Can't bootup

I've had this problem for a year but its now disabled my computer as Windows XP Pro won't boot up. After the BIOS screen comes up all I get is a blinking cursor. Previously I would turn off the power a few times and the computer would then boot up.

How should I go about trying to diagnose what's wrong?

 

Pulled the hard drive from my desktop. Have no problem seeing that drive from the notebook and transferring files. What checks can I run on the hard drive using my notebook to see if its got any problems that are causing the desktop not to be able to boot?

 

You should attempt running the following command: fixboot from the recovery console.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654
Scroll down to the How to use the Recovery Console section

 

I ran chkdsk with the f command line option while the hard drive was connected to my notebook. No problems found. I put the hard drive back in the computer and attempted to boot from the CDROM with the Windows XP disk in it. It won't boot from the Windows XP disk and all I get is the same blinking cursor.

 

Hi,

I tend to associate the blinking cursor with a bad MBR. You could try replacing the MBR on that drive and see if there is any change.

With your HD attached to your laptop. Download TestDisk for Windows and unzip it. Go to the win folder and run the testdisk_win.exe file.

Create is highlighted so hit <enter>
Carefully select the Desktop HD going by the size/capacity of the drive, using the arrow keys to navigate the list. You want to be sure to select the correct drive before proceeding. With the desktop drive highlighted hit <enter>.
Double check that you are working on the correct drive as the size is listed. Then Intel will be highlighted so hit <enter>.
Now error down to MBR Code and hit <enter>.
You will be asked to confirm the rewrite so select "Y" and hit <enter>.
Use "q" to quit the program. May take two instances to exit fully.
Put the HD back in the desktop and try to boot.

The TestDisk MBR is very good. Even if it does not solve your problem it will do no harm.

***
As far as being unable to boot from the XP CD did you try F12 when on the manufacturer's flash screen to get a boot menu from which you could select the CDROM? Sometimes that works when automatic boot selection does not.

 

"As far as being unable to boot from the XP CD did you try F12 when on the manufacturer's flash screen to get a boot menu from which you could select the CDROM?"

On this BIOS it's F8 that allows me to select the DVD. I'm able to select it in the BIOS but all I then get is the same blinking cursor.

"The TestDisk MBR is very good. Even if it does not solve your problem it will do no harm."

I downloaded it and will run it now.

The motherboard is an ASUS P5KPL-CM. If the ASUS P5KPL-CM is toast and I am forced to change to another motherboard I'm going to have to reinstall Windows XP Pro correct?

 

If you change the motherboard you will have to reinstall XP as far as I know it can't self correct for such a major change.

You might also try disconnecting the HD to see if it will then boot from the CD since it has no other choice. (Is the CD retail or did you burn it yourself? Just want to make sure the CD is written correctly.)

 

Your advice and that utility saved my donkey. It now boots fine.

Thank you!

I take it following your instructions and using that utility rewrote the MBR (Master Boot Record) which was corrupt? How does a MBR become corrupt? Malware? Virus? Other?

 

I'm really not that technically minded. As far as I know the MBR starts at the very first sector on the HD. Over time every HD gets a few bad sectors. My guess is it is just a matter of chance that a HD develops a bad sector or corrupted data at the beginning of the drive which is part of the MBR. Since the mbr is so tiny, I guess every sector counts and even one can stop the boot process, whereas a bad sector in a 100mb movie file can just be ignored by most software and you don't ever notice it.

I'm glad you are up and running.

You might want to run a HD diagnostic to see if that drive is failing or just a fluke. You want to see if it will pass both the short and extended test. I'm only familiar with Western Digital's diagnostic but most manufacturer's have one. http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287