Can't Boot HP Pavilion a405.uk (xp)

I am having that old problem that a computer will not boot.

The computer is (I think) an HP Pavilion a405.uk, which makes a few years old. It has 1GB RAM (more on that later), m/b MSI MS6577 v2.1, CPU 2.5GHz Celeron, XP/SP3. When I first got round to testing the PC one of the DIMMs had fallen out in transit. I put it back hoping it wasn't damaged.
Missing coin cell for RTC/CMOS.

When I try to boot into last known good config. I get through the (blue on white) HP splash screen (invent) and a text screen, which I let default, both of which passed quickly, then the PC gets stuck on starting windows - the
windows screen with big windows flag above the word 'windows ^xp' with the progress bar underneath with cycling blue dots moving in it (I think this called the Window slash screen or welcome screen ?).

When my new k/b came, I was able to select safe mode and safe mode with command prompt. These behaved identically. The screen displayed a list of .sys files, then shortly progressed to screen showing mouse cursor (mouse didn't work), with the text 'safe mode' in the four corners, and the text 'Microsoft Windows xp Build 2600...service pack 3' centrally in the top line. When trying to boot into safe mode (only), I have left the PC in the state described for 10-15 minutes, after which time it progressed to the 'Windows is starting up' screen and the mouse worked, with the hour glass symbol attached to the normal cursor, which is where the PC is now.

What is procedure for treating these symptoms ?

Dumb_Question
23.October.2013
HP Pavilion a405.uk, which makes a few years old. 1GB (2 x 512 MB) RAM, m/b MSI MS6577 v2.1, CPU 2.5GHz Celeron, XP/SP3


What happened (the full history) - you may want to skip this bit

20.October.2013
Tried to boot up my HP Pavilion a405.uk, got through the HP splash screen (invent) and a text screen, which I let default, both of which passed quickly, then the PC got stuck on starting windows - the windows screen with big windows flag above the word 'windows ^xp' with the progress bar underneath with cycling blue dots moving in it. Powered off by the front panel switch
Second boot: got through the first screen (text) quickly as before, then came the 'power failure' screen which I let normal start up after 30s, and then it shot past the windows splash screen where it got stuck before, and started loading windows...image seemed shifted to left, no desktop icons visible, no start button - maybe the icons and start button had been shifted to left off the screen ? On third boot, this was found to mnso (auto set up button on monitor), mouse also worked. Only 512 MB RAM showing though, other stick must have fallen out (again).

Tried to rectify RAM problem. As soon as started this, first tried removing stick from slot 0 (nearer the

CPU) and replacing it with the DIMM which had fallen out, computer beeped (long beeps, equally

spaced). Other combinations also beeped similarly (single DIMMs in place only). Thus no boot up.
Replaced both DIMMs as there were supposed to be originally. PC now gets stuck on the windows

screen as previously, 3 times waited for 5 mins at each - the windows screen with big windows flag above

the the word 'windows ^xp' with the progress bar underneath with cycling blue dot moving in it.

Tired and went to bed.

22.Oct.2013
same things happened; stuck at Windows xp splash/welcome screen

23.Oct.2013
New k/b came. No beeps audible today (memory correctly mounted ?) . Was able to select safe mode and safe mode with command prompt. These behaved identically. The screen displayed a list of .sys files, then shortly progressed to screen showing mouse cursor (mouse didn't work), with the text 'safe mode' in the four corners, and the text 'Microsoft Windows xp Build 2600...service pack 3' centrally in the top line. After a long period (10 minutes ?) it progressed to the 'Windows is starting up' screen and the mouse worked, with the hour glass symbol attached to the normal cursor

 

Hey Dumb_Question, if you have the Windows installation disk you can follow this. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058

 

Nick, I don't have installation disk. It being bought originally as with O/S already installed, and resold with O/S installed, it would never have had an installation disk. I don't even think it has the recovery partition any more. On that front the only thing to do is see HP will sell me a set a recovery disks (or buy a cheap Windows XP from ebay, I've seen some Dell BNIB XP ones which I'm assured would work - are they really legit surplus ??)

But installing a new coin cell seems to have put things right.

I eventually switched the machine off after hours of waiting for it to "start windows", and after a bit of fiddling got the coin cell into place. I entered the BIOS on start up and set the clock, noting the BIOS thought that the machine had 2 x 512MB RAM, which was encouraging. I couldn't select anything other than Quick Boot (apart from quick boot with diagnostics) [is this right ?], but the boot order was 1. floppy 2. DVD 3. CD 4. Hard Disk or something like that. I then had to exit the BIOS which shut down the machine, and started it again, and it after about 60s it was in Windows. Speccy and properties both showed 2 x 512MB RAM, so everything seems to be working.

Now to start slowly loading software onto it and maybe upgrading hardware

Dumb_Question
23.October. 2013

HP Pavilion a405.uk - 2.5GHz Celeron CPU - 2 X 512MB RAM - m/b MSI MS6577 v2.1 - Windows XP/SP3 - BESTEC 12C Rev Z 250W PSU

 

I'm glad it worked out for you buddy. As for the Dell disk on ebay, I had 2, one I used just to get to the Recovery Console and the other just in case a quick reload or repair was needed, and they worked out just fine. Good luck.