Windows not loading

Hey...I posted this in the drivers section too...but think I could be dealing with a virus too...besides, there are more people reading this section right now

Hi, trying to get some help here with my Compaq 2100 laptop running XP. Two days ago, it would turn on and then apparently lock up before Windows fully loaded. So, I would turn it off and turn it back on and the initial screen with "Compaq" showing would show, but strangle...wouldn't even try to load Windows really. The more I tried to restart it, the worse the picture would look. I have to seriously let it sit for over an hour between attempts to restart. Finally got it to try booting off the CD, and it starts loading files (gets further depending on how long it was left off before the attempt.) The furthest it's gotten is to a screen that says "the file vga.exe is corrupted...press any key to continue" but won't go any further than this. Any ideas besides the dumpster???????????

 

I can't get to the screen that would give me the option to boot in safe mode...it tells me right away that I can hit esc for boot order, f2 for setup, f12 for LAN. I know to hit f8 with the CD in...but I only have about 20 seconds before it locks up, whatever I am trying to do. I can get into setup...but can't think fast enough to get into safe mode hahaha. Is there a quick way? And Last Know Good? Not sure what that is, but I was trying to get to a DOS prompt so I could do the restore thing...is that what you're talking about?

Sorry for the multiple posts...

 

ok figured out how to try to get into safe mode...the poor thing won't run more than 10 seconds now so i will try in the morning to do the last known good thing or get into safe mode with DOS prompt and type that command in before the computer needs a nap. Any ideas what this timing thing is? Seems strange and viral to me...any help would be great on this.

 

First you need to decide whether you are reinstalling or repairing windows.

What CD's do you have ?

Microsoft Windows or Compaq recovery disk?
Service pack versions?
Drivers disk?


Second, to get to the advanced boot options screen which lists options like safe mode, last known good etc don't put a cd in. Just power up from cold and start tapping the F8 key, even before you see anything on the screen.

If last known good doesn't help you may get away with a repair using Windows setup off the CD.

 

ok...it goes to the screen where I can choose safe mode...I tried safe mode and last known good too...both try and then I get blue screen of satan and then it cuts off before I can even start. and it's and window OS CD...not the restore I think. can someone just tell me how to reformat the thing? was thinking about doing that before all of this anyway.

 

OK so you are going to reinstall windows. This will completely wipe out all the data on your hard drive. This includes any drivers you have installed. Once you have reinstalled windows, the first you will have to do is to reinstall the drivers for the graphics, sound, motherboard, LAN etc. Do this before installing any windows updates or service packs.

The reason I asked the question is that if the version of Windows on you CD is different (in service pack terms) from the one currently on your hard drive reinstallation can seriously screw your hard drive.

So please answer the questions.

 

ok...no...is the same windows as is on puter...so how do I get it to wipe itself clean and start from scrach?

 

First power up the pc and watch the screen. tap the indicated key (del or F2 or whatever) repeatedly to enter the bios setup.

Look for a screen in the bios which refers to boot order or boot priority.
Change the setting to make the CD the first device.

Put your Windows CD into the drive and close it.

In the bios choose save settings and exit.

When the pc reboots watch the screen again
When it says
hit any key to boot from CD do so

Windows setup will then start, from the CD.

Accept the licence agreement (F8)

Press enter at the install screen to install not R to repair
Do this again for a full install at the next screen

Select the partition to install to and choose format at the next screen

Follow the instructions, inputting Windows key, location data etc as requested.

It will take about 90 minutes.

 

well that would be great, but as I said at the very beginning...when I load from the CD...it stops shortly after beginning to load the CD and tells me vga.exe is corrupted...press any key...but then won't do anything. Does this mean vga.exe is corrupted on the CD?

 

Describe what happens from the point of power up with the CD in the drive. Don't miss anything out.

What is the physical condition of the CD. Have you cleaned it?

 

When I hit the power button with the DC in the drive, I start hitting F8 and it then asks me to hit any key to boot from disk and i do. Then it goes to a screen that shows what files are being loeded from the CD and then it stops at the same place to tell me that vga.exe is corrupted and to hit any key to continue but then it won't. Like I said above, how far in this process the computer will actually get is dependent on how long it was turned off prior to the attempt. Not sure what that's about. I did clean the CD...it had never been used before yesterday, actually...

The sad thing is that I am in the process of moving to another city right now and EVERYTHING is packed...i had to go hunting through boxes to get the CD out. I will look to see if i can find an actual Window OS CD today as the one I am using was put together by HP.

Regardless...I can get to where you're talking about with attempting to boot from the CD...it just won't actually get me to where I can uninstall or repair windows.

 

ok, after work, came home and tried again...this time it won't even get to the vga.exe statement. Stopped before then and told me: "setupdd.sys could not be loaded. Error code is 4. Press any key to exit."

Should I just be shopping for a new hard drive or is it something else?

 

Please one last bit of advise

I am so frustrated! It's like this thing has mind of it's own! Nothing it's doing makes any sense...everytime I try to load the Windows CD...it stops at an arbitrary point with a different file that's corrupted...sometimes when I try again, it will load past the last file it said was corrupted and then tell me a new one is.

there is a button on the bottom...inset...called "reset" and I wanna press that like I did on my 8125 and START OVER! I tried that and nothing changed. Do I have to hit other buttons at the same time?

Please tell me how to just scrub the hard drive and reformat and reinstall Windows... The CD is pristine, nothing's wrong with any of the files on it, I am sure.