Windows XP system won't START UP NORMALLY! PLEASE HELP!

[wirelesscop]

Hello, I am running Windows XP. I hace had NO problems up until today with the computer. While attempting to power it up today, I get the following screen: "We Apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start successfully. A recent hardware or software change might have caused this. If your computer stopped responding, restarted unexpectedly, or was automatically shut down to protect your files and folders, choose Last Known Good Configuration to revert to the most recent settings that worked. If a previous startup attempt was interrupted due to a power failure or because the Power or Reset button was pressed, or if your aren't sure what caused the problem, choose Start Windows Normally. I think have the options to re-start the computer in: -Safe Mode -Safe Mode with Networking -Safe Mode with Command Prompt -Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked) -Start Windows Normally NONE of these options will let me start my computer normally. The screen with all these options keeps coming up over and over and over again. My computer won't boot up to its normal state. Does anyone know what the problem is and how I can get things back to normal? Thanks for any and all help!

[ccb056]

Reinstall windows over itself.

[wirelesscop]

Hello, I can understand that. BUT...I have thousands of pictures of my kid from birth on up, on the harddrive that I need to recover. Is there any other way I can get in there to save / backup the data I need? Thanks!

[wirelesscop]

Hey Everyone, After some poking around... Here is more info that I found. Hopefully this might help you all to understand what's going on with my computer. I am running Windows XP. I have had NO problems up until today with the computer. While attempting to power it up today, I get the following screen: "We Apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start successfully. A recent hardware or software change might have caused this. If your computer stopped responding, restarted unexpectedly, or was automatically shut down to protect your files and folders, choose Last Known Good Configuration to revert to the most recent settings that worked. If a previous startup attempt was interrupted due to a power failure or because the Power or Reset button was pressed, or if your aren't sure what caused the problem, choose Start Windows Normally. I think have the options to re-start the computer in: -Safe Mode -Safe Mode with Networking -Safe Mode with Command Prompt -Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked) -Start Windows Normally NONE of these options will let me start my computer normally. The screen with all these options keeps coming up over and over and over again. My computer won't boot up to its normal state. I can also get the computer to display the following "BLUE SCREEN error message:" UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME Technical Information: ***STOP: 0x000000ED (0x8231A270, 0xC0000006, 0x00000000, 0x00000000) Does anyone know what the problem is and how I can get things back to normal? I KNOW that I can re-install Windows BUT I have a TON of pictures and data on the hard-drive that I need to recover before I format the drive. Thanks for any and all help!

[richh0323]

OK here's what Microsoft says "STOP 0x000000ED UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME" Error Message When You Restart Your Computer or Upgrade to Windows XP Article ID : 297185 Last Review : October 30, 2003 Revision : 1.0 This article was previously published under Q297185 On this page SYMPTOMS CAUSE RESOLUTION STATUS MORE INFORMATION SYMPTOMS When you first restart your computer during the upgrade to Windows XP or when you start Windows XP, you may receive the following error message, where aaaaaaaa, bbbbbbbb, cccccccc, and dddddddd are hexadecimal numbers that may vary: STOP 0x000000ED (0xaaaaaaaa,0xbbbbbbbb,0xcccccccc,0xdddddddd) UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME NOTE: If you receive this error message when you restart the computer for the first time during an upgrade to Windows XP, your original operating system still works correctly. In some cases, a message appears on the BIOS report screen that states that the wrong cable is in use, but you may not see this message on computers that have a fast startup time. CAUSE This behavior can occur if either of the following conditions is true: • Your computer uses an Ultra Direct Memory Access (UDMA) hard disk controller, and the following conditions are true: • You use a standard 40-wire connector cable to connect the UDMA drive to the controller instead of the required 80-wire, 40-pin cable. • The basic input/output system (BIOS) settings are configured to force the faster UDMA modes. • The file system is damaged and cannot be mounted. RESOLUTION To resolve this behavior, use the appropriate method. UDMA Controller If your computer uses a UDMA hard disk controller, use the following procedures: • Replace the 40-wire cable with an 80-wire UDMA cable. • In the BIOS settings for your computer, load the 'Fail-Safe' default settings, and then reactivate the most frequently used options such as USB Support. Damaged File System If the second parameter (0xbbbbbbbb) of the Stop error is 0xC0000032, then the file system is damaged. If this is the case, restart the computer to the Recovery Console, and then use the chkdsk /r command to repair the volume. After you repair the volume, check your hardware to isolate the cause of the file system damage. To do this, use the following steps: 1. Start your computer with the Windows startup disks, or with the Windows CD-ROM if your computer can start from the CD-ROM drive. 2. When the Welcome to Setup screen appears, press R to select the repair option. 3. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the Windows installation that you want to access from the Recovery Console. 4. Type the administrator password when you are prompted to do so. NOTE: If no administrator password exists, press ENTER. 5. At the command prompt, on the drive where Windows is installed, type chkdsk /r, and then press ENTER. 6. At the command prompt, type exit, and then press ENTER to restart your computer.For additional information about how to use the Recovery Console in Windows XP, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 314058 Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console If this procedure does not work, repeat it and use the fixboot command in step 5 instead of the chkdsk /r command. Now here are some things that may help..... Often when a computer running Windows XP is not shut down properly one of several registry keys are not properly written. In the Windows XP recovery counsel running the CHKDSK /r command will repair those registry keys and often allow you to continue using the computer. Check you're BIOS settings, did someting get changed? IF you have a Virus software disk try booting from it and run a virus scan. If all else fails you can install XP to a new directory, or to a second hard drive. I have done this myself when my main boot drive have a boot problem, I used a second hard drive to install XP to and then was able to access my main hard drive and repair it.

