Win 2000 won't boot!!

I have a Win 2000 Pro PC that I am trying to repair, but I am having problems. It is a P4 2.0 with 256MB, and when I try to boot it up, it gets to the bootup screen with the bar going across, but once it is about to boot to the desktop, a quick blue screen pops up, (not "the blue screen"), and about 5 or 6 lines scroll down quickly and it reboots. The only words I have been able to make out of that screen so far are "physical memory". When I try to boot to safe mode it does the same. Does anyone have any ideas? If anything, I would like to atleast boot to safe mode. Please help, thanks!

 

Can you boot to Last known good configuration?

If not then try setting the BIOS to setup defaults. Could have been overclocked or the CMOS settings could have been corrupted.

Also, does the RAM count stop at a standard number and does the mobo use onboard video?

 

My best guess would be that system files are corrupted. If there's a physical memory problem, the OS should not have the same problem at the same step of the boot process. It may be worthwhile to run memtest as Mastertech suggests, but I would not expect it to solve anything.

If Safe Mode doesn't work, than most probably Last Known Good Config will not work.

The Windows screen with the F8 message seems to pass OK, so it is probably not a damaged master boot record or partition boot record. If the system get to the Windows 2000 splash screen with the moving bar along the bottom, then it is almost certainly a problem with system files being corrupted. That's why I suspect damaged files or a damaged file system.

Here's what I'd do.
First, boot to the Recovery Console, and run "chkdsk c: /f". You can also try running "sfc /scannow", but I don't think that's a supported command in the Recovery Console. That might solve all your problems.

Next, I'd do a repair install of Windows 2000.

 

I am odd enough to enjoy this stuff.

If after getting the actual error, you don't resolve it, you can send me the minidump(s) it creates and I will debug it for you.

silver256@gci-net.com

It will be located in

%windir%\Minidump
(C:\WINDOWS\Minidump)

 

This provided, you can get access to them of course.

 

Edit the path above.

It should be C:\winnt\minidump for Windows 2k.


I really hate this 3 minute limit to edit your posts...

 

Running Memtest86 and hard drive diags is a good idea, this might be a hardware problem.

But the likelyhood of corrupt system files does not automatically mean it is.

You're right, that can't be run from the RC

 

Just so you guys know, I am still working on the problem. I haven't tried anything yet, but I will consider all the suggestions in this thread. I just need to get it working again! Anyways, thanks for all the detailed solutions, this board is great!

 

Major differences in hardware will 99% of the time keep a 2k/xp OS from booting when switched to a different computer.

I'm still waiting to hear back on those dumps, mikey1120.

 

I didn't say he said it.

You did.

Now if you meant slave it for a virus scan, ok then. However that wasn't specified, and looking at this issue from the outside in, I and others would assume you meant trying to boot to it in another machine.

 

U tell them MA. We don't want to lose these guys and we don't want to turn MG into a flaming forum like others have become. Bazza

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How do you boot to recovery console? I have this identical issue.

Elast

 

make a new thread please. This one is four years old.