XP Pro boot problem

Check cabling, power leads, and IDE jumper settings as something is preventing a successful POST on bootup.

Is this a new pc or existing? Times like these either its a bios flash because it probably doesnt like SP2, or maybe a memory issue. This of course is banking on new hardware creating the issue. Can you give specifics like mobo, memory, vid card, bios version, new/old pc, recent upgrade, you get the point. Have you tried booting up each piece of hardware at a time to see if there is any hardware conflict? Have you run any mem test programs that are free to download?

Sounds to me like your MBR is corrupt. I recommend running install from XP cd. Enter Ok to install new copy. do not select repair. Once your in the new copy section select repair existing XP install, allow the installer to check drive, This will repair drive errors. exit install This will not affect your current install

I am running XP pro on a custom machine w/ dual hdd, dvd rom, cd rw, 512 mgb ram, 128mg video ram on a GeForce mmx 440 w/agp. I have disconnected all but the main drive,dvd rom, floppy drives. It will boot up and check ide's then freeze. I have tried checking bios all seems fine. I am still trying to work on problem.

I have a custom machine w/msi mother board, p4, 512 meg ram, geforce mmx 440 w/128 meg ram w/agp,dual hdd, dvd rom, cd rw. I have disconneted the sec. hdd and cd rw to get system to boot up to check ide's. then system will freeze. still trying.

Is this a new installation or a NEW problem?
or an istallation on a old hardware plaform?
If this is a new problem you might have corrupt XP drivers, you might have to reinstall.
when pressing F8 choose the last known good kernal boot option?
If you are sucsessfull run system restor to a provious date that you know did not have problems and uninstall software you might have installed just before the problem started.
Maybe you were had by a virus? Chek it if you get your system going.

Good luck

can you boot from a cd, such as a xp setup cd? and read the boot drive? exactly what do you mean by 'can't seem to get it to boot from floppy'
if so, can you use the Recovery console to diagnostics on the file system? (chkdsk c:)
otherwise it does sound like time to swap in a new ide controller card to see if that fixes things...

It sounds like there may be a few HW issues, forgive me if these were already brought up as I have not read the answers given.
First, open the system up and check the cabling. (also if the HDD was replaced or a new one added check jumpers).
After that I would look at unplugging the HDD and checking to see if it boots properly (like to a boot cd or floppy).
If it does boot, then the problem is most likely the PS, MB, or HDD.
If it does not, then the problem is most likely the MB. unplug cd drives and try again (if you can, to a floppy is best). If it still does not boot, then try resetting the BIOS, if it still fails, try replacing the MB

tharfunk ; try the boot priority . in the bios try to boot from the cd first . Of course let the first boot device be cd inside the bios setting . If you can boot from the cd and get to reinstalling XP ( or repairing it ) you are halfway thru . Then make the first boot device the hdd . if you can't boot the first sector of the disk is damaged . You have to pay attention to hard disk led . If it doesn't light up when accessed or stays lit all the time , recheck your ide port on the mainboard is enabled . If someting is fishy try the second ide port .

Well the model of the MSI M'Board would be helpful it very much sounds as if you have a BIOS problem as you seem to be saying that you are not getting past the POST screen.

first have you recently Flashed the BIOS? If you have you'll need to alter a jumper setting to disconnect the BIOS and wipe it so it is restored to a Blank state and then you can go in and set things like Date & Time and the other things that may be required like what if any floppy is connected.

Once you have the Date & time set correctly you can then chose either the Default Settings on the BIOS screen or Performance Settings either will do to see if you can get it past the POST Screen.

Are you hearing any beeps from the Case? If so you'll need top look up the Beep Code as the M'Board is telling you that something is wrong and exactly what it is by the Beeps that it is emitting.

Col

I didn't see anywhere whether it is booting from CD or not. If it is not, then it is most probably a hardware problem (as it cannot boot from HDD or floppy drive) and I suggest taking it to a shop to be looked at.

If it is booting from CD, I suggest the following:
1. on another PC download Puppy Linux iso (it is only 50M) and burn it to a CD
2. Boot your PC and make it start from the Puppy Linux CD. Puppy Linux will run from RAM - 256M is all what it needs
3. Puppy Linux has wizards, and powerful utilities to tdiagnose, test, and repair your PC
4. If you have to reinstall XP (which in my opinion you will), try installing Puppy Linux to your PC first (if your partition was NTFS, you will have to erase the disk); it is easy, fast, and you will get a good idea of your PC's performance

I can boot from cd rom. I have tried xp pro cd, I can only get to the " setup will start windows " screen then it hangs. I can run Partition Magic 8. It shows the partition as: 1 no drive letter active size ntfs. It will not allow me to delete nor create a new partition. Any suggestions? I thank all for your help.

Try replacing the IDE cables.

Also. check your motherboard jumpers to ensure you are not set to Primary SATA (A few MB's have physical jumpers that give the option to use SATA or IDE as the primary HDD interface.) You may need your manual to find this out.

It would appear that you have a hard drive problem,possibly a bad IDe controller on the hard drive .Assumeing that there is data on the drive you may wish to retrieve, I would set the hard drive aside (intact) and try a system build on another drive set as master. You need to verify that your MB and misc components are FUNCTIONAL and solid. If possible use a drive of similar technology,to verify that your MB and cables can work using the existing setup. If you reach a point of functionality with another hard drive, there remains the possibility of fetching data with the suspect drive being used as a slave. If you are still unable to get the suspect drive to function as a slave, A trip to the hard drive manufacturers web site is in order.They often have very useful diagnostic tools.

I have had the same problem, alas it was my hard drive.
If you have a second machine install the hard drive and see if that works, if not then purchase a new hard drive.

Also the same symptoms can be a missing/corrupt file NTLDR file.

I would first purchase a new hard drive (master) and install xp on it, then install your old hard drive make it the slave and see if you can gain access that way.
In the end this is by far the best solution.