PLEASE Help!! XP problem.. computer won't start

[RoyalZealot]

I installed windows xp on my computer and when it got done installing, it went to the loading screen and crashed. Well i restarted my computer and it brought me to a menu giving me options...

1.safe mode
2.run windows xp
3.run with configs that worked before

i tryed ALL the options and every time, it will just crash. Meaning i can't access windows at all. I'm on a different computer hoping you guys can really help me here!

During the splash screen, i seemed to have pressed a button which would let me select what to boot from. I NEED to boot from my cd-rom so i can uninstall windows xp. The thing is, I forgot what key it was and i REALLY need to uninstall XP. I need to access my computer.

My computer is a P4S700 Asus.

If anyone can tell me what key it was and/or any help i will GREATLY appreciate it. :)

[profdlp]

You need to go into your BIOS and set the boot order there. You should be able to get there by pressing the delete key as soon as you turn on your computer.

Look for a menu titled "Boot Options" (or something similar). Set your cdrom drive as the first boot device and your hard drive as the second. (The HD may be listed as IDE-0).

If you're HD's are connected to a raid controller or SCSI card (if you're not sure about this then they almost certainly aren't) set the SCSI Controller or Raid Controller as the second boot device instead of using IDE-0.

Uninstalling a botched installation is likely to be a problem. Once you've booted off the WinXP CD try doing a repair install instead.

Good Luck! :)

[Tex]

Uninstall XP? Not possible that I know of. You can boot from a cd for something else like say win2k and install another OS and then delete the XP install.

What OS was installed before you tried to install XP?

You might instead try entering the bios and disabling as many of the optional devices like sound, usb or nics etc... Once you get XP to boot OK you can shut down and re-enable them one at a time. Boot and get the device recognized and shutdown again and repeat the process.

It sounds like its having probs sorting out the devices, some of which are probably sharing IRQ's at the moment.

Tex

[RoyalZealot]

thanks SO much! but do you know of any way i can uninstall it? I just want to uninstall it because i bought the windows xp home addition. I tryed to upgrade it, so that means it backed up my windows 98. I just want to go back to windows 98..
again, thanks for your help!

[profdlp]

You could try booting from the Win98 CD and installing it again, but chances are you'll only make the problem worse.

Don't be so quick to give up on WinXP, it is far superior to Win98. Before you bail out altogether I'd recommend you give it another shot.

Boot from the WinXP CD and let it go through its preliminary setup. It will likely find your previous attempt at installing it. At that point you should see an option to repair the existing installation.

Since you have access to another computer, now would be a good time to make sure you have current WinXP drivers for all of your hardware.

[RoyalZealot]

Well i tryed to repair and it still didn't work. It still gets caught up in the loading screen...

[maggie99635]

Go to the bios and make sure you boot from CD. Boot it with the XP CD and go to repair. This will bring up the Recovery Console. Login usually you haven't enabled a password for the default Administrator Account so just hit enter. Chkdsk /r to try and fix the drive or
Go past the first repair screen and run setup then click on repair. XP will try to fix the OS. This will take awhile. pull the CD when done and reboot. Hopefully you will be back in. Link with pictures http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
Good site to check other things for XP.

Another alternative to try first
Starting System Restore Tool from Command Prompt

Start your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
NOTE: You must log on as the administrator or a user that has administrator rights.
At the command prompt, type %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe, and then press ENTER.
Follow the instructions on the screen to begin restoring your computer to a previous, functional state.


You never mentioned any error message so this is all conjecture. Unless you can get in you won't be able to remove XP and go back to 98.

[tcith]

Some other things to check

If your machine is old the BIOS may need to be updated before XP can load correctly (I have had this issue mainly on laptops)

I always recomend a full install rather than an upgrade, many win98 drivers just don't "update" well but a fresh install works fine.

It is doubtfull you will be able to go "back" to windows 98 now you've done the XP upgrade install

Try the repair option or install XP in a new folder

[RoyalZealot]

ARG! :banghead:

I formatted my C drive and tryed to do a fresh install of windows xp... guess what happens?

IT JUST FREEZES UP AT THE LOADING SCREEN.

I formatted my c drive for no reason? :bawling: this really pisses me off... can someone please tell me how i'm supposed to get this crap installed? I have disabled the sound and everything but nothing seems to work...

[RoyalZealot]

Now i have nothing installed and i can't access windows.. i really need to use my computer bad...

