computerhelp, posts by tag: cannot boot up - LiveJournal

Question/Problem: This morning, my computer wasn't starting. That is, it sprung on but the screen remained blank. I re-booted, and it worked fine for a few minutes, then re-booted itself (again the screen remained blank). This happened two or three times. I finally booted in safe mode and it runs fine. Next I tried a system restore. Now when I boot in "normal" mode, the desktop seems to have been wiped clean - no icons, no task bar, no nothing. I can only use it in safe mode, and then it seems to be stable. What can I do?

Operating System, Version and Service Pack: Windows XP SP 3.

Web Browser and Version: Firefox 3.6.21

Your level of experience: Completely clueless.

When did the problem start? Since this morning (about 12 hours now).

Any steps you've taken to troubleshoot? Virus scans (Avast, Malwarebytes, PC Housecall and Superantispyware - nothing was detected). Thoroughly vacuuming out the inside to eliminate dust. Next I did a system restore. Yeah, told you. Clueless. :|

If you are receiving an error message, please include the entire text of the message. (If you have an error log, please post it under a LJ-Cut): No error message.

Thank you in advance! :)

Question/Problem: Fatal System Error, Blue Screen of Doom, etc. Won't boot up Vista anymore.

Operating System, Version and Service Pack: Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit, pretty sure it's SP2 but have no way of checking right now.

Web Browser and Version: Firefox 3.something.

Your level of experience: Beginner to Intermediate?

When did the problem start? Has it been going on constantly since then? Problem started yesterday; got a sudden hang-up while net browsing and a blue screen telling me the computer needed to restart. Tried that, but the computer just crashes on start-up again.

Any steps you've taken to troubleshoot?
Have tried all of the following:
- Booting up in safe mode (any version, doesn't work) --> crashes right after "crcdisk.sys" loads.
- "Startup repair" --> same error as originally.
- Boot normally --> nothing, just a never-ending black screen.
- Booting up "last known working configuration," doesn't work.
- Booting from a Vista disk (got both from the 'net because Acer didn't provide me with one), didn't work. (I get all the way to the windows logo and the blue bar running back and forth across the screen, then the screen turns black. After a while a mouse curser appears, but nothing else.)

Only thing that has worked so far is booting up Ubuntu (from a disk, it's not installed), but it won't let me access the windows files from there (I get an error*).

If you are receiving an error message, please include the entire text of the message:

Stop: c000021a {Fatal System Error}
The Verification of a KnownDLL failed. System process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0x0000221 (0x006d6ed0 0x0000000). The system has been shut down.

( Collapse )


The fact that Ubuntu works leads me to believe it's a software issue, not a hardware one, although if somebody told me I'd been overclocking I wouldn't be entirely surprised. Other places seem to suggest that a virus gets a hold of certain key windows files and overwrites them, which also wouldn't surprise me giving my downloading habits and that I was running an expired antivirus.

EDIT: Hmm. Maybe it is hardware failure? But why does Ubuntu work then? :/ God I'm so confused, and I want to run a chkdsk but honestly don't know how to go about that.

Question/Problem: I was reading the news online, when my computer screen got fuzzy, like you needed to use the tracking on the VCR kind of fuzzy, gave off some static, froze up completely, so I gave it a hard-restart, and...nothing. Oh, the fan spins, the power light and hard drive lights come on, but it's not running at all. The monitor is not lighting up at all.

Operating System, Version and Service Pack: Windows XP...not sure what service pack, since it's not turning on and working in any way shape or form. The computer itself is a Sony Vaio laptop VGN-FJ 290.

Web Browser and Version: (Examples: Internet Explorer 7, FireFox 3.0.1, Safari 3.1.2). Firefox

Your level of experience (we simplify or explain instructions based on how you answer): (Beginner, Intermediate, Seasoned, Expert, God) Intermediate, my fiance's somewhere between Expert and God...but he's not here right now.

When did the problem start? Has it been going on constantly since then? It just happened today.

Any steps you've taken to troubleshoot? I popped the RAM out and then reseated it. Made no difference. I heard somewhere that you can pull the RAM out, and turn the computer on to hear a lot of beeps if the motherboard is working, so I tried that too. No beeps were heard. Not sure whether that test is accurate or not.

The computer in question is my aunt's HP Pavilion a1710n, purchased in 2007. Windows Vista Home Premium was the preinstalled OS.

The computer caught a virus, and removal attempts failed. About a month ago, I did a system recovery using the recovery partition, and it failed.

My sister and her boyfriend purchased a new hard drive, as well as a set of recovery discs for the computer to do a second full recovery. The recovery went as planned, and Windows booted. My sister's boyfriend started Windows updates (since the recovery set it to factory settings and therefore was behind three years on updates). After rebooting, it goes from the HP splash screen, to a black screen with a blinking dot (like it's about go into the Windows boot screen), back to the HP Splash screen and so forth.

