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Geek Culture / My computer won't turn on

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Herakles
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Posted: 1st Jun 2009 19:47
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I've got a serious problem with my computer that prevents it from turning on (I'm on a different computer right now). Here's a step by step walkthrough of what happens:

1: I push the power button.

2: It shows the logo for the company I got it from (HP).

3: It shows the "start windows normally", "use last good configuration", or "safe mode" dialogue. No matter what I press it does the same thing.

4: After showing the loading screen for Windows, it goes to BSOD for a half a second and then the whole process starts over again.

My specs:

Windows XP Home Edition, Service Pack 3
512 MB Ram
Nvidia Geforce 8500 GT

I had just done a virus scan a few hours before this first happened, so it's not that. I've had this computer for about a year and a half, and nothing like this has ever happened before. Please help, or I'm doomed!

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http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=147808&b=36
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Van B
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Posted: 1st Jun 2009 19:53
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There's a hex code, real long at the bottom of the BSOD, you should do a google search for that, or at least the first set of digits.

Often a driver file can be corrupted, or a windows system file, usually a driver problem won't stop you running in safe mode. I think that you may have to reinstall, these problems are never easy to fix. Googling that code is really the only chance you have. Follow any instructions you find closely, sometimes you need to go into recovery console, by booting the windows install CD. It's usually the only way to get to a DOS prompt (of sorts) and maybe be able to fix the problem or copy your important files.


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David R
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Posted: 1st Jun 2009 21:27 Edited at: 1st Jun 2009 21:29
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Quote: "BSOD for a half a second and then the whole process starts over again."


Instead of starting Windows normally or in safe mode from the boot menu, select "Disable automatic restart on system failure" (or words to that effect). When the BSoD appears, write down the hex codes after the word STOP. Then use http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms789516.aspx to figure out the issue (left column of that page is what you're going to need to look through - match the text to the error code provided and read through the meaning of each number)

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Roxas
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Posted: 1st Jun 2009 22:48
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Yeah, there are many reasons for this.
eg. your ram could be broken, hardware failure, windows jerking, bios, harddisk messed up. Just a few..

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Diru
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Posted: 1st Jun 2009 23:28
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I had that and it was a broken harddrive, although your problem may be different.

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xplosys
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 00:28
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Quote: "I had just done a virus scan a few hours before this first happened"


Any reason you did that scan? Did you suspect a problem?

It's kind of like saying.... My car won't start, what's wrong with it.
David R gave the correct procedure.

Brian.

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Herakles
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 01:33
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Quote: "There's a hex code, real long at the bottom of the BSOD, you should do a google search for that, or at least the first set of digits."


The problem is that it goes so fast I can't read it. I just see the blue background, and the text goes by so fast I don't think any human being could read them.

Quote: "Instead of starting Windows normally or in safe mode from the boot menu, select "Disable automatic restart on system failure" (or words to that effect)."


No such option appears on the screen.

Quote: "Any reason you did that scan? Did you suspect a problem?"


I always do a scan at least once a week. It's probably just a coincidence that the computer crapped out on the same day that I did the scan.

I sure hope it isn't a hardware related problem, because then I'll probably have to buy a whole new computer. Luckily I backed up all my important stuff last Friday, as I do on every Friday, so I haven't lost anything that matters.

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Roxas
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 01:39
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Tell your friend to download and burn Ubuntu LiveCD or order it. If it works then your computer is okay. But Windows screwed or your Harddisk.

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David R
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 01:53 Edited at: 2nd Jun 2009 02:01
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Quote: "No such option appears on the screen."


Then try "Debugging mode" which should also disable automatic restart (or at least I would be surprised if it does auto-restart on BSoD considering its purpose)

EDIT: Turns out "Disable Automatic restart" is an option only available on the boot menu post-XP, so that explains why you didn't see it

You can however do the same thing by starting in safe mode, My Computer -> (right click) -> Properties -> Advanced -> (Startup and recovery) Settings -> Uncheck "Automatically restart"

Then restart Windows ("Start Windows normally")

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 02:14
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Quote: "512 MB Ram
Nvidia Geforce 8500 GT"


That sounds a bit unbalanced... a decent card (not quite gamer grade but far above average) and the kind of RAM you wouldn't expect to find in a netbook.

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BMacZero
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 02:25
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You might try taking a video of the BSOD and pausing it during playback to get the code



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Herakles
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 02:43 Edited at: 2nd Jun 2009 03:12
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Quote: "Tell your friend "


Huh? What friend?

Quote: "You can however do the same thing by starting in safe mode"


I tried Safe Mode, but it does the same thing. It doesn't show the BSOD, but it still restarts the startup.

Quote: "That sounds a bit unbalanced... a decent card (not quite gamer grade but far above average) and the kind of RAM you wouldn't expect to find in a netbook."


