Boot up problem with XP Pro

BOOT UP PROBLEM

This problem is driving me crazy and is making me afraid of rebooting my PC as it can take up to an hour get it back into Windows, as the sequences outlined below often have to be gone through time and again before the correct screen is reached.

This machine had been working fine until the past month when it began booting up to DOS prompts preventing the loading of Windows. There seems no reason to the order of the screens. It takes you through BIOS and various prompt screens randomly. Since each reboot since then had taken me on this journey I have dreaded the risk involved that I might not get my PC back into Windows at all, and hence have deferred rebooting it as much as possible. After an enforced shutdown it took me an hour yesterday to get it back!

The sequence is this: the reboot gets as far as a black screen with a faint image and "P5RDI-VM" which is obviously the Motherboard
"Press DEL to run setup or TAB to display POST BIOS message" it states
Neither button does anything at all. Neither does any of the Function keys or ALT, CTRL and DEL
If you wait 3 minutes the screen disappears on its own to be replaced by the BIOS screen.
I'm not an expert on the BIOS, but it looks ok (ish) so I escape
This leaves a screen with the message "reboot and select proper boot device, or insert boot media in selected boot device and press key"
I don't have boot media, but the injunction about the “proper boot device” will be apt later I believe.

This screen can be shifted with CTRL, ALT and DEL, to be replaced sometimes with a fleeting glimpse of “CTRL A” for “Uli RAID for BIOS Utility”. You have to be fast to get this one. I was never sure what to do when I got here so I now leave it alone.
Exit from this leads to the warning about boot media again; C,A & D again leads to the motherboard screen and this time if you hit tab repeatedly you get two options:
F1 for setup – master/slave IDE order for internal; drives
F2 for load default values

Exit goes to a blank screen, which if you press TAB demonically will bypass the motherboard screen - ultimately at a new screen appears in blue and gold with 5 tabs down the centre, all boot devices.
In order they are Floppy A (don't ask) CD-ROM/DVD, CDROM/RW, USB WD/ RAID
I have experimented and the only one to get me of here is the RAID - hitting that takes me straight to Windows!
I have tried changing the order in BIOS but it won't let me – this would seem like it might help.
I unplug all external drives before trying to reboot

Any suggestions anyone?
I would be most grateful for any suggestions or advice.
Many thanks

Spec
ProPack v3.6+ Intel R
Pentium 4 CPU 3.00GHz
1.93GHz RAM
XP 2002 SP3
Hard Drive 300GB – 277GB free

 

Hi my friend , welcome to MG's :major

first thinking of me

is checking your boot sequence , go into bios push load default settings - save and exit



second thinking of me

you must put your xp dvd trying to repair your installation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNOQ0sCYY8s

third thinking of me

probably your hdd is dead

fourth thinking of me

is there any removable device into computer's usb port ? :wave

 

Before doing anything, I would backup any important data you may have on the computer to a flash or external drive. I have a feeling your HDD is going.

 

Many thanks for your help.
Default setting did not help and neither did the boot disk
I do have external drives plugged in but always unplug them before booting up
The HDD can't be dead as it is working right now, but it may be dodgy, however I don't want to get it replaced with all the hassle that involves and all the data transfer etc unless I am pretty certain that's the cause.
It seems to me that if I could just get the RAID drive setup into the BIOS line up and therefore into the boot up sequence then it would boot up ok
Once it's into Windows the machine runs ok
bobbycow