Windows XP booting problem

[JAW]

Hi, All

 

I have come across this issue with a member of staffs Laptop.

 

When I boot the Laptop the Windows XP blue bar will be on a continous loop & then restart itself & do the same over & over again.

 

I cannot do a fresh installation on the Laptop as there is alot of work to recover.

 

I have tried to do a system recovery from the Windows XP disk but I cannot do it as it asks for a admin passsword which I do not have.

 

Can any one help please

 

Thanks

 

JAW$

[tomdawson]

Perhaps the most important thing to do is recover the files first, then you can chill out and work on recovering the OS.

 

I've had to do this a number of times. Carefully remove the hard drive from the laptop and connect it to either a USB external drive 'caddy' or maybe a 2.5" to 3.5" IDE cable, then you can connect it as a secondary drive in a desktop and recover the files. If it's a SATA drive then that's even easier.

 

...perhaps easier said than done but I've always found it easier to get the data off then worry about the machine's OS.

 

Hope this helps

[Domino]

or maybe download the sysrescue cd and reset the local administrator password?

 

Or boot from a linux live cd and connect it to a network cable to get the files off?

[OutToLunch]

Knoppix or BartPE CD to recover data.

 

Reset the admin PW after recovering data with Offline NT Password & Registry Editor

 

That said, it sounds like it is set to auto restart on a crash - you should have an option when pressing F8 for safe mode to disable this, which would give you the BSOD and more information on why it's crashing...

 

Not by any chance just had XP SP3 applied has it?

[mac_shinobi]

Recovery Console

 

That will show u how to disable it from prompting u for the password short of that use a win 2k disc to get to the recovery console

[laserblazer]

This was recommended to me by another member (can't remember who) and it is excellent

 

I Forgot My Administrator Password!

[jcollings]

Also don't forget the simple stuff. We have had several machines that loop in this way and booting to CD and running chkdsk /f has sorted 99% of them.

[Jack]

Perhaps the most important thing to do is recover the files first, then you can chill out and work on recovering the OS.

 

I've had to do this a number of times. Carefully remove the hard drive from the laptop and connect it to either a USB external drive 'caddy' or maybe a 2.5" to 3.5" IDE cable, then you can connect it as a secondary drive in a desktop and recover the files.

 

Definitely! If you somehow mess up the drive or the file system then you're going to be up the creek well and truly.

 

Get the drive out and get the files off it before you do much else, IMHO.

 

Regarding Windows restarting, it might be a dodgy device driver or a system file. Have you recently done Windows Update?

[yabbadabba]

I have edited this reply in response to a comment from OutToLunch, thankyou OutToLunch for making me aware of a possible issue with using chkdsk -r.

 

My prefered method is.

 

If there is vital data on a computer that needs recovering I will first make an image of the drive onto another spare drive.

I then swap the drives over leaving the original in a safe place, insert the replacement drive and work on that. The reason being is if I screw up when trying to fix the problem the original drive is still there as a backup. Once the original fault has been fixed I then take an image of the replacement drive and put it onto the original drive.

Insert original drive and away you go.

The reason for swapping drives is to verify the image is working, and it leaves you with a backup during all stages.

 

Now I know the above may seem a little long winded, and yes it does add some time to fixing the problem but to be honest I dont argue, quibble or take any short cuts because at the end of the day if the data gets wiped we all know who is going to get the blame irrespective of who's fault it is.

Edited November 25, 2008 by yabbadabba

[Michael]

Hmm has no one thought about pressing F8 and trying "Last good known configuration" or "safe mode". It could simply be a driver causing the problems.

[OutToLunch]

Totally agree with the /chkdsk -r as the first step.

 

Nonononono If the user has data which isn't backed up you are playing Russian roulette with this as a first step - where the Linux NTFS routines will happily read and safely recover their data, Windows will quite happily trash 90% of it and turn it to useless .CHK files. Always recover/backup first if the user says they haven't then go for the fix... I've seen entire HDs full of data 'fixed' by chkdsk. Not good! I see in your full steps you actually image the drive first - but for people who just read your first line and dive in it could all end in tears.

 

Hmm has no one thought about pressing F8 and trying "Last good known configuration" or "safe mode". It could simply be a driver causing the problems.

 

Would have assumed that the OP would have done that themselves if they've got as far as trying to do a system recovery!

[yabbadabba]

I have used the chkdsk -r quite a few times and not had it erase data yet, but cheers for the pointer OutToLunch as I would hate to misguide people into making an error.

 

When it comes to data retrieval its most definitly a case of being safe rather than sorry

[mac_shinobi]

Hmm has no one thought about pressing F8 and trying "Last good known configuration" or "safe mode". It could simply be a driver causing the problems.

 

I was on my lunch break using my iphone 3g and did not have much time to type my original post but the question was asking about not being able to get into recovery console so just wanted to point the asker to that article as about half way down it shows you how to get around that short of that using a win2k cd.

 

However as you say about the last known good config or safe mode.

 

chkdsk -r is what I normally use and if there is any data on the hard drive I now have a linux live disc or a bart pe disc pre configured ( for my own machine )