10 remedies for Start up failure

When your computer hardware appears to power up all right, but the Windows XP operating technique won't boot properly, you need to start a troubleshooting expedition that includes getting in to the operating technique, determining the issue, & then fixing it. To help you start on this expedition, here are 10 things you can do when Windows XP won't boot.

#1: Use a Windows startup disk

One of the first things you ought to reach for when troubleshooting a Windows XP boot issue is a Windows startup disk. This floppy disk can come in handy if the issue is being caused when either the startup record for the active partition or the files that the operating technique makes use of to start Windows have become corrupted.

To generate a Windows startup disk, insert a floppy disk in to the drive of a similarly configured, working Windows XP technique, launch My Computer, right-click the floppy disk icon, & pick the Format command from the context menu. When you see the Format dialog box, leave all the default settings as they are & click the Start button. One time the format operation is complete, close the Format dialog box to return to My Computer, click two times the drive C icon to access the root listing, & copy the following two files to the floppy disk:

* Boot.ini
* NTLDR
* Ntdetect.com

After you generate the Windows startup disk, insert it in to the floppy drive on the troubled technique & press [Ctrl][Alt][Delete] to reboot the computer. When you boot from the Windows startup disk, the computer will bypass the active partition & boot files on the hard disk & try to start Windows XP normally.

#2: Use Last Known Nice Configuration

You can also try to boot the operating technique with the Last Known Nice Configuration feature. This feature will let you undo any changes that caused issues in the CurrentControlSet registry key, which defines hardware & driver settings. The Last Known Nice Configuration feature replaces the contents of the CurrentControlSet registry key with a backup copy that was last used to successfully start up the operating technique.
To make use of the Last Known Nice Configuration feature, first restart the computer by pressing [Ctrl][Alt][Delete]. When you see the message select the operating technique to start or listen to the single beep, press [F8] to display the Windows Advanced Options menu. Select the Last Known Nice Configuration item from the menu & press [Enter].
Keep in mind that you get one shot with the Last Known Nice Configuration feature. In other words, if it fails to revive your Windows XP on the first attempt, the backup copy is also corrupt.

#3: Use Technique Restore

Another tool that might be helpful when Windows XP won't boot is Technique Restore. Technique Restore runs in the background as a service & continually monitors system-critical parts for changes. When it detects an imminent modify, Technique Restore immediately makes backup copies, called restore points, of these critical parts before the modify occurs. In addition, Technique Restore is configured by default to generate restore points every 24 hours.
To make use of Technique Restore, first restart the computer by pressing [Ctrl][Alt][Delete]. When you see the message select the operating technique to start or listen to the single beep, press [F8] to display the Windows Advanced Options menu. Now, select the Safe Mode item from the menu & press [Enter].
One time Windows XP boots in to Safe mode, click the Start button, access the All Programs | Accessories | Technique Tools menu, & pick Technique Restore. Because you are jogging in Safe mode, the only option on the opening screen of the Technique Restore wizard is Restore My Computer To An Earlier Time, & it is selected by default, so click Next. Then, follow along with the wizard to pick a restore point & start the restoration procedure.

#4: Use Recovery Console

When a Windows XP boot issue is extreme, you'll need to make use of a more extreme approach. The Windows XP CD is bootable & will give you access to a tool called Recovery Console.
To boot from the Windows XP CD, insert it in to the CD-ROM drive on the issue technique & press [Ctrl][Alt][Delete] to reboot the computer. One time the technique begins booting from the CD, basically follow the prompts that will permit the loading of the basic files needed to run Setup. When you see the Welcome To Setup screen, shown in Figure A, press R to start the Recovery Console.
Figure A

You'll then see a Recovery Console menu, like the one shown in Figure B. It displays the folder containing the operating system's files & prompts you to pick the operating technique you need to log on to. press the menu number on the keyboard, & you'll be prompted to enter the Administrator's password. You'll then find yourself at the main Recovery Console prompt.
Figure B

