D4100 won't complete Win XP boot

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

It's a bit of a chore to figure out which files are missing and then extract
them. I think your best bet is to reinstall XP on top of the existing software
that is still there... Ben Myers

On Fri, 06 Aug 2004 22:49:08 GMT, "Morey G" <moreyag@nospam.frontiernet.net>
wrote:

>Hello to all. I have an older Dimension 4100 among my Dell PC's that my 12
>year old daughter has been using and I am having serious trouble now. I was
>attempting to clean up all of the spyware and adware that she accumulated
>and now I can't get Win XP to complete loading. The PC starts to boot, stays
>on the Dell splash screen for a REALLY LONG while and then goes to the XP
>loading screen. XP appears to be loading. After that, the screen goes blank,
>as it always did, the cursor pointer appears in the center of the screen,
>and there it stays. The screen is black, no desktop, no Windows. It won't
>complete the load to Windows.
>I guess I must have fouled up something, but for the life of me I don't know
>what. I was attempting to get into safe mode by pressing F8 when this
>problem started. I had just finished deleting "lsass.exe" and wanted to make
>sure I cleaned the registry. The mouse is functional but the keyboard
>responds only to "Esc".
>Dell Tech support seems to think it's hard drive failure and coincidental to
>my tinkering. I tried booting from the XP CD, but it gets to the same spot
>and hangs. I ran the HDD diagnostic "Ctrl-Alt-D" and the drive passed...?
>Any suggestions would be appreciated, I have a 12 yr old daughter ready to
>shoot me for frying her PC.
>
>Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions and best regards,
>Morey G
>
>D4100 P3 933 Win XP Home
>384MB RAM 20Gb HDD
>CDRW
>DVD ROM
>
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Ben,
Thanks for the prompt response. I have a couple of issues:
1) Why does it hang on the Dell splash screen for so long? It NEVER did that
before today.
2 The POST lights on the CPU all show green after startup, but it takes
forever to boot. Also, while hung on the splash screen, the only key that's
operative is "Esc". No "F2", "F8", no nothin'! Why is this? Also a new
"feature" since my messing with it.

If I could get it to boot quickly with the XP CD, I would reinstall over the
the stuff, but the other issues worry me. Also, I have not changed the CMOS
battery in a couple of years...I'm grasping at straws, but maybe...?

Thanks again,
Morey

<ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers)> wrote in message
news:41141a63.14560903@news.charter.net...
> It's a bit of a chore to figure out which files are missing and then
extract
> them. I think your best bet is to reinstall XP on top of the existing
software
> that is still there... Ben Myers
>
> On Fri, 06 Aug 2004 22:49:08 GMT, "Morey G"
<moreyag@nospam.frontiernet.net>
> wrote:
>
> >Hello to all. I have an older Dimension 4100 among my Dell PC's that my
12
> >year old daughter has been using and I am having serious trouble now. I
was
> >attempting to clean up all of the spyware and adware that she accumulated
> >and now I can't get Win XP to complete loading. The PC starts to boot,
stays
> >on the Dell splash screen for a REALLY LONG while and then goes to the XP
> >loading screen. XP appears to be loading. After that, the screen goes
blank,
> >as it always did, the cursor pointer appears in the center of the screen,
> >and there it stays. The screen is black, no desktop, no Windows. It
won't
> >complete the load to Windows.
> >I guess I must have fouled up something, but for the life of me I don't
know
> >what. I was attempting to get into safe mode by pressing F8 when this
> >problem started. I had just finished deleting "lsass.exe" and wanted to
make
> >sure I cleaned the registry. The mouse is functional but the keyboard
> >responds only to "Esc".
> >Dell Tech support seems to think it's hard drive failure and coincidental
to
> >my tinkering. I tried booting from the XP CD, but it gets to the same
spot
> >and hangs. I ran the HDD diagnostic "Ctrl-Alt-D" and the drive passed...?
> >Any suggestions would be appreciated, I have a 12 yr old daughter ready
to
> >shoot me for frying her PC.
> >
> >Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions and best regards,
> >Morey G
> >
> >D4100 P3 933 Win XP Home
> >384MB RAM 20Gb HDD
> >CDRW
> >DVD ROM
> >
> >
> >
>

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Morey,

Well, changing the battery won't hurt. I can only guess that when you deleted
some of the files and rebooted, the motherboard CMOS settings got messed up.
That would explain the long time in the splash screen, as the BIOS looks around
at the devices in the system (and probably is not finding them.)