If he tries to boot with the recovery discs in, the screen is black with a bunch of gibberish displayed.

Is this (brand new, was installed into the tower and left alone until the recovery discs came in) hard drive fried, or is there anything that can be done to save it?

(Also, booting into safe mode or loading the BIOS isn't possible because the keyboard isn't recognized.)

Question/Problem: Last week, when I shut my computer down, it didn't come back. I got the Vaio splash screen, then a blinking cursor in the upper left hand corner. I could get into the BIOS, and I have the restore CD. It took a lot of googling, since the computer wouldn't load from the restore disk at first, but I got a successful reformat. Last night, after only five days of working, the computer died again, same way. Got the splash screen, reformatted the drive, and then after two hours of it working this evening, it said that there was a corrupted file in Windows, and it needed to be reformatted. Currently in reformat #3 right now... My boyfriend used to do tech support for a living, and he's at his wits end on this one too.

Operating System, Version and Service Pack: Windows XP Home, Service Pack 3. I've got a Sony Vaio Laptop VGN-FJ290.

Web Browser and Version: Firefox 3.5.2
Your level of experience: Intermediate

When did the problem start? Has it been going on constantly since then?: Started a week ago, the computer worked fine for five days, then it died twice today.

Any steps you've taken to troubleshoot?: I bought a new internal hard drive (the old one was full), tried that, got a successful system restore once, then again for an hour or so this evening. BIOS has been updated.

If you are receiving an error message, please include the entire text of the message. Didn't get an error message the first time, the third time a Windows file was missing and it refused to boot. Not sure what Windows file, and it's currently reformatting. I was trying to get my internet to read Japanese/Chinese characters, which it wasn't doing as it usually did when I installed the word processor, and after restarting, it said the windows file was missing.

In the past, I've had issues with the fan, but I unclogged it and haven't had any serious heating issues in months. The power jack was also recently replaced.



Any insight would be deeply appreciated. We're at our wits end here, and beer supplies are running low.

Question/Problem: i can't start my computer anymore. i'm wondering if it can be saved. it starts up fine until it gets to where the desktop would load, then i get a stupid blue screen

Operating System, Version and Service Pack: windows XP SP1

Web Browser and Version: the newest version of Opera, i guess

Your level of experience: intermediate

When did the problem start? Has it been going on constantly since then?: saturday night.

Any steps you've taken to troubleshoot?: i tried to boot with the xp disk, reinstall the RAM, vacuuming..nothing works.

If you are receiving an error message, please include the entire text of the message. (If you have an error log, please post it under a LJ-Cut):
STOP: c000021a (Fatal System Error)
The Windows SubSystem System Process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0x(not sure what the rest said..it cut off my screen)
c0000094 (0x75b6be28 0x0069fbf4)
The system has been shut down

i would really like some help. thanks!

Question/Problem: My problem is this. About a week ago my computer began to operate very slowly. I ran spyware, scanned for viruses deleted cookies/temporary files, the usual stuff. It didn't help. I downloaded a new virus scanner and it found some viruses that my other one missed. I tried to remove them, but my computer kept getting worse.

It began to shut down randomly, it would freeze, and some programs failed to initialize all together. Pretty soon I could not do anything. I decided to completely wipe the thing, start over with the basic settings and programs it came with. I do have a D: drive on which I backed up my most important files. However the problem only got worse.

At first it seemed to fairly well, through it did freeze a few times. I virus checked again and the same worm came up. I follow instructions that I found online to try and remove it, again. Then when I tried to turn it on the next day, it wouldn't. It skipped to a blue screen that said "Checking Files", after that it would skip to a black screen asking me how I wished to start: normal, last working configuration, safe mode, and so on. When I select either normal or last working... it goes back to the blue screen. I left it on for two hours and it just kept skipping back between the two screens.

I'm using the safe mode now. I went to a place that fixes computers and they said it was likely because of the virus, but it would cost me more then $100 to fix. I can't pay that much, so I am really hoping someone here can tell me how to fix this myself.

If it helps when it would shut down randomly it gave me a message that said "Status Code 1073741819, and the worm was /Nachi.A1.

Operating System and VERSION:  Windows XP

Web Browser and VERSION:  Firefox 3.0

Your level of experience:  Intermediate

Duration of problem: One week

Any steps you've taken to troubleshoot: Attempts to remove viruses, and a complete system wipe.

****EDIT: Could anyone tell me if C:\WINDOWS\System32\hkcmd.exe and C:\WINDOWS\System32\igfxtray.exe are the same thing or similar to winmsn32.exe. I don't want to delete something I need there, but I don't want to leave something that is bad.