Can't get past windowsXP Pro boot screen

Just upgraded my computer on motherboard and ram and for some reason I can't get past the boot screen. What happens is the bar runs across the screen about once or twice and then the video dies. The computer doesn't restart, it just stays on.

If there is nothing I can do about it does anyone know how to access the files on the hard drive through another version of xp..such as making the non working drive a slave and my new master and then getting some files off my old one? I know there is a way I just can't remember it or find the right site for it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. My specs are:



GIGABYTE "GA-7N400 Pro2 Rev 2"
AMD 2700+
Geil 1GB PC3200 Dual Channel ram
BFG Geforce 5700 Ultra
80 GB Maxtor IDE drive
Antec Smart Blue 350
Plextor CD-RW40x16x10
Hitachi DVD-ROM 6x
Windows XP Pro SP1 (not installing SP2)

 

First off, you just upgraded you mobo and RAM? You mean you installed a brand new mobo and a new type of a RAM (which is not as important as new mobo) but you kept the old HardDrive with the drivers for the old mobo, video card, audio card, etc. still installed? Is that what you did? If so, you can't just replace the mobo and possibly other components when the HardDrive is configured for a set of entirely different components! Of course it would have caused problems, if you do not have another drive then you could hook up and install XP as a fresh install and hook this old mobo as a Slave then I suggest you try booting in the 'Safe Mode' (after you see the BIOS screen right after the system is powered on, keep pressing F8 key to bring up the Boot Screen and select 'Safe Mode' on top). IF I am correct about my assumptions at the begining and you are able to boot in safe mode then try uninstalling the drivers for all the devices that are no longer on the new system (mobo, video card, audio card, NIC, etc.) then try re-installing the correct once afterwards. But be warned major Hardware changes in XP could result in re-activation necessity of the operating system unless you are using a coporate edition or ....
Anyhow, just clarify the changes that occured from the old system to the new one and repost with the updated, detailed info so we can be more accurate..

 

Also might try to run repair with your XP, I don't know much about XP but it works with NT, Win 2k.

Repair will leave you with a new boot sector, and most likely a chance to install your new drivers, I have taken hard drives and swapped them between NT systems this way, good luck to ya.

 

Sorry I didn't clarify earlier about that stuff. I already tried safe mode. Didn't work and also repairing. Didn't work. I actually know a decent amount about computers. Both of those options don't work though. Right now I'm at the point where I want to format, but I need files off that drive. I do have two SATA drives, but I have to wait till wednesday to recieve the gender changes for the power cables. So unless anyone else has a suggestion on what I could do to get inside the drive, could someone help out with the other problem of accessing this nonbooting HDD through a HDD that works with another installation of XP Pro? Really would appreciate it.

 

If you have another hard drive, then as long as you use the same file system, the non booting hard drive will act as a storage drive, and you should be able to drag off any data files you need.

Also consider what may have happened to make that drive non-bootable, I would for sure scan it with up to date ant-virus, salvage only what you need, and then reformat the drive for use as storage.

I have a 80gig storage drive with both win2k ntfs file system and win 98 fat32 on a seperate partition so it can be used on 2 different systems I have to do backups.

 

Yeah that is one of the reasons why I always have like a Gigabyte of partition formated as FAT, so when sh*t hits the fan and all else fails, I can use readntfs utility and transfer the very important files to the FAT drive, then reformat and re-install XP/2K/NT on the original 'Boot' drive and re-copy the recovered files from the D (FAT) drive.

Uh, what I wanted to remind you is that make sure the non-booting drive is set as "Slave' and the working partition as 'Master' which it should already be...I am sure you already knew but wanted to remind you.

 

Well i only have one IDE drive and it is master...the other two are sata....they are plugged in finally and working....but when i try to install windows xp pro on them...it shows the checking your hardware configuration screen....and then goes to a blank screen....im formating both sata right now and gonna try again....any advice just in case this doesnt work though?

 

Before you start formatting / installing the SATA drives it would be a good idea to disconect the IDE and floppy drive first. Once you have it up and running then connect the IDE and Maxtor HD. The Maxtor jumper should be set to CS and NOT slave.
Regards
FBW

 

Alright..im startin to get annoyed with this computer...Lol....I took the floppy and IDE hard drive off...my computer sees both SATA hard drives on load up..and i put them in raid 0.....but when im installing....it cant find any hard drives installed!!!...Any ideas on why windows setup isnt seeing the sata drives?

 

just to get the obvious out of the way, can I assume that you pressed the F6 key as requested when loading ?

 

thanx a lot turloco that did the trick and my system is up and running smoothly....I appreciate the help from all of you