Broken after botched upgrade

Windows XP did an update during shut down (something which I tried to avoid but I clicked the wrong button...) Anyway, it froze. I checked back in one hour and it was stuck on update 17/18. (The computer is not often rebooted so had a lot of updates to install.) I was cleaning up around the computer and nudged the power cord, so it shut down; now, when it is rebooted, I am left with a blank screen following the boot up XP logo. Safe mode does not work. I am considering a re-install, but I do not want to lose all of the programs and data installed on the disk. Is there anything else I can do?

 

http://www.informationweek.com/news/189400897

 

Hmm I tried that. I used my CD of XP. It hangs on the "Setup is starting Windows..." screen.

Does this potentially have anything to do with another issue I am having? The problem is the POST takes a *very* long time - about 5 minutes. During that time, only the manufacturer logo shows (Fujitsu-Siemens.) After that it performs normally. The motherboard is an OEM one: "P4M-915GDI-LF", and the computer is a Scaleo E media HTPC.

 

This could just mean that the BIOS is running a full POST rather than a quick one. Have a look around the BIOS and you should find an option for "quick boot". Make sure that is enabled.

 

Hmm... I fixed it. The problem was a USB device integrated into the case. Removing that solved both the slow boot up and somehow the Windows XP problem too...?