Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Figureman52 on 17 August 2011, 11:02:35
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Hello all.
Tried to start my PC, all going as it should, I get the XP logo and the little dotted line moving across underneath but when it should go to the next step the screen goes blank. :-?
I can boot in safe mode, seatools for dos reports no problems with the drive.
Any suggestions before I try to reinstall Windows and potentially lose data?
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Mine does that sometimes. Every computer I've ever used with XP has done that at sometime or other. In my experience, it eventually gets going if you try it often enough, but it's probably going to do it again with increasing frequency, until one day it won't go at all. I've absolutely no idea what causes the problem, and no suggestions on how to fix it. Reinstalling XP may help, but, like Arnie, it'll be back.
If you can get it going in safe mode, back up all your data now. :(
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Install a copy of Vista OR AT BEST, Windows 7 ideally on to another drive. It will automatically set up a dual boot allowing you to deide which one to log on too.
You should be able to get hold of your "old stuff" via the Documents and Settings folder that remains untouched.
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Back up your data from safe mode.
Then do a repair install of XP :y
Do NOT think about installing Vista - its a load of Krap!!
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I would suspect a duff video driver, or a failing video card.
In safe mode, remove the video driver, then reboot. Then reinstall video driver.
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As dbug says, use safe mode to get your data, so you dont need to worry about that, should it all go horribly wrong.
(Although I disagree with Vista beign that bad. Vista is fine if you get out of the 95/98/XP mindset. Win7 is a further refinement (Vista is Windows 6, Win 7 is Windows 6.1))
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As dbug says, use safe mode to get your data, so you dont need to worry about that, should it all go horribly wrong.
(Although I disagree with Vista beign that bad. Vista is fine if you get out of the 95/98/XP mindset. Win7 is a further refinement (Vista is Windows 6, Win 7 is Windows 6.1))
95 / 98 / ME were built on the same basic platform. ME failed primarily because it was released at the time when naughty boys got the taste for hacking Operating Systems...... ME was too old to build decent protection.
XP was a complete overhaul and worked incredibly well, especially when Sevice Pack 2 and then 3 were released.
Vista was something very new, and didn't work well at all.... to the point where some Computer Manufacturers (including the big boys) offered XP as a no cost 'downgrade' to their more savvy customers.
Windows 7 is built on the working of XP but with a totally new front end. Works like an absolute charm so far and *should* only get better with time.
Of course, none of the above even begin to compare to Mac OS :P
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95 / 98 / ME were built on the same basic platform. ME failed primarily because it was released at the time when naughty boys got the taste for hacking Operating Systems...... ME was too old to build decent protection.
ME was a critical step for MS to kill off a lot of old practices. It was 98SE with certain things enforced, and some older parts disabled. Its primary purpose was to get developers and hardware makers off the old legacy methods, and start using more NT complaint APIs. ME wasn't ever planned to be secure, and Windows was being mullered long before ME. ME was a sacrifical product to kill off the 9x line.
XP was a complete overhaul and worked incredibly well, especially when Sevice Pack 2 and then 3 were released.
XP, Windows 5.1, was a fairly minor update to Windows 2000, itself a fairly minor update to NT4/3.51/3.5/3.1. Its most certainly wasn't a complete overhaul of anything.
Vista was something very new, and didn't work well at all.... to the point where some Computer Manufacturers (including the big boys) offered XP as a no cost 'downgrade' to their more savvy customers.
Vista (Windows 6.0) was a new Kernel, though not desperately different to the XP/2003 kernel. Only security was enforced, and implemented/enforced a new driver model. The 'savvy' users didn't take the downgrade option, that was left for those who couldn't get used to a new way of working, or couldn't handle the shame of not running with permenent admin rights ;)
Windows 7 is built on the working of XP but with a totally new front end. Works like an absolute charm so far and *should* only get better with time.
Thats desperately misleading. Actually, its bordering on utter cobbler ;D. Windows 7 (Windows 6.1) is basically Vista, just with an extra couple of years of refinement on it. Its incorrect to claim its based on the working of XP and trying to suggest its unrelated to Vista. Its a refined Vista.
Of course, none of the above even begin to compare to Mac OS :P
Of course not, Mac OS is not Windows. Personally, I prefer the open architecture of Wintel, rather than the closed, expensive, limited Mac way of doing things, although that does give the Mac some advantages :y
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I would suspect a duff video driver, or a failing video card.
