XP pauses loading with black screen

Have you tried uninstalling the video driver and reinstalling an updated version?

The problem seems to point to a driver issue. Search for other updated drivers as well.

Check the Device Manager for IRQ conflicts

Check the video card web site for updated drivers,besides the driver issue it still may have some type of spyware loading on sytem that is not being detected

If you run into the same problem in safe mode, it might not be a driver problem, as someone else has suggested, because Windows loads a minimum number of drivers in that mode. I believe that it even reverts to the default VGA video driver.

First do a full system backup. If you don't already have the means to do this, set an external USB hard drive from Maxtor or Western Digital and use the backup software that comes with it. At the very least, back up your e-mail messages, address book, and working files.

Next, create a system restore point.

If you have Norton SystemWorks available to you, run Norton Windoctor to see if there are any serious errors in the Registry. After running WinDoctor, you might also run a registry optimizer such as NTREGOPT. This will compact the Registry database.

If this does not solve your problem, I would suspect that your Windows files have become corrupted. Try booting with the installation CD-ROM and repairing the existing installation. If that doesn't solve the problem, I would reformat and reinstall.

You might also want to run CHKDSK in thorough mode, where it looks for bad sectors and corrupted files. If you have a diagnostics program such as Check-It available to you,

I would agree with rsimanski@: the drivers/files are listed AFTER they load, so the issue would be caused by the NEXT file in line, so to speak.

If running a system repair does not work (and to my experience, it will work about 70 percent of the time), try what the Microsofties call an "in place upgrade" (ie: installing the OS over the existing installation). This should work, but you may need to re-install some applications, as this usually re-writes the registry...

What it likely isn't is a video driver issue since it also occurs in safe mode.

Registry could be having trouble loading. Advice to try registry repair is sound. You can use tool like Norton or use system restore.

Just to be certain that NIC is not the problem, remove it (or disable in BIOS, if on-board) and see if problem persists. I'd try this before doing anything else.

Dalton

One thing I tried was to restore the registry from the last system restore point (4am, I was there 1pm - the system restore point was set automatically, and we don't know why - as far as I know no one was using the PC at 4am, so I have no cause for the system restore).
After I restored the registry from that restore point, nothing changed.
I will go back there this week and try out everything you guys have given me so far. Thanks so much - I'll let you know what it was.

Have you checked in the error and event logs for possible clues?

I've had this problem turn out to be a CDROM drive that worked but after disconnecting it the problem went away. So after replaceing it the system worked fine. It may be the hard drive failing. So if the data is important get the image of the drive before trying OS repairs.

I agree with the person that said if the nic is suspect take it out to see.

Another issue is with the mother board cooling fans etc. Have you opened the case to make sure everything is OK. This is a good time to blow out the dust bunnies, reseat memory and the likes.

If this is an AMD mother board and I don't remember which one a BIOS update corrects this problem. But again this is a specific issue with a certain board.

Dang... I tried everything you guys suggested here, but nothing worked...

I had to wipe and reinstall the machine :-(

Anyway, thanks to all of you - you all had very good suggestions, and I'll remember them for the future.

Thanks!

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