Windows startup problems

Hello, I would welcome some help with Windows startup issues. I have XP Prof SP3 running on an HP Compaq nx8220 laptop with 2gb Ram and 120gb hard drive. I restarted my machine after downloading an update to AVG free antivirus several days before. Instead of restarting, the machine switched off completely, so I tried a start up and had to make several attempts before I could get Windows to load. It opened with the black HP screen and immediately switched off again for a couple of attempts. Then it opened the next screen which is the black DOS start screen where you can choose to select the mode to start in or let it start in normal mode after the elapse of about 30 seconds. However after only about 5-6 seconds the machine shut down again. So the next time when it reached this mode screen, I hit the enter key to have it start in normal mode immediately, and it then loaded Windows what seemed slightly slower than normal in the first stages, but reaching the blue desktop background and it then progressed at normal speed. This is how it now starts every time I attempt a restart, following the above format. I have used System Restore to reset to several earlier dates but this makes no difference to the start up procedure which remains as above. (Note: prior to the problem, the machine normally reaches the mode select screen and after the 5-6 seconds automatically goes on to load Windows normally without needing to touch any keys or do anything.) So something has happened and I can only put it down to the AVG update as I don't think I have done anything else. Help to resolve this would be very much appreciated. rgds…….bar457

Hi bar457,

As you suspect AVG as the cause of your PC problems, it wouldn't hurt to remove it. Sometimes a corrupted AVG upgrade signature can cause serious PC problems.

IMHO there are better (free) antivirus programs around that have a smaller footprint and are more user friendly.

If you do decide to permanently remove AVG, either one of these three might be a better choice:
Avira- http://www.avira.com/en/avira-free-antivirus
Avast- http://www.avast.com/en-au/free-antivirus-download
Microsoft Security Essentials- http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/mse.aspx

To remove AVG. Download the AVG removal tool to your desktop. The tool you want is the one at the top of the list here- http://www.avg.com/us-en/download-tools

It is always a good idea to defrag. after removing or installing a large program like an antivirus.

If the above doesn't fix the problem, then we need to look at other possibilities, so let us know how things go.

Cheers,
Lee

Also, turn off automatic restart so you can read BSOD information is any occur: Right click on My Computer. Click Properties > Advanced > Startup and Recovery Settings. Uncheck box for "Automatically restart".

Thanks for replying guys. I have turned off automatic restart and removed AVG as suggested, however the restart performs in the same faulty way so this has not fixed the problem. I have been thinking really hard about the possible cause of the problem and as best I can recall this is what I believe may have happened. When I downloaded the AVG update, I was called away and did not restart the computer. When I returned a few days later, I had forgotten that I had not restarted the computer and think I ran CleanUp.exe tool and this requires a computer restart which I attempted, and this is when I experienced my current restart issues. So I believe what I may have done was to not restart after the AVG update download and then run CleanUp.exe tool. This will have meant that the AVG update was not completed when I ran the CleanUp. It seems likely that this will have caused some corruption. So the question is, what would it have corrupted, would it be the registry or other system files? As far as I can see everything else is fine once Windows has launched. bar457

Hi bar457,

How does your PC behave if you boot to Safe Mode with Networking? http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315222
If OK, then something is starting at boot that is causing the problem.

Use msconfig to determine what is causing the problem.

How to use msconfig in Windows XP
http://www.netsquirrel.com/msconfig/msconfig_xp.html

1. Click on Start then Run, type msconfig and press Enter.
2. Click on the Startup tab, record what is currently starting then click the Disable All button.
3. Reboot and see if it runs normal.
4. If yes, then use msconfig to enable several items at a time till you find the culprit.
5. If no, boot to Safe Mode again, start msconfig and click on the Services tab.
6. Check the Hide All Microsoft Services box, record what is currently starting then click the Disable All button.
7. Again, do a regular boot, see if it runs normal.
8. If yes, then use msconfig to enable services till you find the culprit.
9. Once you've found the culprit, uninstall it or find out how to eliminate it from your system.

Simply disabling it in msconfig is a temporary fix at best.
Enable everything else you disabled.

If this doesn't fix the problem, well move on to other possibilities. A process of elimination.

Cheers,
Lee

just a thought but might be worth running a windows system file check to see if that will solve the boot problem, can't remember what it's called at the moment, bit brain dead. is the command scannow or something like that?

If this doesn't fix the problem, well move on to other possibilities. A process of elimination.

Terry is on the right track. When his memory kicks into gear again (Senior's moment Terry? ), he will be able to tell you how to do a "scannow". I won't per-empt him (he can always Google it).

Cheers,
Lee

Why wait?

To use System File Checker, you need a XP CD at the same service pack level as the XP installed on your hard drive or you need the I386 directory tree from a XP CD on you hard drive.

