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Topic: Windows XP Can't Start Up |
Derrick Mau
From:
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 11 Aug 2011 9:32 pm |
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| My Windows XP won't startup. Screen goes black and there is a white flashing hyphen on the top left of the screen. Anyone have any idea what is going on? |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 11 Aug 2011 10:19 pm Re: Windows XP Can't Start Up
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| Derrick Mau wrote: |
| My Windows XP won't startup. Screen goes black and there is a white flashing hyphen on the top left of the screen. Anyone have any idea what is going on? |
Here are some possible explanations for the black screen and blinking dash.
- BIOS/CMOS battery is drained completely
- RAM module or modules have gone bad
- Hard drive is locked up mechanically
- CPU has overheated from loose heatsink or failed fan
- video card or chipset has failed
- power supply has lost one leg of voltage to the mainboard
- A chip or device on the motherboard has failed
- Leaking capacitors on the motherboard have created electrical problems
- A second IDE or SATA device, or secondary channel device has gone bad and shorted out
- Creatures have taken up residence inside the case and eaten wires or components
- Cards or RAM that plug into sockets have come loose from heat or vibration
- The monitor or monitor cable is going bad.
- The power block you are plugged into, or wall outlet is bad
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Ray Minich
From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
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Posted 12 Aug 2011 1:19 pm
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Wiz... You need to hand out antidepressants when you give a diagnosis... 
_________________
Lawyers are done: Emmons SD-10, 3 Dekleys including a D10, NV400, and lots of effects units to cover my clams... |
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Chris Dorch
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 12 Aug 2011 8:19 pm Re: Windows XP Can't Start Up
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| Wiz Feinberg wrote: |
[*]The monitor or monitor cable is going bad.
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Not possible... There would be no flashing hyphen....
My vote is for the "creatures...." |
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Chris Dorch
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 12 Aug 2011 8:22 pm Re: Windows XP Can't Start Up
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| Derrick Mau wrote: |
| My Windows XP won't startup. Screen goes black and there is a white flashing hyphen on the top left of the screen. Anyone have any idea what is going on? |
Are there beep or light codes? |
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Derrick Mau
From:
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 13 Aug 2011 2:50 am
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No sound, just a flashing hyphen.
Wiz, thanks for the list. |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 13 Aug 2011 8:33 am
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| Derrick Mau wrote: |
No sound, just a flashing hyphen.
Wiz, thanks for the list. :D |
The computer cannot boot without instructions from the BIOS chip. This is the Basic Input Output System. BIOS batteries are normally good for about 5 years or so. Then, they run out of juice and die, or drop below the critical voltage required to power the BIOS.
Try replacing the BIOS battery, which is usually type CR 2032. They are sold in drugstores and everywhere else where batteries are stocked. The battery is about 3/4" diameter x 1/8" thick and sits in a plastic clip with metal terminals on the bottom and sides. A dead BIOS battery causes the boot process to fail.
If the new battery restores text to the monitor, press the designated key (usually F1) to enter Setup. There, load the (safe) defaults, save and exit the BIOS. If the PC boots, the problem has been fixed.
If changing the BIOS battery doesn't fix it, take the computer to a repair shop for final analysis. If the motherboard is bad, but hard drive is salvageable, you can have it hooked up as a slave drive in a new or used, working computer. That way, you won't lose valuable data, audio and video files.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Derrick Mau
From:
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 17 Aug 2011 2:54 am
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Hi Wiz,
I replacing the BIOS battery (it was weak) but still had the same problem after booting up.
Sent the computer to the shop. Should get it back this Thursday. Will let you know what happened.
Thanks for your help. |
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Derrick Mau
From:
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 20 Aug 2011 11:27 pm
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Computer just back from the shop.
Although I had a Symantac and Malwarebytes program running, always updated, and scanned regularly, the repairman said a virus caused it.
He cleared the harddrive and reloaded in Windows XP and copied all of my programs.
I'm skeptical about a virus causing this . . . but, everything is up and running fine now.
Thanks everyone for your input. |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 21 Aug 2011 7:15 am
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| Derrick Mau wrote: |
Computer just back from the shop.
Although I had a Symantac and Malwarebytes program running, always updated, and scanned regularly, the repairman said a virus caused it.
He cleared the harddrive and reloaded in Windows XP and copied all of my programs.
I'm skeptical about a virus causing this . . . but, everything is up and running fine now.
Thanks everyone for your input. :D |
It is technically feasible for a poorly written MBR infector to cause a failure to boot. Many such viruses have bugs, causing their host computers to die, rather than become zombies in botnets. However, the actual fix for this on an XP computer only takes a couple minutes.
Insert XP CD
Boot from CD
Choose Setup
Choose Repair using Recovery Console
At Command Prompt, type: FIXMBR
Press ENTER
Type EXIT and restart, minus boot sector infector.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Derrick Mau
From:
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 22 Aug 2011 10:52 am
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| Thanks Wiz! |
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