Windows XP problem ':/

[Chaotic Phoenix]

I noticed Mute Point's post about Windows XP, and I have been trying to find help for this for a while now...

I have a desktop PC with Windows XP Home on it, but last year after I attempted to upgrade my Direct X driver, it froze on me. I did a hard reset and now it's in an infinite loop with the BSOD (Blue Screen of Death). It ould start normally until it gets to the Windows Logo, three bars in and the BSOD appeared, auto-resetting and repeating. This is what it told me...

-(-----------------------------------------------------------------)-

A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

If this is the first time you've seen this error screen, restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps:

Check to make sure your new hardware or software is properly installed. If this is a new installation, ask your hardware or software manufacturer for any Windows updates you might need.

If problems continue, disable or remove any newly installed hardware or software. Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing. If you need to use safe mode, restart your computer and press F8 for Advanced Startup Options, and then select Safe Mode.

Technical Information:

*** STOP: 0x0000000A (0x00000000, 0x0000001C, 0x00000001, 0x804FB03C)

-(-----------------------------------------------------------------)-

I have tried the following...

1. Safe mode, still auto restarts before Windows loads up completely.
2. All options under the F8 Advanced Startup, same as #1.
3. Buying a driver restoration disk for my specific system, doesn't seem to read the CD.
4. Used a genuine backup of WinXP Home, doesn't seem to read the CD.
5. Taken the desktop apart component by component twice to see if it was a connection problem, everything is connected fine, no effect.

I don't quite know how to get it to boot from CD except from the BIOS settings, but I never knew the password for accessing it nor how to find it.

It does have Windows Service Pack #3 and was pretty kept up to date while it worked. I heard once about a faulty Internet Explorer that was making PCs malfunction, but I don't know if it's the case here or not.

Any and all help will be appreciated for this... ':/

[Mute Point]

Well, let me help with the easiest problem first... to remove a BIOS password when you don't know it. Unplug all power from the PC, and then pull the CMOS battery out (If you don't know what it is, it';s the little one that looks like a watch battery) Leave it out for 3 full days (72 hours from when you remove it.) And then put it back, you should get a message when you start up about invalid setup info, and you can go in and fix it all without fear of a password blocking you.

As for fixing your windows installation... Once you can boot from the CD, do a "repair" install if you can.. (When you go to choose a partition to install on, you should be able to press "R" to start it.) Don't try to fix it using the recovery console, there isn't much you can do with drivers there unless you know the exact one you're looking for, and even then it might not help since you can only disable them.

If you can't do a repair install, then do a fresh install on another partition or hard drive, and boot from that.

[Chaotic Phoenix]

I don't have a spare HD right now, but a repair install was what I was hoping to try, just couldn't boot from the CD and couldn't access the BIOS section...

I'll try the battery and see how it works out. If any changes or no change I will post it up.

[Chaotic Phoenix]

*UPDATE!*

Ok, the battery solution worked and now I can access the BIOS settings, but here's what happened when I tried from the CDs I have...

1. A Full Driver Repair specific for my system: Didn't boot in DOS mode, but it does work on my laptop.
2. A Legit Windows XP Home with CD Key: Didn't Boot in DOS mode but did on my laptop.
3. My laptop's WinXP Home Partition Disks: 'This partition is NOT compatible with this system'

I don't have a blank drive that I can make into a partition but my question is, can I use a External drive with 100GB of free space to make a WinXP OS and boot from my Desktop to the removable drive long enough to install the Drivers disk that is for my desktop on it from the drive without losing the data on it?

Sorry if it sounds confusing, but at the moment I'm trying to not buy anything else if I can use the items I already have now.

[Mute Point]

You're not supposed to boot to dos mode with the CD.. Set it up to boot from CD, then press a key when prompted. Don't use the "Recovery console" go to the full setup screen, and then select the partition your windows is on, instead of pressing enter, press R at this point and it should let you do a repair install.

[expt]

Hi,

I cannot link to programs from my outlook express and other links whats my problem.So I have reinstalled the os on a different HDD but the version of windows i used was xp professional and the software listener i have is xp home so the windows won't validate, is there any way to switch the windows keys so that the original key i have can be used.

[Chaotic Phoenix]

<.<'' Stupid bots...

Anyhow, although my desktop does have a partition drive on it, I stupidly never set it up like how my laptop is. When I tried to boot from CD with the WinXP Home installation disk, it doesn't read at all. I can't get into Windows itself on my desktop's hard drive at the moment because of the said error.

Could I install a copy of WinXP on an external drive and boot from it to install drivers to my desktop? Is something I was going to attempt to do once I get one of them emptied out...

Correction, when I try to use my Laptop's partition disks, it says 'These PC Recovery disks do NOT support this PC Model. Press any key to continue.'

[Mute Point]

As far as I know, you can't install or uninstall drivers from a windows installation without being logged in to said windows installation. I could be wrong though.. I'd check with one of the more technologically inclined peeps around the board before tossing this idea out.

Another option would be to install on the external HD, and use it as your boot drive until such a time as you can buy a suitable internal one to do the same thing.

On the CD thing... Are you saying it wont read the CD? Or that the CD won't read the partition?

[Chaotic Phoenix]

Desktop PC's CD drive would access the CD, but nothing would happen.

I finally got one of my external drives cleaned out, but one thing still worries me...

I just found out with the WinXP copy I got, I can't install it to the external from my laptop because it is an older version, but I can install it onto my laptop itself. The question is, with my original laptop partition disks, after I install WinXP on my laptop, then to the external, could I use the laptop's partition disks to restore my laptop to previous working order?

Been trying to confirm this before I start on this project since I don't want to make any mistakes ^^'

[Mute Point]

If the laptop is set up so it can read from both the CD and the external hard drive without needing any drivers (The external drive is Plug and Play compatible) then you can install onto it via the boot from CD option. If not.. then you can't.


Once again, I have to ask. What do you mean nothing would happen? Does it not come up with the "Press any key to boot from CD" thing? Or does it come up with that, and then keep going normally anyway? Or are you just leaving it alone while it boots, only to come back, and think it didn't have the message? (Sorry if the last question seems rude.. but I've seen it happen a lot...)