#5: Fix a corrupt Boot.ini

As the Windows XP operating technique begins to load, the Ntldr program refers to the Boot.ini file to choose where the operating technique files reside & which options to enable as the operating technique continues to load. So if there is an issue rooted in the Boot.ini file, it can render Windows XP incapable of booting correctly.
In case you suspect that Windows XP won't boot because Boot.ini has been corrupted, you can use the special Recovery Console version of the Bootcfg tool to fix it. Of work, you must first boot the technique with the Windows XP CD & access the Recovery Console as described in #4.
To make use of the Bootcfg tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type
Bootcfg /parameter
Where /parameter is one of these necessary parameters:
* /Add--Scans the disk for all Windows installations & lets you add any new ones to the Boot.ini file.
* /Scan--Scans the disk for all Windows installations.
* /List--Lists each entry in the Boot.ini file.
* /Default--Sets the default operating technique as the main boot entry.
* /Rebuild--Completely re-creates the Boot.ini file. The user must confirm each step.
* /Redirect--Allows the boot operation to be redirected to a specific port when using the Headless Administration feature. The Redirect parameter takes two parameters of its own, [Port Baudrate ] | [UseBiosSettings].
* /Disableredirect--Disables the redirection.

#6: Fix a corrupt partition boot sector

The partition boot sector is a tiny section of the hard disk partition that contains information about the operating system's file technique (NTFS or FAT32), as well as a very tiny machine language program that is crucial in helping the operating technique as it lots.
In case you suspect that Windows XP won't boot because the partition boot sector has been corrupted, you can use a special Recovery Console tool called Fixboot to fix it. Start by booting the technique with the Windows XP CD & accessing the Recovery Console as described in #4.
To make use of the Fixboot tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type
Fixboot [drive]:
Where [drive] is the letter of the drive to which you need to write a brand new partition boot sector.

#7: Fix a corrupt master boot record

The master boot record occupies the first sector on the hard disk & is responsible for initiating the Windows boot procedure. The master boot record contains the partition table for the disk as well as a tiny program called the master boot code, which is responsible for locating the active, or bootable, partition, in the partition table. One time this happens, the partition boot sector takes over & begins loading Windows. If the master boot record is corrupt, the partition boot sector cannot do its job & Windows won't boot.
In case you suspect Windows XP won't boot because the master boot record has been corrupted, you can use the Recovery Console tool Fixmbr to fix it. First, boot the technique with the Windows XP CD & access the Recovery Console as described in #4.
To make use of the Fixmbr tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type
Fixmbr [device_name]
Where [device_name] is the tool pathname of the drive to which you need to write a brand new master boot record. For example, the tool pathname format for a standard bootable drive C configuration would look like this:
\Device\HardDisk0

#8: Disable automatic restart

When Windows XP encounters a deadly error, the default setting for handling such a mistake is to automatically reboot the technique. If the error occurs while Windows XP is booting, the operating technique will become stuck in a reboot cycle--rebooting over & over in lieu of beginning up normally. In that case, you'll need to disable the choice for automatically restarting on technique failure.
When Windows XP begins to boot up & you see the message select the operating technique to start or listen to the single beep, press [F8] to display the Windows Advanced Options Menu. Then, select the Disable The Automatic Restart On Technique Failure item & press [Enter]. Now, Windows XP will hang up when it encounters the error & with any luck, it will display a cease message you can use to diagnose the issue.

#9: Restore from a backup
I
n case you cannot appear to repair a Windows XP technique that won't boot & you have a recent backup, you can restore the technique from the backup media. The technique you use to restore the technique will be contingent on what backup utility you used, so you'll need to follow the utility's instructions on how to perform a restore operation.

#10: Perform an in-place upgrade

In case you cannot repair a Windows XP technique that won't boot & you don't have a recent backup, you can perform an in-place upgrade. Doing so reinstalls the operating technique in to the same folder, as in case you were upgrading from one version of Windows to another. An in-place upgrade will usually solve most, if not all, Windows boot issues.
Performing a Windows XP in-place upgrade is straightforward. To start, insert the Windows XP CD in to the drive, restart your technique, & boot from the CD. One time the preliminary preparation is complete, you'll see the Windows XP Setup screen (shown earlier in Figure A). Press [Enter] to launch the Windows XP Setup procedure. In a moment, you'll see the License Agreement page & will need to press [F8] to acknowledge that you agree. Setup will then search the hard disk looking for a earlier installation of Windows XP. When it finds the earlier installation, you'll see a second Windows XP Setup screen, as shown in Figure C.
Figure C

This screen will prompt you to press R to repair the selected installation or to press [Esc] to put in a fresh copy of Windows XP. In this case, initiating a repair operation is synonymous with performing an in-place upgrade, so you'll need to press R. When you do so, Setup will examine the disk drives in the technique. It will then start performing the in-place upgrade.
Keep in mind that after you perform an in-place upgrade or repair installation, you must reinstall all updates to Windows.