Serious Problem logging in?

Sam Lee

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Jul 19, 2013
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I downloaded service pack 3 for winXP recently to be installed onto my older desktop pc via USB storage device. And After the wizard it said finished installing, I tried to let it restart, then it got stuck in limbo with a black screen, backlight and no mouse cursor.
I then tried to turn it off and back on to see if I would log in to the newer windows xp... but after going past the applying account settings bit (that is, after logging in_ but before it could even load any of the account backgrounds, it went into a black screen that's same as before! The computer is stuck in limbo doing nothing, what can I do?
 
Solution
Back up your data, assemble a list of drivers,programs to install, devices to install (printers, cameras, etc.), back up your browser bookmarks, address books (outlook and others). You will also need the MB install disk for the on board devices and chip set utility. Think about going to Win7? Once you have a working windows run update until there are no more required or recommended up dates. Then install the rest. Be sure the disk gets formatted before you install windows. GL BTW that error code often occurs when there is not enough disk space for windows. Is your disk near full?

Dogsnake

Distinguished
Good Old XP. You may have a few options. Can you boot to safe mode? If you can you can try a system restore to a pre update point or there was also a start with last good configuration option. If you have your windows disk, you can use it to do a repair installation. The update may have been corrupt or incomplete from the usb device and now your OS is corrupt. Your xp disk can be used as a boot disk to get you to system restore options. If you can not do any of the above then start thinking about a clean install. There are a number of sources for xp boot disks that will let you get to the data on the disk.
 

Sam Lee

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Jul 19, 2013
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10,510

I'll try Safe Mode, I've already tried "Last known configuration" and the same thing happened :(
 

Sam Lee

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Jul 19, 2013
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With Safe mode with Command Promt I got to this
PUSHd557ba24483d.jpg

...could open up task manager and did a system restore,
it restarted to another black screen, so I restarted to safe mode again, and eventually it said it finished the system restore but in the black background at the top it still says Service pack 3 like the screen above.
And now I do a normal logon, it STILL can't get in, just a black screen. But it's weird I can access my files and most programs with Safe Mode.
 

Dogsnake

Distinguished
Try this, in safe mode open msconfig and go to the start up tab. Choose selective start up. There should be an option to hide all microsoft items. Select it. Now un check everything else. Reboot. If the machine starts then what you have is some conflict with an installed program or piece of hardware. You will then have to go back to msconfig and one at a time check off each item untill the system hangs. Then you will know where the conflict is. If it still hangs then your windows install is probably corrupt. If this was me, I would back up all my wanted files and do a clean install right away. Aslo you want to start windows in safe mode not with cmd prompt. Look at this guide and use the second method (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353).
 

Dogsnake

Distinguished
Had another though. When you get to msconfig there is a boot tab. Please post the boot information. It may be the system is trying to boot to the removable media you used for the update. This is a typical example of what you should see. How does yours compare?
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
 

Sam Lee

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Jul 19, 2013
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10,510


[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

Is what it says [sic] in BOOT.ini
Thanks, have a look.
 

Sam Lee

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Jul 19, 2013
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With the checking off of each service, can I just hit Apply each time?

Edit: I followed the second Method in the windows guide, couldn't get past login to the prompt box stated in step 3, it got a Black screen on the restart to usual.
Tried the safe mode extra procedure by making sure Load all system Services is unchecked, restarted and YET still couldn't get past the black screen.
 

Dogsnake

Distinguished
I suggest you run safe mode recover your data and do a clean install. It does sound like something in Windows is corrupted. If you have your disk try a repair install as it will try to keep your programs and data intact. I do think you will end up with a format and clean install. You might try removing the /NoExecute=OptIn part of the boot.ini. I don't think it will matter just a long shot. That switch pertains to turning on the data protection feature in the 32bit os.
 

Sam Lee

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Jul 19, 2013
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The PC came up with "Stop: 0x0000007E" code blue screen whenever I try to repair it with two WinXP CDs at separate times, now occurring before windows loading bar and after booting.
 

Dogsnake

Distinguished
Back up your data, assemble a list of drivers,programs to install, devices to install (printers, cameras, etc.), back up your browser bookmarks, address books (outlook and others). You will also need the MB install disk for the on board devices and chip set utility. Think about going to Win7? Once you have a working windows run update until there are no more required or recommended up dates. Then install the rest. Be sure the disk gets formatted before you install windows. GL BTW that error code often occurs when there is not enough disk space for windows. Is your disk near full?
 
Solution

Sam Lee

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Jul 19, 2013
11
0
10,510

Yes, I only have about 3.3 gb space left on that computer, but my boot/repair discs only are 700mb large
 

Dogsnake

Distinguished
This is the problem then. You need to off load a bunch of stuff. Windows may very well start for you then. Windows does not have enough room to run. So first run disk clean up (it's a system utility built in windows, copy out anything you can to free up space. The lack of space may be all you need to fix to get going. You can do all this from safe mode.