[profdlp]

...If your machine is old the BIOS may need to be updated before XP can load correctly...
I'd recommend this as your next step. It's good advice from someone who knows what he's talking about.

Sorry you're having so much trouble. :(

[RoyalZealot]

how am i supposed to update it? since i don't have windows or anything... don't tell me i have to take it to the shop and get it installed..

[RoyalZealot]

okay i downloaded it... how am i supposed to get it onto my other computer now?

[tcith]

BIOS update should make a bootable floppy
if you supply the website you got it from so we can see the file then we can give better advice on the install proceedure

MOST BIOS updates create a bootable floppy that you then boot your machone from
some require you to make a boot disk then run the update

[RoyalZealot]

http://drivers.soft32.com/driver/download-Asus_P4S800_Bios-21904.html

theres the website... sorry i'm new to this..

[tcith]

http://drivers.soft32.com/driver/download-Asus_P4S800_Bios-21904.html

theres the website... sorry i'm new to this..

Great you have the right bios - now you need the flash loader
this can be gotten from here http://www.esupport.com/global/awardutils.cfm
or here http://www.unicore.com/techsupport/award/awardutils.htm

could not get it from ASUS as their servers where busy

[RoyalZealot]

k i downloaded it... what should i do now? should i put it on a empty floppy disk and transfer it over to my computer?

oh and thank you so much for your help :)

[tcith]

k i downloaded it... what should i do now? should i put it on a empty floppy disk and transfer it over to my computer?

oh and thank you so much for your help :)

You need to make a bootble floppy - www.bookdisk.com or make one from any XP or other 98 machine - put both files on there - run the loader - point it at the bios file and you should be rocking and a rolling

[tcith]

I'd recommend this as your next step. It's good advice from someone who knows what he's talking about.

Sorry you're having so much trouble. :(

Who said I knew what I was doing :scratch: ?????

[RoyalZealot]

lol bookdisk? anyway, i'm on a win98 machine right now, how should i make it? also what files do you want me to put on there? lol sorry, i prob sound so stupid right now but i don't wanna mess up like i did last time. ;)

[profdlp]

...i'm on a win98 machine right now, how should i make it?...
Using either Windows Explorer or My Computer find your A:\ drive. Right-Click on it and pick "Format". Make sure you have the box I marked in the picture checked.

The next step is to copy your new BIOS and Flash Loader to the floppy disk you just made. Make sure you write down the exact name of both of those files.

Then go to your computer and boot from the disk you just made. When done (it shouldn't take long) it will leave you with nothing more than a command prompt which will look like this:

A:\

Type the name of the flash loader file in and press "Enter". This should start the flash loader program. It should tell you what to do next. At some point it will ask you for the name of the new BIOS file. Type out the name and press "Enter".

Let your computer go through the whole BIOS flash - do NOT turn off the power or reboot until it is done and the program tells you it was successful!

If you have any doubt about any of this please feel free to ask. A BIOS flash is relatively easy to do, but if you mess it up you'll have to order a new BIOS chip from the manufacturer. It would be a good idea to print out these instructions and check things off as you go along.

One other word of caution: Make sure the BIOS you are flashing to is the latest one for your board and that it is the exact BIOS for your board. Lots of MB names look like alphabet soup. Also, make sure if there have been several versions of your board that the BIOS is correct for the revision of the board you have. :thumbsup:

[RoyalZealot]

oh man... i went to my A:\ drive and went to format and it looks TOTTALLY diffrent then yours...

my options are..

format type:
quick
full
copy system files only

other options:
Label:
No label
display summary when finished
copy system files

[RoyalZealot]

i'm running windows 98 plus on this computer

[RoyalZealot]

hmm i put the disk in and i clicked to boot from legancy disk... and everytime it will try to boot from it, it would say invalid system disk?

[profdlp]

This is the one you want:

"copy system files"

The system files are the ones which make it bootable. :)

[RoyalZealot]

YES!!! it works... thank you so much for your help guys... :D

[tcith]

Sorry for leaving you in the lurch there - AUssie time Zone said "time to go, rember you have a partner who wants to see you alive once and awhile"

So after you did the BIOS update could you then load XP?

[RoyalZealot]

yes, i'm now configing everything to my custom preferences... again thanks for everyones help!

[profdlp]

Congratulations!

:celebrate

[tcith]

Excellent - BIOS strikes again

this is typical issue for WIndows 2000 as well

cheers glad I could help