My Computer won't Boot properly! Help!

[HybridFusion]

Okay, okay, here's my problem.
First, I'll tell you I'm using a Hewlett Packard... Now, Whenever I turn on my computer, it says WIndows couldn't start and gives me choices between Safe Mode (and the two other options with Safe Mode in them), Last known configuration, and Start Windows Normally. If I pick Safe Mode, it starts the loading (I think taht's what it's doing) and things start scrolling, but it freezes up when it gets to "multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS\System32\DRIVERS\agp440.sys" It ends up just freezing up so I'm forced to turn the computer off. When I use alternate methods, nothing happens and it just goes to a blank black screen with no mouse pointer, nothing at all.

Now, the problem is, I went to my XP Disc thinking it would work, but it wouldn't. When I tried to install the XP Disc, it froze up when it got to "Checking for previous versions of Windows"... I have no idea what to do! I'm okay if I lose all my data, I just want my computer to work! Can anybody help me please? Thanks in advance!

[Donk]

Seems like there's a prob with either your video card driver (that's the agp440.sys error), or the card/chip itself.
Have you tried booting from the XP disk? That should give you an option to "Repair" your current windows installation. To boot from the CD drive you have to enter BIOS/CMOS setup when you boot, then change the Boot Order so that the PC tries to boot from the CD drive "before" the Hard Drive.

Good luck,
Donk

[HybridFusion]

Yeah, I have already tried the repair option and it wasn't really successful. It asks me to choose between some D drive and C drive, but once I click either 1 or 2 then enter, it freezes up. :confused:

[Donk]

Well, boot from the CD and choose to install WinXP. It will ask you if you want to install "over" the current installation. Answer "yes". That might fix the problem.

If you have the "Full" version of XP (not the upgrade) you might have to
get hold of an old win9x boot disk, or DOS disk that has FDISK and FORMAT on it. Run Format to reformat the drive. Then hopefully you can boot from your XP disk and install XP fresh.
If all you have is the upgrade version, you'll have to reinstall Win98 (or whatever os you upgraded from) - and then upgrade to xp again.

If the boot ALWAYS stops on that same agp440.sys file, then you might want to try reseating the video card (unless it's built onto the motherboard). Have you moved the PC lately, or bumped it? Maybe the card has come loose.

These are just thoughts. Hard to diagnose the prob without being there.

Good luck,
Donk

[HybridFusion]

Well, it is originally an XP, but I will check into it tomorrow and check the video card and I'll update here on the results. Thanks for your help thus far.

[Donk]

Ok, if the PC came with XP, then the CD you have must be the full version (not the upgrade).
Normally, when things get so bad that you have to reformat/reinstall from scratch, you just put the XP cd in the drive, boot up and follow the menu choices. You'll get an option to install XP "over" the existing version, or to install it fresh. Then you'll be shown the partition info of the Hard Drive. You'll see the current partition with XP already on it. You just highlight "that" partition and choose "delete". Then you'll be shown the "new" partition info and it will show the same partition, but this time it will be empty (free space). You'll be asked to choose the partition to install the fresh version of XP on. Just choose the empty partition. Then you'll be told that the partition has to be formated, and it'll ask what method you want to use - either FAT32 or NTFS. Either is ok, NTFS is most commonly used with XP. I would choose NTFS.
Then wait while the format is done. Afterwards the XP install will automatically start - just follow the prompts for the next hour or so, heh.

So, that's the normal method. But you say you tried that and the PC froze. So, you'll have to get an old DOS or Win9x floppy and boot to a C: prompt. Then type FORMAT C: /s
This will format the partition just like the above method. (you might have to use FAT32 if NTFS isn't available on the floppy). After the format, boot with the XP cd and "hopefully" you'll be able to install XP on the fresh clean partition.

Good luck,
Donk

[HybridFusion]

So I put in the Floppy and run it and type in C: so it goes to <C:\> correct? Well, after I go there, I tried typing in after it "FORMAT C: /s" and it said that it was a bad command or something like that so I'm confused :confused:

[Donk]

Well, there are 2 things that could have gone wrong:

1. I typed the command wrong - sorry :rolleyes:
I put a space after the C:. The correct command to type is:
format C:/s
Here's a website that explains the command:
http://www.sightsea.com/pghpchd/pages/formatC.html

2. It is possilbe that whatever boot floppy you are using doesn't have the "fromat" program on it. Most ANY Win9x emergency boot floppy DOES have format on it. But some old DOS boot floppies might not. The above website also has a link to a site where you can download a boot floppy. You just download the .exe file, put a blank floppy in the drive, and click on the .exe file. It will create a bootable floppy for you.

That should do it. Oh, there might be one more problem. If your old XP install was on a partition formatted with NTFS, the DOS Format command might not work - you'll get an error similar to: incompatible file system (or something like that). If that happens, you'll have to erase the partition, and create a new one before you can format it. Here's a site that explains how to repartition the drive:
http://www.wavelen.com/pics/hd/
But hopefully you won't have to do it.

If this is your first time reformatting I know it seems confusing. But when you're done you will have learned something good to know! Then the next one will be a lot easier.
Good luck,
Donk