10 tricks to easily troubleshoot XP system startup failures:
1. Use Windows startup If the startup problem is due to the active partition's startup record or if the file used by the operating system startup is corrupted, the startup disk will be able to resolve the issue. Here's how:
Create a Windows Startup disk, find a similar, working Windows XP machine, open My Computer, right-click the disk icon, and then choose Format in the subsequent menu. When the Formatting dialog box appears, leave all default settings and click the Start button.
When the format operation is complete, close the Format dialog box back to my Computer, double-click the C: drive icon, access the root directory, and copy the boot. ini, NTLDR, ntdetect.com three files to disk. After you have created the Windows Startup disk, insert it into the drive in the failed system and press Ctrl+alt+delete to restart the computer.
2. Using the last Known Good configuration, you can attempt to start the operating system with the last known Good configuration. This feature cancels any changes that are made to the CurrentControlSet key on the registry, which defines the hardware and drive settings. Known good the configuration function replaces the current key value with the CurrentControlSet key value of the last normal startup of the system. Here's how:
First press the Ctrl+alt+delete key to restart the computer. The Windows Advanced Options menu appears when you see a "operating system to start" on the screen, or you hear a beep from the computer, and press the F8 key. Select the last Known Good Configuration option from the menu, and then press ENTER. Keep in mind that there is only one chance to use the last Known good the configuration feature.
3. For system Recovery, another tool that can help resolve Windows XP startup problems is System recovery. System recovery runs in the background as a service and continuously monitors changes in important system components. When a change is found to occur, system recovery immediately precedes the change, making a backup copy of these important components called recovery points, and the default setting for System Restore is to create a recovery point every 24 hours. Here's how:
First press the Ctrl+alt+delete key to restart the computer. The Windows Advanced Options menu appears when you see a "operating system to start" on the screen, or you hear a beep from the computer and press the [F8] key. Now select Safe Mode from the menu and press ENTER. When Windows XP enters Safe mode, click the Start button, select the All Programs attachment System Tools menu, select System Recovery. Click Next, select a recovery point and start the recovery program.
4. Use recovery Console If the Windows XP boot problem is more severe. You can start the system using the Windows XP CD and then use a tool called Recovery Console. The following are the specific practices:
Insert the Windows XP CD in the failed computer's CD-ROM drive, and then press Ctrl+alt+delete to restart the computer. Once the system is booted from the CD, it is easy to load the basic files needed for startup as soon as prompted. When you see the Welcome to Setup interface, press the R key to enter the recovery Console. You will then see the Recovery Console menu. Displays the folder that contains the operating system files and prompts you to select the operating system you want to log on to. You need to enter the serial number on the menu on the keyboard, and then you will be prompted for an administrator password to enter the main Recovery Console prompt page.
5. Repair the corrupted boot. ini, as the Windows XP operating system loads, the NTLDR program points to the boot. ini file to determine the location of the operating system files and which startup option to choose. So if there is a problem with the boot. ini file, the Windows XP system cannot be started. You can use the Recovery Console special version of the bootcfg tool to fix it. Of course, you must first restart the system with the Windows XP CD and open the recovery Console as described in # #. You can call the bootcfg tool this way: After the Recovery Console command prompt, enter Bootcfg/parameter here/parameter is one of these required parameters:
/ADD: Scans all Windows installations to help add any new content to the boot. ini file. /scan: Search for all Windows installations. /list: Lists all the entrances to the boot. ini file. /default: Set the default operating system as the primary boot entry. /rebuild: Completely re-create the boot. ini file. The user must confirm each step. /redirect: Allows the operating system to be redefined to a specific port when using headless administration functionality. The redefinition consists of two parameters: Port baudrate,usebiossettings. /disableredirect: Disables redirection.
6. Repair the corrupted partition boot record, partition boot sector is a small part of the hard disk partition, which contains information about the file system in the operating system and a small machine language program, which is essential to help the operating system boot. If you suspect that the startup problem with your Windows XP system is caused by partition boot sector being compromised, you can use a tool called fixboot in the Recovery Console to fix it. First, start the system with the Windows XP CD and open the recovery Console as described in # #. You can call the Fixboot tool this way: at the Recovery Console command prompt, input fixboot drive:drive represents the partition where you want the newly created partition boot sector to be located.
7. Repair the damaged main boot sector, the primary boot sector occupies the first sector of the hard disk, responsible for window startup program. The main boot sector contains the disk partition table and a small program called the Master boot code that is responsible for locating activity 0, bootable disks, and partitions in the partitioned table. Once destroyed, partition boot sector will replace it to start loading windows. If the primary boot sector is compromised, partition boot sector will not be able to complete the job, and Windows will not start.
If you suspect that the startup problem with your Windows XP system is caused by the destruction of the primary boot sector, you can use the Fixmbr tool in the Recovery Console to fix it. First, start the system with the Windows XP CD and open the recovery Console as described in # #. You can call the Fixmbr tool this way: After Recovery Console command prompt, enter fixmbr device_name:device_name is the pathname of the device where you want the new primary boot sector to reside. For example, the device path name is formatted according to the standard bootable drive C-disk command: DeviceHardDisk0
8. Disable automatic restart, if Windows XP encounters a fatal error, the default setting for handling this error is to automatically restart the system. If the error occurs during Windows XP startup, the operating system will fall into a cycle of reboot--repeatedly restarting and not returning to normal.
In this case, you need to disable the automatic restart feature. When Windows XP starts, when you see "operating system to start", or if you hear a beep, press F8 to open the Windows Advanced Options menu. Then, select Disable automatic restart in the case of a system failure, and then press ENTER. Windows XP now hangs when it encounters a problem, giving a STOP message that can be used to diagnose the problem.
9. Restore the backup, if you cannot fix the Windows XP system with boot failure, but have the most recent backup, you can restore the system from the backup media. The method used to recover the system depends on the backup tool used, so the system needs to be restored according to the instructions of the Backup tool.
10. For a in-place upgrade, if you cannot fix the Windows XP system with startup problems, and you have not recently backed up, you can make a in-place upgrade. Reinstalling the operating system in the same folder is like upgrading from one version of Windows to another version of Windows. In-place Upgrade If you do not resolve all Windows startup issues, you can at least solve most of these problems. How to do this: Insert the Windows XP CD into the drive and restart your system from the CD. After the initial preparation is complete, you will see the Windows XP installation screen. Press ENTER to enter the Windows XP Setup program. Soon, you'll see the License Agreement page, and then you'll need to press F8 to confirm your consent to the agreement.
The installer then searches the hard disk for previously installed Windows XP. When you find a previously installed Windows XP, you see a second Windows XP installation interface appears on the screen. The interface prompts you to press the R key to fix it, or you can press ESC to reinstall a Windows XP. In this case, repairing the system is the same as making a in-place upgrade, so just press the R key to fix it. When selected, Setup checks the disk on which the system is located, and then starts to perform the In-place upgrade. After a in-place upgrade or repair of the system, you must reinstall all Windows updates.
You can also install some system backup recovery software, such as the storm after the computer protection system, GHOST, Restore Wizard and so on, so it is more secure.