Try this: Power up the system and immediately press the Delete key, which is
the key used to enter the motherboard CMOS setup in the BIOS. If you can
successfully enter the BIOS, examine the settings to see that a hard drive and a
CD-ROM drive are present. Then change the order in which the BIOS examines boot
devices during POST. The order you want is the CD-ROM drive before the hard
drive. This will enable you to boot from the Windows XP CD.

.... Ben Myers

On Sat, 07 Aug 2004 02:13:05 GMT, "Morey G" <moreyag@nospam.frontiernet.net>
wrote:

>Ben,
>Thanks for the prompt response. I have a couple of issues:
>1) Why does it hang on the Dell splash screen for so long? It NEVER did that
>before today.
>2 The POST lights on the CPU all show green after startup, but it takes
>forever to boot. Also, while hung on the splash screen, the only key that's
>operative is "Esc". No "F2", "F8", no nothin'! Why is this? Also a new
>"feature" since my messing with it.
>
>If I could get it to boot quickly with the XP CD, I would reinstall over the
>the stuff, but the other issues worry me. Also, I have not changed the CMOS
>battery in a couple of years...I'm grasping at straws, but maybe...?
>
>Thanks again,
>Morey
>
><ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers)> wrote in message
>news:41141a63.14560903@news.charter.net...
>> It's a bit of a chore to figure out which files are missing and then
>extract
>> them. I think your best bet is to reinstall XP on top of the existing
>software
>> that is still there... Ben Myers
>>
>> On Fri, 06 Aug 2004 22:49:08 GMT, "Morey G"
><moreyag@nospam.frontiernet.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >Hello to all. I have an older Dimension 4100 among my Dell PC's that my
>12
>> >year old daughter has been using and I am having serious trouble now. I
>was
>> >attempting to clean up all of the spyware and adware that she accumulated
>> >and now I can't get Win XP to complete loading. The PC starts to boot,
>stays
>> >on the Dell splash screen for a REALLY LONG while and then goes to the XP
>> >loading screen. XP appears to be loading. After that, the screen goes
>blank,
>> >as it always did, the cursor pointer appears in the center of the screen,
>> >and there it stays. The screen is black, no desktop, no Windows. It
>won't
>> >complete the load to Windows.
>> >I guess I must have fouled up something, but for the life of me I don't
>know
>> >what. I was attempting to get into safe mode by pressing F8 when this
>> >problem started. I had just finished deleting "lsass.exe" and wanted to
>make
>> >sure I cleaned the registry. The mouse is functional but the keyboard
>> >responds only to "Esc".
>> >Dell Tech support seems to think it's hard drive failure and coincidental
>to
>> >my tinkering. I tried booting from the XP CD, but it gets to the same
>spot
>> >and hangs. I ran the HDD diagnostic "Ctrl-Alt-D" and the drive passed...?
>> >Any suggestions would be appreciated, I have a 12 yr old daughter ready
>to
>> >shoot me for frying her PC.
>> >
>> >Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions and best regards,
>> >Morey G
>> >
>> >D4100 P3 933 Win XP Home
>> >384MB RAM 20Gb HDD
>> >CDRW
>> >DVD ROM
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Ben,
Thanks again.
I can access the BIOS and changed the boot order. However, after setting the
first device to CD ROM, I inserted the XP CD, got the prompt to "press any
key" to boot, but the PC then just continued to go to the XP splash screen,
not the blue screen of the XP CD. It did detect all the drives.
I will try again to get to the XP CD for boot after changing the CMOS
battery. I removed and replaced it at the suggestion of the Dell CS rep and
did get a "CMOS battery low" message on the screen.

I remembered that one of the files I deleted was "lsass.exe", thinking it
was a virus. I deleted BOTH copies of this file. If I can get to the repair
console and restore it, maybe that will help??

It will have to wait until a bit later since I have to take my two daughters
and a couple of their friends to Manhattan now for the "Warped
Tour"......dont ask!

I will post back when (if?) I get back from "Warped"-land.
Lord, I MUST be getting old!
Thanks again,
Morey

<ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers)> wrote in message
news:411445e2.25697500@news.charter.net...
> Morey,
>
> Well, changing the battery won't hurt. I can only guess that when you
deleted
> some of the files and rebooted, the motherboard CMOS settings got messed
up.
> That would explain the long time in the splash screen, as the BIOS looks
around
> at the devices in the system (and probably is not finding them.)
>
> Try this: Power up the system and immediately press the Delete key, which
is
> the key used to enter the motherboard CMOS setup in the BIOS. If you can
> successfully enter the BIOS, examine the settings to see that a hard drive
and a
> CD-ROM drive are present. Then change the order in which the BIOS
examines boot
> devices during POST. The order you want is the CD-ROM drive before the
hard
> drive. This will enable you to boot from the Windows XP CD.
>
> ... Ben Myers
>
> On Sat, 07 Aug 2004 02:13:05 GMT, "Morey G"
<moreyag@nospam.frontiernet.net>
> wrote:
>
> >Ben,
> >Thanks for the prompt response. I have a couple of issues:
> >1) Why does it hang on the Dell splash screen for so long? It NEVER did
that
> >before today.
> >2 The POST lights on the CPU all show green after startup, but it takes
> >forever to boot. Also, while hung on the splash screen, the only key
that's
> >operative is "Esc". No "F2", "F8", no nothin'! Why is this? Also a new
> >"feature" since my messing with it.
> >
> >If I could get it to boot quickly with the XP CD, I would reinstall over
the
> >the stuff, but the other issues worry me. Also, I have not changed the
CMOS
> >battery in a couple of years...I'm grasping at straws, but maybe...?
> >
> >Thanks again,
> >Morey
> >
> ><ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers)> wrote in message
> >news:41141a63.14560903@news.charter.net...
> >> It's a bit of a chore to figure out which files are missing and then
> >extract
> >> them. I think your best bet is to reinstall XP on top of the existing
> >software
> >> that is still there... Ben Myers
> >>
> >> On Fri, 06 Aug 2004 22:49:08 GMT, "Morey G"
> ><moreyag@nospam.frontiernet.net>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >> >Hello to all. I have an older Dimension 4100 among my Dell PC's that
my
> >12
> >> >year old daughter has been using and I am having serious trouble now.
I
> >was
> >> >attempting to clean up all of the spyware and adware that she
accumulated
> >> >and now I can't get Win XP to complete loading. The PC starts to boot,
> >stays
> >> >on the Dell splash screen for a REALLY LONG while and then goes to the
XP
> >> >loading screen. XP appears to be loading. After that, the screen goes
> >blank,
> >> >as it always did, the cursor pointer appears in the center of the
screen,
> >> >and there it stays. The screen is black, no desktop, no Windows. It
> >won't
> >> >complete the load to Windows.
> >> >I guess I must have fouled up something, but for the life of me I
don't
> >know
> >> >what. I was attempting to get into safe mode by pressing F8 when this
> >> >problem started. I had just finished deleting "lsass.exe" and wanted
to
> >make
> >> >sure I cleaned the registry. The mouse is functional but the keyboard
> >> >responds only to "Esc".
> >> >Dell Tech support seems to think it's hard drive failure and
coincidental
> >to
> >> >my tinkering. I tried booting from the XP CD, but it gets to the same
> >spot
> >> >and hangs. I ran the HDD diagnostic "Ctrl-Alt-D" and the drive
passed...?
> >> >Any suggestions would be appreciated, I have a 12 yr old daughter
ready
> >to
> >> >shoot me for frying her PC.
> >> >
> >> >Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions and best regards,
> >> >Morey G
> >> >
> >> >D4100 P3 933 Win XP Home
> >> >384MB RAM 20Gb HDD
> >> >CDRW
> >> >DVD ROM
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >
> >
>

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Did you press a key when you got that message?

"Morey G" <moreyag@nospam.frontiernet.net> wrote in message
news:Yv4Rc.48807$oW6.10728245@twister.nyc.rr.com...
> Ben,
> Thanks again.
> I can access the BIOS and changed the boot order. However, after setting
> the
> first device to CD ROM, I inserted the XP CD, got the prompt to "press any
> key" to boot, but the PC then just continued to go to the XP splash
> screen,
> not the blue screen of the XP CD. It did detect all the drives.

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Yes. And it went right to the XP boot splash screen. I didn't try it again
yet, waiting for a little later in the day so my wife won't shoot me for
"another day in front of that *#@% computer !!!

Thanks, be back later,
Morey

"WSZsr" <nospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bQ7Rc.766$3t5.206@newssvr22.news.prodigy.com...
> Did you press a key when you got that message?
>
> "Morey G" <moreyag@nospam.frontiernet.net> wrote in message
> news:Yv4Rc.48807$oW6.10728245@twister.nyc.rr.com...
> > Ben,
> > Thanks again.
> > I can access the BIOS and changed the boot order. However, after
setting
> > the
> > first device to CD ROM, I inserted the XP CD, got the prompt to "press
any
> > key" to boot, but the PC then just continued to go to the XP splash
> > screen,
> > not the blue screen of the XP CD. It did detect all the drives.
>
>