Computer Freezes Before Boot Logo

Hey all,

I apparantly have extremely bad luck with computers. The latest one is an HP with an Athlon XP processor. The computer will boot to the "Windows did not start correctly last time" screen, but whenever I select any mode, the computer acts like it is about to load, goes black, then freezes. I can barely make out the Windows XP Logo. My problem is, this happens with ANY Windows based program. For instance, the built in recovery options are based on a PE version of Windows. Also, my Ultimate Boot CD for Windows doesn't load either (it also displays a faint Windows XP logo before freezing). I tested all the hardware on other machines and have confirmed that the copy of Windows on the hard drive boots fine when I put the hard drive in another machine. I ran Memtest on the computer, and after 3 hours, no errors. I also just finished replacing the motherboard, since I figured it was something onboard, which did nothing. I also checked the power supply with another computer and it worked fine.

Could someone who knows more about the boot process explain what goes on right before the Windows boot logo appears? I know the problem ISN'T software related since I swapped the hard drive into another computer.

I'm really not sure at all what to do.

Thanks for any help!
corndog

 

Did you test the cpu just in case it's flakey? (Going bad or defective).