Issues with XP Boot up

I've been referred here from the malware subforum after my logs were clean but the problem still remained.

Basically, XP will not boot up starting windows normally. I've even tried loading the last known good configuration, and safe mode with networking, but the only boot up that will work is the general safe mode.

What does happen when I start a normal boot up is that it will load normally until it gets to the microsoft windows screen with the loading bar. The loading bar will cycle through normally for about 5-10 seconds and then all of a sudden freeze and then only load very, very slowly - one bar at a time. I've let it run through thinking it may eventually get me to the log in screen, however, it doesn't. The screen goes black after a while, and the computer reboots and starts the whole cycle again.

I'm not sure what I can do next, or whether this would be a software or a hardware issue. If anyone could give me any help or advice at all it would be greatly appreciated!

 

Tried to - but the xp disc couldn't even find a microsoft installation on the HDD so it couldn't go ahead or something.

I've tested the memory and it's fine - no issues with that at all. Also tested the HDD itself and it was absolutely fine with no errors or issues. Tried loading user defaults and manufacturing defaults in the BIOS and that didn't solve it either.

I'm thinking that because I can't boot up in normal mode, and also can't use safe mode with networking, that perhaps it may have something to do with network drivers or whatnot - but I'm not entirely sure.

 

Any flags in the device manager? (right my computer, properties, hardware, device manager):wave:wave
In explorer, do you see a "D" drive. That should contain your recovery partition. Should be able to access it in either the boot up screen or by tapping F11, amybe F10 when starting. Google "Access recovery partition" followed by your computer model to determine.:wave:wave:wave

 

There were 3 things in device manager that had exclamation marks on them (have attached screenshot). In the properties for all three it had said that the drivers weren't installed. But I don't actually use the fingerprint sensor at all and I'm not sure what the 'unknown device' even is. Would the lack of drivers on these things be the possible cause of the problems?

As for the recovery partition - I don't have one of those. D drive is my Data and C drive is the OS.

 

Tap F9 when booting on this computer, ASUS correct?
This should get you to your recovery partition.
Back up any data first, can you use safe mode without networking?:wave:wave

 

Sorry for the long delay in response ...

In the meantime, the whole computer refuses to start up anymore. Says the OS is now corrupted, which is beyond me, because apparently my logs were clean, and there were no new programs or things installed on it for the past several months. I haven't even fiddled around with the settings or anything in the BIOS that I don't already know about.

Didn't even get a chance to do a recent back up of my data - but I think if I can get the HDD out of the computer and hook it up to another, I can get the data off it.

 

A couple of things....

First did you try and recreate your boot file.

Second if you put your hdd into another comp most likely you'll get the access denied message. Thus making you change the user permitions allowing to get access. Just a heads up so you don't freak out when can't access your files. If you don't know how to set/change user permitions let know and I'll make you a walkthrough.

 

I decided to try the XP disc first - so managed to boot up into that and run the recovery console where I ran chkdsk and fixed a few issues with the C partition and recreated the boot file. That seemed to get the machine back up and booting again to the loading windows screen where it froze up and started loading one bar every so often again, so I decided that I'd attempt to do a repair install from the disc which seems to have fixed the boot problem completely, which makes me think that perhaps the problem was related to windows updates.

Because the computer runs fine until windows updates starts loading on crap and then it just stops working properly - may have been an issue with an updated driver or whatnot, but I couldn't for the life of me find which one it was before the whole computer stopped working altogether. Same thing happened with Vista, which was why I switched back to XP thinking it may have been a Vista issue, but it appears it's not.

So, it seems to be running stable at the moment, but I think it may be a matter of time where it will happen again, as it's not the first time to happen to me.

By the way - thanks everyone for all your help thus far!