Member Avatar for harding156

I'm trying to fix someones computer. There problem was after Windows(XP) loaded and they clicked on their name to log on, it would restart. The first obvious problem is that they bought an eMachine computer to begin with.

I thought it could be the Power Supply. I went ahead and started in safe mode, and everything worked fine. I installed Ad-Aware, and as usual there were a million files found. About every computer I work on is filled with adware and spyware. Anyways, I got rid of all of it, except the annoying VX2 crap which I'll take care of tonight. Still the same problem.

After reading a few things on the internet about similar problems I'm starting to think I was right to begin with, that the power supply is bad.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Ryan

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by slayerman26

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Symptom recap and quick narrowing: reports the machine boots to the XP logon screen but restarts when clicking the user; Safe Mode works and adware was cleaned. That pattern usually points to either something that only runs in a normal boot (startup programs, shell extensions, or drivers) or hardware that only gets fully powered/initialized under normal load (PSU, RAM, CPU cooling, or motherboard caps). Since Safe Mode works, start by isolating software, then move to hardware.

Software-first checklist (use Safe Mode to prepare): test a fresh local administrator account to rule out a corrupted profile; disable all non-Microsoft services and startup items (selective startup) or use Autoruns to find persistent autostarts; use a shell-extension viewer to disable third-party Explorer extensions (these commonly crash at user logon). Capture the Blue Screen/STOP code or the crash dump so you have a concrete error to look up — that single code often points straight to a driver or device.

Hardware checks if software isolation fails: try one memory stick at a time and run a bootable memory tester for several passes to rule out RAM. Swap in a known-good power supply or use a PSU tester — voltage sag under load is a frequent cause of “restarts at logon.” Inspect the board and PSU for bulging/leaking capacitors, reseat CPU heatsink and check fan/temps, and boot with a minimal parts list (no extra cards, drives, or USB devices) to find a failing component.

Notes tied to the thread: ’s suggestion to be able to see the crash is important; ’s link idea is along the right lines for guided diagnosis. The serial-port FIFO message posted by is informational and normally not the trigger for a reboot. If diagnostics stall, back up user data from Safe Mode or by mounting the drive externally before attempting repair installs or hardware replacement.

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Member Avatar for J_Search

harding156,

1. Click the Start button, right-click My Computer, click Properties, click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
2. Under System Failure, view the Automatically restart check box. If the Automatically restart check box is selected, Windows automatically restarts if the computer stops unexpectedly.

Have you tried the system file checker? I'm sure you know how, but just in case: Insert the XP CD in the CD-ROM drive: Start >> Run >> type: sfc /scannow.

Good luck,

J_

Member Avatar for yasminadnan

Hi

But how do i get to this option if I cannot boot my XP.. I have Win 2000 as welll it works fine. Can this help.? :confused:

harding156,

1. Click the Start button, right-click My Computer, click Properties, click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
2. Under System Failure, view the Automatically restart check box. If the Automatically restart check box is selected, Windows automatically restarts if the computer stops unexpectedly.

Have you tried the system file checker? I'm sure you know how, but just in case: Insert the XP CD in the CD-ROM drive: Start >> Run >> type: sfc /scannow.

Good luck,

J_

Member Avatar for J_Search

yasminadnan,

Boot the system into Windows Setup by booting off of the Windows installation CD. Navigate to the recovery console and type the same commands provided before.

J_

Member Avatar for Kn10

There is a good writeup at to help you diagnose your rebooting problem (at least so you can see what the Blue screen of death error is):

Hope it helps.

Member Avatar for slayerman26

Hi there everyone,

I've been having this problem as well with my computer.. and the error that I have reseaved is this below?

0000: 00080000 00560002 00000000 40060002
0010: 0000000f 00000000 00000000 00000000
0020: 00000000 00000000 000003f8 00000000

Description:

While validating that \Device\Serial0 was really a serial port, a fifo was detected. The fifo will be used.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event:

Date: 16/07/2006 Source: Serial
Time: 6:40:33pm Category: None
Type: Information Event ID: 2
User: N/A
Computer: MACHINENAME

What I would like to know is what does this mean and how can I fix this problem..

Thanks please e-mail me back a.s.a.p when you get this.

Thanks

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