It's a crappy 2 year old email machine I "inherited", so to speak, from my father when he moved across the country about a year ago. It was better than the truly ancient Windows ME piece of crap I was using before (that probably had less than 50 MB of RAM), so for me it was an upgrade. Eventually, I couldn't stand how crappy it was when running newer programs, so I upgraded to the best card I could afford at the time: the Nvidia Geforce 8500 GT.

Quote: "You might try taking a video of the BSOD and pausing it during playback to get the code "


If I had a digital camera capable of filming videos, then I'd have done that already.

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dab
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 02:56
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What about a cell phone? Some digital cameras even have a short film option.

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Herakles
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 03:11
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I don't have a cell phone either. I don't buy small electronic devices I don't need, and since I don't leave my house much I really have little need for a cell phone. Some may call that "cheap", but I call it "utilitarian".

I think what I'll do is try reinstalling the OS, and if that doesn't work it'll mean that I need to get a new computer (please god no!).

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David R
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 16:16
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Did you try debugging mode to see if it still auto-restarts on BSoD?

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Van B
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 16:42
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Maybe there's just enough time to catch 1 digit, get someone to do this with you so you have 2 sets of eyes on the job, but try and get 1 digit at a time by just sitting watching like a hawk and writing them down, using a finger to mark your place, and constantly letting it boot and reboot until you have it all.
One other option that would work is if you had a LCD TV, with a frame freeze button, like freeze the BSOD screen onto the LCD and take note - might take a few tries but it's one option if your TV can deal with that.

Really you either get those digits or blindly reinstall XP, there is no way to fix the problem without those digits, save for reinstalling of course.

I would guess that the issue is caused by a GFX card problem, perhaps you PC is even a little under-powered for the card. For instance nVidia cards all seem to love power, don't give them enough and there's trouble. What WATT power supply are you using?, also how is the GFX card powered? - does it have power inputs for HDD power cables?
If you've bought the card and installed it yourself, there may be a PSU problem caused by the amount of power the card consumes. It's one thing that comes to mind, especially as the whole thing is crashing, BSOD included. I'm not sure now, that a corrupt file would kick out the BSOD, usually it's dodgy hardware that does stuff like that. I have a friend who just had to upgrade their PSU to suit a new 8800, so I'd watch for that.


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Herakles
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 19:26
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I'm going to try reinstalling the OS today, since it's probably going to be faster than trying to piece together that code. I already have everything important backed up, so that's not an issue. Now it's just a matter of finding the CD. Maybe it's buried under a bunch of crap on my desk...

Quote: "One other option that would work is if you had a LCD TV"


My TV still has a built in cassette player. I'm not exactly "high tech" when it comes to electronic entertainment devices.

Quote: "Did you try debugging mode to see if it still auto-restarts on BSoD?"


There's no option on the screen that says "debugging mode". Do you mean Safe Mode? I already tried that and it still restarted (although I didn't get the BSOD).

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David R
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 19:41 Edited at: 2nd Jun 2009 19:42
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If you can't see the Debugging Mode option, then you're somehow not seeing the full boot option menu

No idea why, although I think it's configured to sent debug info across serial as well, so maybe it disables itself if you lack serial ports. Not sure though.

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 19:48
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This desktop has three serial ports in total and no Debugging Mode on the F8 menu.

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David R
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 19:55 Edited at: 2nd Jun 2009 19:55
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That's a bit screwy, it's available on all the machines I use

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 20:00
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Home or Professional? I have Home and so does Herakles.

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David R
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Posted: 2nd Jun 2009 20:03 Edited at: 2nd Jun 2009 20:04
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This machine is Pro, but it should be on all versions of XP.

EDIT: Unless SP3 simplifies/removes entries from the boot menu, possibly?

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Herakles
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Posted: 3rd Jun 2009 00:54
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Well, whatever it was, it was software related and not hardware related. I reinstalled the OS and it's running fine now. Thanks for all the help.

Swordfight! My cheesy little first game!
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David R
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Posted: 3rd Jun 2009 01:07 Edited at: 3rd Jun 2009 01:08
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Well, you can't really know that for sure - for example, if it was disk integrity or something failing along those lines, you've merely delayed the inevitable by reshuffling everything rather than finding and fixing the problem (The BSoD could have been triggered, by say the STOP: FILE_SYSTEM error or potentially anything - especially since it was occurring in both normal boot and safe mode, which normally means it it's a very basic/lowlevel driver or susbsytem failing rather than something more complex)

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Herakles
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Posted: 4th Jun 2009 01:20
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Well, it works for now. Since I always backup my stuff at least once a week (usually on Friday) it doesn't really matter if I have to reinstall the OS every now and then. It's a real pain in the ***, but it's better than having to replace hardware.

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