In safe mode, remove the video driver, then reboot. Then reinstall video driver.
Although you completly lost me in your later posts :-?
If I remove the video driver and reboot, will I still see anything on the screen so that I can reinstall?
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I would suspect a duff video driver, or a failing video card.
In safe mode, remove the video driver, then reboot. Then reinstall video driver.
Although you completly lost me in your later posts :-?
If I remove the video driver and reboot, will I still see anything on the screen so that I can reinstall?
Yes, although it will be the 'large' icons/fonts, looking similar to safe-mode, until you reinstall it.
But as dbug says, get a backup of your important data, as there is always a risk that it will corrupt, seeing as there is oviously something amiss, either with the hardware or Windows/driver
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I will give it a shot, failing that it will be an XP reinstall. Although vista would be nice, faced with the choice of Vista for the pc or a Cambelt kit for the mig, the mig wins every time. :y
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I will give it a shot, failing that it will be an XP reinstall. Although vista would be nice, faced with the choice of Vista for the pc or a Cambelt kit for the mig, the mig wins every time. :y
Do a repair install mate - should leave all your settings, programmes etc in place.
Keep off Vista though - despite what TB says, Vista was rushed out as a "replacement" for XP, and was poorly implemented by MS - it's very resource hungry, you will need a pretty hi-spec PC to get any speed out of it.
Windows7 is what Vista should have been - MS had some time to get it right - its not resource hungry and will run on fairly low-spec PCs, and flies on hi-spec PCs :y As TB says its complete and utter bollux to suggest Windows 7 is based on the workings of XP - its a different kernel for a start - its a sorted and refined Vista.
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I would suspect a duff video driver, or a failing video card.
In safe mode, remove the video driver, then reboot. Then reinstall video driver.
Put the CD in the drive to reinstall driver, the drive span up and gave me this message: "Can't execute kernel mode driver service" :-?
Clicked on OK and then got: "Can't load ASUSHWIO.DLL"
Clicked on OK and got: "Can't Load ASCDDMI.DLL"
Advice please
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I would suspect a duff video driver, or a failing video card.
In safe mode, remove the video driver, then reboot. Then reinstall video driver.
Put the CD in the drive to reinstall driver, the drive span up and gave me this message: "Can't execute kernel mode driver service" :-?
Clicked on OK and then got: "Can't load ASUSHWIO.DLL"
Clicked on OK and got: "Can't Load ASCDDMI.DLL"
Advice please
Assume the CD is the ASUS Support CD Setup Program
The files you mention are part of the software package that Asus provides for Probe, update, etc. I expect there is some conflict between your O/S and the Asus software. You are not alone - this is a quite common issue!
Solution is to right click the CD ROM and select 'open' find the drivers manually and install them from there - HTH :y
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I would definately suspect a driver / software problem over a hardware problem because you say you can boot into safe mode OK. If the hardware was a fault you would likely get the problem in safe mode aswell.
Have you recently updated any drivers or installed any new software, around the time the problem started?
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Install a copy of Vista OR AT BEST, Windows 7 ideally on to another drive. It will automatically set up a dual boot allowing you to deide which one to log on too.
You should be able to get hold of your "old stuff" via the Documents and Settings folder that remains untouched.
? Even if the hard drive has only one partitition
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Install a copy of Vista OR AT BEST, Windows 7 ideally on to another drive. It will automatically set up a dual boot allowing you to deide which one to log on too.
You should be able to get hold of your "old stuff" via the Documents and Settings folder that remains untouched.
? Even if the hard drive has only one partitition
Why go to all that trouble just to recover data?? Boot off a live Linux disk (Ubuntu for example) - you will have tools on there to retrieve data to usb stick or external hard drive :y
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Install a copy of Vista OR AT BEST, Windows 7 ideally on to another drive. It will automatically set up a dual boot allowing you to deide which one to log on too.
You should be able to get hold of your "old stuff" via the Documents and Settings folder that remains untouched.
? Even if the hard drive has only one partitition
yep..
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I would definately suspect a driver / software problem over a hardware problem because you say you can boot into safe mode OK. If the hardware was a fault you would likely get the problem in safe mode aswell.
