalled all the software twice over, go for a clean install, and reboot after installing each peice of additional software, as I said Its sometimes quicker to fresh install than try and find an error, you seem to have attempted all the usual stuff.. I assume you installed SP1 with windows, so it may be one of the items of software installed after the OS installation.

[BlackDiamondJr]

have booted to the win cd and tried running chkdsk but it wont run...is there something im missing cos ive only been in the command mode...
Try running chkdsk /r from the command in the Recover Console. It sounds like the hard drive may have bad sectors and some data might need to be recovered.

[CHR15]

Try Bootvis

http://www.softpedia.com/public/cat/12/2/12-2-1.shtml

Will tell you what windows is trying to do at the point of hanging.

With whats been suggested though, unless you have important data on there, I would simply format and reinstall.

[craftycooky]

thanks for all the help guys...think i tried all the suggestions here but counldnt get any to work for various reasons so had to do a format and rebuild in the end...not what i wanted to do...would love to know what caused this