Computer reboot problem

I have a Windows XP Home computer that I built that is about a year old.
Today, was on internet and it restarted randomly without an error message.
Then it booted into disk check, then after a while (not sure if it was done)
it rebooted again and since then has been going into an unusual reboot
cycle. It goes through BIOS, goes into the Windows XP Home loading screen,
and then a blue error screen shows up for less than a tenth of a second, so
making it impossible to read, and starts over with this cycle. I have
honestly no idea what is happening here. Does anyone know what I can do to
fix this? Thanks in advance.

"dan" <> wrote in message
news:vBPpd.672506$8_6.49255@attbi_s04...
>I have a Windows XP Home computer that I built that is about a year old.
>Today, was on internet and it restarted randomly without an error message.
>Then it booted into disk check, then after a while (not sure if it was
>done) it rebooted again and since then has been going into an unusual
>reboot cycle. It goes through BIOS, goes into the Windows XP Home loading
>screen, and then a blue error screen shows up for less than a tenth of a
>second, so making it impossible to read, and starts over with this cycle. I
>have honestly no idea what is happening here. Does anyone know what I can
>do to fix this? Thanks in advance.

First, you need to disable the auto-reboot feature. Yes it is a *feature*.
When WindowsXP encounters a fatal stop error, it automatically initiates a
reboot by default. You can disable this behavior by going into the system
properties (right-click "my computer" and choose "properties"), click
"advanced" and then "startup and recovery". Uncheck the "automatically
restart" option. Now, whenever that stop error returns, you should see a
blue stop error screen, hopefully with some useful information about what
driver or file is involved in the crash, and what stop error it is. When you
find out, post what the screen says *exactly*, and we may be able to give
you some ideas as to the cause.

I am unable to do that. As I said, I am unable to go into Windows, it stops
after a blue screen after the Windows XP loading screen. Any of the modes
(safe, normal, etc.), none of them work. Will I have to reinstall Windows as
a last resort?
"Thor" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> "dan" <> wrote in message
> news:vBPpd.672506$8_6.49255@attbi_s04...
>>I have a Windows XP Home computer that I built that is about a year old.
>>Today, was on internet and it restarted randomly without an error message.
>>Then it booted into disk check, then after a while (not sure if it was
>>done) it rebooted again and since then has been going into an unusual
>>reboot cycle. It goes through BIOS, goes into the Windows XP Home loading
>>screen, and then a blue error screen shows up for less than a tenth of a
>>second, so making it impossible to read, and starts over with this cycle.
>>I have honestly no idea what is happening here. Does anyone know what I
>>can do to fix this? Thanks in advance.
>
> First, you need to disable the auto-reboot feature. Yes it is a *feature*.
> When WindowsXP encounters a fatal stop error, it automatically initiates a
> reboot by default. You can disable this behavior by going into the system
> properties (right-click "my computer" and choose "properties"), click
> "advanced" and then "startup and recovery". Uncheck the "automatically
> restart" option. Now, whenever that stop error returns, you should see a
> blue stop error screen, hopefully with some useful information about what
> driver or file is involved in the crash, and what stop error it is. When
> you find out, post what the screen says *exactly*, and we may be able to
> give you some ideas as to the cause.
>

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 02:50:38 GMT, "dan" <> wrote:

>I am unable to do that. As I said, I am unable to go into Windows, it stops
>after a blue screen after the Windows XP loading screen. Any of the modes
>(safe, normal, etc.), none of them work. Will I have to reinstall Windows as
>a last resort?

If you cannot get safe mode to work, then there are not a lot of options.

"dan" <> wrote in message
news:2YRpd.672915$8_6.175677@attbi_s04...
>I am unable to do that. As I said, I am unable to go into Windows, it stops
>after a blue screen after the Windows XP loading screen. Any of the modes
>(safe, normal, etc.), none of them work. Will I have to reinstall Windows
>as a last resort?

pop in your windows XP cd, boot up to it, choose to setup windows, then pick
the repair install option.

When I do that, what do I do afterwards? I remember doing that on another
computer a while ago and could not get the admin password to work.
"Thor" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> "dan" <> wrote in message
> news:2YRpd.672915$8_6.175677@attbi_s04...
>>I am unable to do that. As I said, I am unable to go into Windows, it
>>stops after a blue screen after the Windows XP loading screen. Any of the
>>modes (safe, normal, etc.), none of them work. Will I have to reinstall
>>Windows as a last resort?
>
> pop in your windows XP cd, boot up to it, choose to setup windows, then
> pick the repair install option.
>
>
>
>

"dan" <> wrote in message
news:gwWpd.159515$R05.44418@attbi_s53...
> When I do that, what do I do afterwards? I remember doing that on another
> computer a while ago and could not get the admin password to work.

you are thinking of running the recovery console. That's not what I'm
suggesting. You need to choose to set up windows, and then you will have the
option of doing a repair install. That doesn't require a password, although
you will need your product key from the CD.

Ok, I have all that. Will it overwrite any documents on the computer?
"Thor" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> "dan" <> wrote in message
> news:gwWpd.159515$R05.44418@attbi_s53...
>> When I do that, what do I do afterwards? I remember doing that on another
>> computer a while ago and could not get the admin password to work.
>
> you are thinking of running the recovery console. That's not what I'm
> suggesting. You need to choose to set up windows, and then you will have
> the option of doing a repair install. That doesn't require a password,
> although you will need your product key from the CD.
>
>
>
>

"dan" <> wrote in message
newsX2qd.676399$8_6.428255@attbi_s04...
> Ok, I have all that. Will it overwrite any documents on the computer?

the repair install will not.

"dan" <> wrote in message
newsX2qd.676399$8_6.428255@attbi_s04...
> Ok, I have all that. Will it overwrite any documents on the computer?
> "Thor" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>>
>> "dan" <> wrote in message
>> news:gwWpd.159515$R05.44418@attbi_s53...
>>> When I do that, what do I do afterwards? I remember doing that on
>>> another computer a while ago and could not get the admin password to
>>> work.
>>
>> you are thinking of running the recovery console. That's not what I'm
>> suggesting. You need to choose to set up windows, and then you will have
>> the option of doing a repair install. That doesn't require a password,
>> although you will need your product key from the CD.
>>
The only thing you have to concern yourself with is reinstalling the Windows
updates after the repair/install is completed.
>>
>>
>
>