Windows xp unable to start up

To create a Windows startup disk, insert a floppy disk into the drive of a similarly configured, working Windows XP system, launch My Computer, right-click the floppy disk icon, and select the Format command from the context menu. When you see the Format dialog box, leave all the default settings as they are and click the Start button. Once the format operation is complete, close the Format dialog box to return to My Computer, double-click the drive C icon to access the root directory, and copy the following three files to the floppy disk:.

After you create the Windows startup disk, insert it into the floppy drive on the afflicted system and press [Ctrl][Alt][Delete] to reboot the computer. When you boot from the Windows startup disk, the computer will bypass the active partition and boot files on the hard disk and attempt to start Windows XP normally. You can also try to boot the operating system with the Last Known Good Configuration feature. This feature will allow you to undo any changes that caused problems in the CurrentControlSet registry key, which defines hardware and driver settings.

The Last Known Good Configuration feature replaces the contents of the CurrentControlSet registry key with a backup copy that was last used to successfully start up the operating system. When you see the message Please select the operating system to start or hear the single beep, press [F8] to display the Windows Advanced Options menu. Keep in mind that you get only one shot with the Last Known Good Configuration feature. In other words, if it fails to revive your Windows XP on the first attempt, the backup copy is also corrupt.

System Restore runs in the background as a service and continually monitors system-critical components for changes. When it detects an impending change, System Restore immediately makes backup copies, called restore points, of these critical components before the change occurs. In addition, System Restore is configured by default to create restore points every 24 hours. Now, select the Safe Mode item from the menu and press [Enter].

Then, follow along with the wizard to select a restore point and begin the restoration procedure. When a Windows XP boot problem is severe, you'll need to use a more drastic approach. So if there's a problem rooted in the Boot. If you suspect that Windows XP won't boot because Boot. The partition boot sector is a small section of the hard disk partition that contains information about the operating system's file system NTFS or FAT32 , as well as a very small machine language program that is crucial in assisting the operating system as it loads.

Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support. Feedback will be sent to Microsoft: By pressing the submit button, your feedback will be used to improve Microsoft products and services. Privacy policy. This article is intended for use by support agents and IT professionals. If you're looking for more general information about recovery options, see Recovery options in Windows There are several reasons why a Windows-based computer may have problems during startup.

To troubleshoot boot problems, first determine in which of the following phases the computer gets stuck:. This pre-boot process ends when a valid system disk is detected. Windows Boot Manager finds and starts the Windows loader Winload. The kernel passes control to the session manager process Smss.

Here is a summary of the boot sequence, what will be seen on the display, and typical boot problems at that point in the sequence. Before starting troubleshooting, you have to understand the outline of the boot process and display status to ensure that the issue is properly identified at the beginning of the engagement.

Click to enlarge. Each phase has a different approach to troubleshooting. This article provides troubleshooting techniques for problems that occur during the first three phases. If the computer repeatedly boots to the recovery options, run the following command at a command prompt to break the cycle:. Check whether the hard disk drive light on the physical computer is working.

If it is not working, this indicates that the startup process is stuck at the BIOS phase. Press the NumLock key to see whether the indicator light toggles on and off. If it does not, this indicates that the startup process is stuck at BIOS. If the screen is completely black except for a blinking cursor, or if you receive one of the following error codes, this indicates that the boot process is stuck in the Boot Loader phase:.

The Startup Repair tool automatically fixes many common problems. The tool also lets you quickly diagnose and repair more complex startup problems.

When the computer detects a startup problem, the computer starts the Startup Repair tool. When the tool starts, it performs diagnostics. These diagnostics include analyzing startup log files to determine the cause of the problem. When the Startup Repair tool determines the cause, the tool tries to fix the problem automatically. Start the system to the installation media for the installed version of Windows.

For more information, see Create installation media for Windows. Method 2: Perform Disk check from the Recovery console. How to perform disk error checking in Windows XP. Note: While performing chkdsk on the hard drive if any bad sectors are found on the hard drive when chkdsk tries to repair that sector if any data available on that might be lost. Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.

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