[Brian Kueck]

Does anyone know what the problem is and how I can get things back to normal? I KNOW that I can re-install Windows BUT I have a TON of pictures and data on the hard-drive that I need to recover before I format the drive.

Here are 2 options that you can take: 1. Buy a new hard drive from your favorite computer store. Leave the new drive's jumper block set to master. Then install Windows to that drive. Switch your current drive's jump block settings from master to slave. The new drive will be recognized as the C:\ drive. The photos will appear on the D:\ drive. 2. Search for data recovery software on the web. Some programs will perform low level file reads, when the master file record table has been destroyed. (I can't remember the name of the software which does that. If you haven't wiped your drive yet, email me and I'll try to find the name for you.) Then, once you get your hard drive recovered, burn a CD-ROM of the photos. Brian Kueck [email protected] http://www.briankueck.com

[richh0323]

The best data recovery software I have used is Stellar Phoenix, you can download a working demo at the link below. If you want to recover files you have to buy it, but you can see what you can recover for free. http://www.stellarinfo.com/

[snohotie]

Hi Wirelesscop I have the same problem exactly Please let me know what you did. I have valuable model pics. And cant afford to loose them. Pleease reply or write me direct [email protected] thank you so much Misty I am running Windows XP. I hace had NO problems up until today with the computer. While attempting to power it up today, I get the following screen: "We Apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start successfully. A recent hardware or software change might have caused this. If your computer stopped responding, restarted unexpectedly, or was automatically shut down to protect your files and folders, choose Last Known Good Configuration to revert to the most recent settings that worked. If a previous startup attempt was interrupted due to a power failure or because the Power or Reset button was pressed, or if your aren't sure what caused the problem, choose Start Windows Normally. I think have the options to re-start the computer in: -Safe Mode -Safe Mode with Networking -Safe Mode with Command Prompt -Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked) -Start Windows Normally NONE of these options will let me start my computer normally. The screen with all these options keeps coming up over and over and over again. My computer won't boot up to its normal state. Does anyone know what the problem is and how I can get things back to normal? Thanks for any and all help!

[richh0323]

Have you tried to do a restore to previous point? You can start in safe mode and pick a restore point in the help section.

[Xitech]

If worse comes to worse, try this as a last resort: go to a flea market buy a 2 gb hard drive or something crappy like that install windows on the new hd hook up the old one as a slave go in and manually remove all of your personal data good luck in your quest! i wish i was there to help you, im a master at data recovery.

[snohotie]

Xitech - there is not a way i can get to desktop to save my data on something other before reinstaling windows. like if I give the machine a rest it will still start with that message? Also does time play role in recovering the data if the hard drive if off. Richh0323 - It doesnt start in any of the modes so it wont let me get to the desktop at all.