Click on Start then Run, type sfc /scannow and press Enter or click GO.

First thing I decided to do was to check how it ran in Safe Mode + Networking, so selected restart from turn off computer. Surprise, it went straight into restart without calling up the DOS select mode screen and restarted the computer perfectly - how odd. So I ran Restart two more times and it restarted perfectly. On the forth attempt it failed and shut down the computer, but on pressing the start button, it went straight through startup perfectly. It repeated this Restart/fail and turn off/start button and perfect startup two more times. On the next attempt it failed Restart and switched off and on pressing start button went to Dos mode selection screen for a couple of seconds and then switched off. I tried again and on reaching the Dos screen, I selected Safe Mode + Networking and it started without problem. From there I went to restart and it shut down the machine. Here I pressed start button and it went as far as HP screen and switched off. It did this again on the next attempt also. On the next attempt it went to the next screen which is the Dos Mode screen and shut down after 5 seconds. It did the same on the next two attempts. On the next attempt it also went to Dos screen but this time I quickly hit the enter button for start as normal and it started Windows without problem. So having gone through all of that, it appears to have step by step got back to the same problem position as in the beginning where I have to quickly hit the enter button for as normal at the Dos screen. All of this is strange and only shows that it is very iratic in start behaviour. But the odd thing is that it did perfect restarts on three occasions and good startup after Restart/fail and shutdown on three occasions and gradually slid back into the full problem mode again. The only thing to note is that I had not shut down the machine for about a day and a half before this session, so had it settled itself beeing left switched on? It all makes little sense to me. So anyway I decided to go on to try Scannow, but soon found that it required entry of the XP disc or direction to the C:/1386 on hard drive partition. I have neither, it originally had the partition hard drive directory but this was lost when I had a replacement hard drive. So it appears I have no chance to use Scannow. I remind myself of the expression:- 'It was never meant to be easy - but it was never meant to be this hard'

because of the age of the pc and the startup seems so erratic i wouldn't rule out your power supply failing and causing the shutdowns, so it might be an idea to try another one in there if you can.

Well will not rule it out completely, but had diagnostics run when I replaced the hard disc and it did not identify that at that time. Also feel that it is more likely to be caused by my error in running CleanUp before restarting during AVG update causing some form of corruption. Whilst I cannot run Scannow as that needs to replace any files during the scan, is there some other scanner which will just check and identify corrupt files?

Yes, run sfc /verifyonly instead of sfc /.scannow.

Enter sfc /? from a Command Prompt for usage information.

I cannot get sfc /verifyonly to run. If I try from a command prompt as below, I get the following:- Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600] © Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp. C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>sfc /verifyonly Microsoft® Windows XP Windows File Checker Version 5.1 © 1999-2000 Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved Scans all protected system files and replaces incorrect versions with correct Mi crosoft versions. SFC [/SCANNOW] [/SCANONCE] [/SCANBOOT] [/REVERT] [/PURGECACHE] [/CACHESIZE=x] /SCANNOW Scans all protected system files immediately. /SCANONCE Scans all protected system files once at the next boot. /SCANBOOT Scans all protected system files at every boot. /REVERT Return scan to default setting. /PURGECACHE Purges the file cache. /CACHESIZE=x Sets the file cache size. C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>

Rats, that appears to be a Vista/Windows 7 change, sorry about that.. I'm running Win 7 Pro x64 and this is what I get:

C:\Users\rrkurtz>sfc /?

Microsoft ® Windows ® Resource Checker Version 6.0
Copyright © 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Scans the integrity of all protected system files and replaces incorrect versions with
correct Microsoft versions.

SFC [/SCANNOW] [/VERIFYONLY] [/SCANFILE=] [/VERIFYFILE=]
[/OFFWINDIR= /OFFBOOTDIR=]

/SCANNOW Scans integrity of all protected system files and repairs files with
problems when possible.
/VERIFYONLY Scans integrity of all protected system files. No repair operation is
performed.
/SCANFILE Scans integrity of the referenced file, repairs file if problems are
identified. Specify full path
/VERIFYFILE Verifies the integrity of the file with full path . No repair
operation is performed.
/OFFBOOTDIR For offline repair specify the location of the offline boot directory
/OFFWINDIR For offline repair specify the location of the offline windows directory

e.g.

sfc /SCANNOW
sfc /VERIFYFILE=c:\windows\system32\kernel32.dll
sfc /SCANFILE=d:\windows\system32\kernel32.dll /OFFBOOTDIR=d:\ /OFFWINDIR=d:\windows
sfc /VERIFYONLY

Would appreciate any further suggestions from anyone on how to proceed. Further restarts have followed the same eratic format, ie, first attempt works fine, then regressing on progressive restarts the same day. Next day it follows this format again. bar457