Desktop

Ask something
Discussion Locked

pc won't boot up after restart....help!!

0 helpful
5 replies

by berninga

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

I have an HP Pavillion 734N desktop running WinXP (sp2) that's worked beautifully for 2+ years now.
Last week I ran MS update, installed ONLY the critical updates, and let it restart. It came up once, and locked up immediately. It has never come back up. I don't even get a post screen. I get led lights, fans come on, moniter light blinks, and that's it. Soooo, I replaced the power supply and no go. Still the same thing.

I have tried powering on with the drives disconected and it's no better. Any help will be appreciated, I use it for work and am dead without it.

Thanks.

5 replies

by dmiles

If you have already installed XP SP2 and have a PC that will not boot because of this microcode version problem, there are two workarounds you can try to get to a bootable state.

In the BIOS setup you should temporarily disable the L1 and L2 cache. On some motherboards, this will allow the computer to boot. You should then remove SP2, turn the L1 and L2 cache back on, and then update the BIOS to reflect the correct microcode version. After completing these steps, you should be able to re-install SP2 without running into this particular problem again.

If disabling L1 and L2 cache does not work, you can use a second workaround suggested by a representative at Intel: Boot the problem computer with an alternative OS or to the safe mode command line if possible. Assuming you can get to the Windows directory on the boot partition, navigate to this file and change its name so that it does not load the next time the machine is booted:

windows\system32\drivers\update.sys
After rebooting you should be able to install XP SP2, but keep in mind this is a temporary fix?the system will be unstable until you update the BIOS and reactivate the update.sys file.

by berninga

Thanks for your answer, howeer the system won't come up enough for me to update anything. The BIOS update for the board is Windows based - so....no go. It may well be a BIOS issue, but I can't get to it to know. It never even sees the drives.

Thanks anyway!

by _christian_

I do not think that the microcode answer is correct, because this answer implies Windows not booting but the BIOS started Ok

As I understand the question, the BIOS does not start at all, or the BIOS start-up messages would appear on the screen.

Since you already replaced the power supply and did all the right tests, I am afraid that it is bad news, pointing to a motherboard fault.

I am bothered with the coincidence with the MS update, on the other hand.

A genuine MS update would have no call to go and play with the motherboard internal settings, but a fake update might.

Are you sure you you were on the genuine site, and that you went there by your own choice? There are a number of fake MS update site. If you followed an email, for instance, that would definitely be the case.

If your motherboad settings have been messed up, you should still have a BIOS startup sequence displayed, unless the screen has been redirected in the settings themselves (depends the PCs). If you have, for instance, a build-in graphic card on the motherboard, and a daughterboard graphic card (AGP for a 2 years old PC), try connecting your monitor to the connector for the built-in graphic port. The display could just be there.

If you have NO display whatsoever anywhere, starting with just a known working power supply, the motherboard, display, CPU, and memory, and still nothing happens, I am afraid that this is time to call HP to the rescue, because it it means a genuine hardware fault.

by berninga

Christian - I think you have the definitive answer here. After working with it some more, I agree with you, I've got big trouble. You are right in reading that I don't even get to the BIOS (post) boot. Like you, the MS update throws me a bit - I keep thinking "well, maybe...." - but I've been at this a while, so I'm pretty sure the update was valid. I initiated the update via the MS site - but I had not done my usual research before installing. I'm inclined to think at this point that the reboot exacerbated a hardware issue, it's the most likely scenario. I just hate coincidence ;)

Thanks for your thoughts, I think I may go shopping.

Alison

This discussion is closed to new replies.