[richh0323]

Snohotie Print out the text below follow it to the letter and let me know what happens, this is an attempt to repair the file system, it will not dammage any of the other files. Damaged File System If the second parameter (0xbbbbbbbb) of the Stop error is 0xC0000032, then the file system is damaged. If this is the case, restart the computer to the Recovery Console, and then use the chkdsk /r command to repair the volume. After you repair the volume, check your hardware to isolate the cause of the file system damage. To do this, use the following steps: 1. Start your computer with the Windows startup disks, or with the Windows CD-ROM if your computer can start from the CD-ROM drive. 2. When the Welcome to Setup screen appears, press R to select the repair option. 3. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the Windows installation that you want to access from the Recovery Console. 4. Type the administrator password when you are prompted to do so. NOTE: If no administrator password exists, press ENTER. 5. At the command prompt, on the drive where Windows is installed, type chkdsk /r, and then press ENTER. 6. At the command prompt, type exit, and then press ENTER to restart your computer.For additional information about how to use the Recovery Console in Windows XP, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 314058 Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console If this procedure does not work, repeat it and use the fixboot command in step 5 instead of the chkdsk /r command

[Duke523]

Thank you Richh0323, I had the same Windows not starting problem and your chkdsk /r command was "Right on the Money". Thanks for sharing.... Dennis

Snohotie Print out the text below follow it to the letter and let me know what happens, this is an attempt to repair the file system, it will not dammage any of the other files. Damaged File System If the second parameter (0xbbbbbbbb) of the Stop error is 0xC0000032, then the file system is damaged. If this is the case, restart the computer to the Recovery Console, and then use the chkdsk /r command to repair the volume. After you repair the volume, check your hardware to isolate the cause of the file system damage. To do this, use the following steps: 1. Start your computer with the Windows startup disks, or with the Windows CD-ROM if your computer can start from the CD-ROM drive. 2. When the Welcome to Setup screen appears, press R to select the repair option. 3. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the Windows installation that you want to access from the Recovery Console. 4. Type the administrator password when you are prompted to do so. NOTE: If no administrator password exists, press ENTER. 5. At the command prompt, on the drive where Windows is installed, type chkdsk /r, and then press ENTER. 6. At the command prompt, type exit, and then press ENTER to restart your computer.For additional information about how to use the Recovery Console in Windows XP, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 314058 Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console If this procedure does not work, repeat it and use the fixboot command in step 5 instead of the chkdsk /r command

[richh0323]

I am glad this information helped

[coolduderyan07]

I have the same exact Problem... But i really dont care about anything on my pc at this point.. besides games.. which i can reinstall.. The rest is just crap that takes up space... Ok now how would I go about reinstalling windows..? I put in the Cd reboot windows... and the blue screen pops up.. how am i supposed to reinstall??????

[richh0323]

Have you changed the boot sequence to boot from the CD first? IF not,you must do so, then look above and follow the instructions. Let us know if you still have problems after this, and we'll try and help.

[hohehot]

Well i got exactly the same probleem but its Registry_ERROR..and also my masterdisk HDD S.M.A.R.T capability is disabled. how can i enable it and fix this probleem?.(i cant find it in CMOS ) please help.

[NinjaSwiftblade]

Hi, everyone. Um...I'm getting the same exact problem as everyone else...with the black screen that's all like "I'm sorry for the inconvience..." and then gives me several different options to boot from. I've never gotten the blue sreen or any error messages. I've run chkdsk /r off the recovery console. I tried fixboot. I even put did the slave/master hard drive switch with a new hardrive...but then it couldn't read my old hardrive and asked if I wanted to format it. Any other suggestions you all might have? It's extremely important for me to get my data off my old hardrive in any way I can, or else I lose about half a year of school. (Yes, I know I'm extremely stupid for not backing up my stuff....)

[richh0323]

Do you see the old hard drive in the BIOS boot up? Is it there now that you put in a new master hard drive? If you want to see if you do have files left on the old hard drive here is a link to Stellar Phoenix great program will help you see what is recoverable. http://www.stellarinfo.com/index.htm

[Large Burgershie]

the Blue Screen refers to the Blue Screen of Death because if you see it your computer is dead!! Anyways heres what I know. Take out CMOS > start computer > let bois scream at you for a moment (beeping) > turn off computer > put CMOS back in and start computer. Start windows mormally FULL reinstallation of windows (format) if you can help losing all your files. Sorry that is all I know if anyone ha a better idea ask them.