Believe it or not, many (esp ATI for some reason) video cards run fine in Safe mode but not when at hi-res in normal mode. Various reasons, all based around the GPU causing an abnormality that the driver can't deal with, based on RAM faults, overheat faults, ESD etc.
The test is, as we have suggested, removal of the driver, and putting a newer one on. If it still fails at same point, suspect the hardware (but still not conclusive to write it off), if it fixes, happy days :y
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I would definately suspect a driver / software problem over a hardware problem because you say you can boot into safe mode OK. If the hardware was a fault you would likely get the problem in safe mode aswell.
Have you recently updated any drivers or installed any new software, around the time the problem started?
Not that I recall.
I think the only out of the ordinary things that day were that I changed the M/B battery because I had to reset the clock every time I booted up and I watched the cambelt change DVD. :)
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Keep off Vista though - despite what TB says, Vista was rushed out as a "replacement" for XP, and was poorly implemented by MS - it's very resource hungry, you will need a pretty hi-spec PC to get any speed out of it.
Its not so bad. Its biggest issue was being 'different' and needing new drivers. This caused the idiot IT journos to say 'it is crap' (these are the idiots who believe running as a non-Admin is a slur on their manhood, and exactly who UAC was aimed at) and hardware manufacturers to blame it for their laziness and sloppyness.
Yes, boot up time was a bit long winded on crappy hardware (I always said it needed at least a Core2 with 2Gb to run properly - way more than XP, and about the same as Win7), but give it good hardware, it was fine. My Dell desktop, which I still use, when I first got it, would go from power on to full, usable Windows desktop in 11s with the crappy Dell build :o
The XP v Vista debate was no different to the Windows 2000 Pro v XP debate, when everybody hated XP because it was different to Windows 2000 Pro, and there were many driver incompatibilities.
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Keep off Vista though - despite what TB says, Vista was rushed out as a "replacement" for XP, and was poorly implemented by MS - it's very resource hungry, you will need a pretty hi-spec PC to get any speed out of it.
Its not so bad. Its biggest issue was being 'different' and needing new drivers. This caused the idiot IT journos to say 'it is crap' (these are the idiots who believe running as a non-Admin is a slur on their manhood, and exactly who UAC was aimed at) and hardware manufacturers to blame it for their laziness and sloppyness.
Yes, boot up time was a bit long winded on crappy hardware (I always said it needed at least a Core2 with 2Gb to run properly - way more than XP, and about the same as Win7), but give it good hardware, it was fine. My Dell desktop, which I still use, when I first got it, would go from power on to full, usable Windows desktop in 11s with the crappy Dell build :o
The XP v Vista debate was no different to the Windows 2000 Pro v XP debate, when everybody hated XP because it was different to Windows 2000 Pro, and there were many driver incompatibilities.
Why persevere with Vista and all its shortcomings, when Win7 is less resource hungry and has addessed Vista's shortcomings.
As I said earlier Windows7 is what Vista should have been - MS had the time to get it right before release. :y
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Keep off Vista though - despite what TB says, Vista was rushed out as a "replacement" for XP, and was poorly implemented by MS - it's very resource hungry, you will need a pretty hi-spec PC to get any speed out of it.
Its not so bad. Its biggest issue was being 'different' and needing new drivers. This caused the idiot IT journos to say 'it is crap' (these are the idiots who believe running as a non-Admin is a slur on their manhood, and exactly who UAC was aimed at) and hardware manufacturers to blame it for their laziness and sloppyness.
Yes, boot up time was a bit long winded on crappy hardware (I always said it needed at least a Core2 with 2Gb to run properly - way more than XP, and about the same as Win7), but give it good hardware, it was fine. My Dell desktop, which I still use, when I first got it, would go from power on to full, usable Windows desktop in 11s with the crappy Dell build :o
The XP v Vista debate was no different to the Windows 2000 Pro v XP debate, when everybody hated XP because it was different to Windows 2000 Pro, and there were many driver incompatibilities.
Why persevere with Vista and all its shortcomings, when Win7 is less resource hungry and has addessed Vista's shortcomings.
As I said earlier Windows7 is what Vista should have been - MS had the time to get it right before release. :y
Because Win7 Home Premium is £80 for upgrade and about £120 for full version ;)
Thus if one of my customers has Vista, I just optimise it back up ;)