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XP Boot Problems

By arkz_ ·
I installed Windows XP on a clean hard drive (reformatted not new) and it freezes while loading XP. However, i can still start in safe mode, it just freezes while trying to load windows normally. It is an old computer (400mhz with 384mbs of SD ram) but it should still be able to handle XP. Please help.

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by TheChas In reply to XP Boot Problems

Yes, your CPU and RAM will handle XP.

What video card and monitor do you have?

Like all versions of Windows, XP can be finicky about supported video cards and monitors.

Next, what other cards or peripherals are connected?

It could be a device conflict that is causing the problem.

Chas

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by arkz_ In reply to XP Boot Problems

the monitor is a compaq, it came with the computer. the graphics card is onboard and i don't know the specs right now. ill look for those in a few. As for the other devices attached, just a 56k modem that isn't used and a LinkSys NIC. I can take those out if you think it would help.

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by Koke In reply to XP Boot Problems

I doubt if a type of monitor would actually freeze Windows, though I have seen very old monitors that could not even support 800x600 resolution split screen and load an unintelligible pair of desktops. Before taking any hardware out of the picture physically I would start up in safe mode and disable potential problems like the modem and NIC.

Also, if the hard drive is smallish, the pagefile that windows is trying to create in order to start up explorer may be too large for the hard disk space you have left.

When you say you formatted, is that the complete format or quick? Tough to tell with out being there.

Koke

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by sgt_shultz In reply to XP Boot Problems

does it start ok in safe mode?
i would start by getting and applying latest ROMpaq for my system from www.compaq.com. perhaps read there if any known issues with xp and your system. have you tried f8 during boot then select step by step confirmation to see what is last driver attempting to load before hang.

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by arkz_ In reply to XP Boot Problems

@koke: It was a complete reformat, not the quick. The hard drive is an 8gb hard drive minus 1.5 gigs or so in another partition for system restore items as well as however much Windows XP installation took up.

@sgt: I haven't but ill do that in a minute once i hook it back up.

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by arkz_ In reply to XP Boot Problems

Well, I took out the NIC and it booted normally. In fact, I am on it right now. However, when I went to Add New Hardware it installed the NIC find but it said that the USB ports malfunctioned. So, it might have been a combination of the two things or just the NIC but its solved now. Thanks for all the help.

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by arkz_ In reply to XP Boot Problems

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