I have an Intel dual core 2.4 ghz running XP Pro SP2. After a couple of
reboots to install some USB devices including a USB to Parallel cable for a
printer, I wasn't able to reboot the machine. All I get is the very first DOS
type screen where the Function keys are listed at the bottom of the page.
I've tried F8, F12, etc. to try to get to the boot screen with no luck. The
first screen just sits there (for as long as 30 minutes) and I have to power
down via the power button.

The machine had been working just fine for weeks before this problem. Any
ideas on what might be wrong and any possible solutions to get it running
again?

"Fred615" <Fred615@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:356A8357-CAC2-4993-BE8B-E6D5CD50ABCF@microsoft.com...
>I have an Intel dual core 2.4 ghz running XP Pro SP2. After a couple of
> reboots to install some USB devices including a USB to Parallel cable for
> a
> printer, I wasn't able to reboot the machine. All I get is the very first
> DOS
> type screen where the Function keys are listed at the bottom of the page.
> I've tried F8, F12, etc. to try to get to the boot screen with no luck.
> The
> first screen just sits there (for as long as 30 minutes) and I have to
> power
> down via the power button.
>
> The machine had been working just fine for weeks before this problem. Any
> ideas on what might be wrong and any possible solutions to get it running
> again?

What are the words you see after the BIOS messages?

"Fred615" <Fred615@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:356A8357-CAC2-4993-BE8B-E6D5CD50ABCF@microsoft.com...
>I have an Intel dual core 2.4 ghz running XP Pro SP2. After a couple of
> reboots to install some USB devices including a USB to Parallel cable for
> a
> printer, I wasn't able to reboot the machine. All I get is the very first
> DOS
> type screen where the Function keys are listed at the bottom of the page.
> I've tried F8, F12, etc. to try to get to the boot screen with no luck.
> The
> first screen just sits there (for as long as 30 minutes) and I have to
> power
> down via the power button.
>
> The machine had been working just fine for weeks before this problem. Any
> ideas on what might be wrong and any possible solutions to get it running
> again?

And, if you disconnect all the USB devices, does it boot properly?

HTH
-pk

"Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:

>
> "Fred615" <Fred615@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:356A8357-CAC2-4993-BE8B-E6D5CD50ABCF@microsoft.com...
> >I have an Intel dual core 2.4 ghz running XP Pro SP2. After a couple of
> > reboots to install some USB devices including a USB to Parallel cable for
> > a
> > printer, I wasn't able to reboot the machine. All I get is the very first
> > DOS
> > type screen where the Function keys are listed at the bottom of the page.
> > I've tried F8, F12, etc. to try to get to the boot screen with no luck.
> > The
> > first screen just sits there (for as long as 30 minutes) and I have to
> > power
> > down via the power button.
> >
> > The machine had been working just fine for weeks before this problem. Any
> > ideas on what might be wrong and any possible solutions to get it running
> > again?
>
> What are the words you see after the BIOS messages?
>
>
>
If you mean what follows the "Award BIOS, etc" line at the top, then it is

"CPU : Intel, etc"
"Memory Test : 1 GB OK + 8M shared memory"

and then blank except for the boot and bios instructions at the bottom of
the screen.

"Fred615" <Fred615@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:B8D1A3D9-A789-4480-9D83-34D510EDEBED@microsoft.com...
>
>
> "Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:
>
>>
>> "Fred615" <Fred615@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:356A8357-CAC2-4993-BE8B-E6D5CD50ABCF@microsoft.com...
>> >I have an Intel dual core 2.4 ghz running XP Pro SP2. After a couple of
>> > reboots to install some USB devices including a USB to Parallel cable
>> > for
>> > a
>> > printer, I wasn't able to reboot the machine. All I get is the very
>> > first
>> > DOS
>> > type screen where the Function keys are listed at the bottom of the
>> > page.
>> > I've tried F8, F12, etc. to try to get to the boot screen with no luck.
>> > The
>> > first screen just sits there (for as long as 30 minutes) and I have to
>> > power
>> > down via the power button.
>> >
>> > The machine had been working just fine for weeks before this problem.
>> > Any
>> > ideas on what might be wrong and any possible solutions to get it
>> > running
>> > again?
>>
>> What are the words you see after the BIOS messages?
>>
>>
>>
> If you mean what follows the "Award BIOS, etc" line at the top, then it is
>
> "CPU : Intel, etc"
> "Memory Test : 1 GB OK + 8M shared memory"
>
> and then blank except for the boot and bios instructions at the bottom of
> the screen.

The absence of any Windows-related messages suggests that
the Windows boot files never begin to load, which could be
caused by a motherboard or a hard disk problem. What happens
when you boot the machine with your Windows CD? Remember
to get into the BIOS first and to set the CD drive as the primary
boot device.

I tried booting with the CD after trying the first set of "F" buttons didn't
work. The DVD drive wouldspin up and the light would flicker for about 6
seconds and then nothing..

I've tried <DEL>, <F8>, <F12>, and <F9> and cannot get beyond the first
screen except that when I use <DEL> (to get to the BIOS) the bottom lines
change from the listing of the "F" buttons to a line that says "Preparing to
Enter Setup" and then the last line is "01/11/2007- I945-6A79TG0RC-00"..
And that's as far as it goes..

Fred615



"Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:

>
> "Fred615" <Fred615@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:B8D1A3D9-A789-4480-9D83-34D510EDEBED@microsoft.com...
> >
> >
> > "Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> "Fred615" <Fred615@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:356A8357-CAC2-4993-BE8B-E6D5CD50ABCF@microsoft.com...
> >> >I have an Intel dual core 2.4 ghz running XP Pro SP2. After a couple of
> >> > reboots to install some USB devices including a USB to Parallel cable
> >> > for
> >> > a
> >> > printer, I wasn't able to reboot the machine. All I get is the very
> >> > first
> >> > DOS
> >> > type screen where the Function keys are listed at the bottom of the
> >> > page.
> >> > I've tried F8, F12, etc. to try to get to the boot screen with no luck.
> >> > The
> >> > first screen just sits there (for as long as 30 minutes) and I have to
> >> > power
> >> > down via the power button.
> >> >
> >> > The machine had been working just fine for weeks before this problem.
> >> > Any
> >> > ideas on what might be wrong and any possible solutions to get it
> >> > running
> >> > again?
> >>
> >> What are the words you see after the BIOS messages?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> > If you mean what follows the "Award BIOS, etc" line at the top, then it is
> >
> > "CPU : Intel, etc"
> > "Memory Test : 1 GB OK + 8M shared memory"
> >
> > and then blank except for the boot and bios instructions at the bottom of
> > the screen.
>
> The absence of any Windows-related messages suggests that
> the Windows boot files never begin to load, which could be
> caused by a motherboard or a hard disk problem. What happens
> when you boot the machine with your Windows CD? Remember
> to get into the BIOS first and to set the CD drive as the primary
> boot device.
>
>
>

"Patrick Keenan" wrote:

> "Fred615" <Fred615@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:356A8357-CAC2-4993-BE8B-E6D5CD50ABCF@microsoft.com...
> >I have an Intel dual core 2.4 ghz running XP Pro SP2. After a couple of
> > reboots to install some USB devices including a USB to Parallel cable for
> > a
> > printer, I wasn't able to reboot the machine. All I get is the very first
> > DOS
> > type screen where the Function keys are listed at the bottom of the page.
> > I've tried F8, F12, etc. to try to get to the boot screen with no luck.
> > The
> > first screen just sits there (for as long as 30 minutes) and I have to
> > power
> > down via the power button.
> >
> > The machine had been working just fine for weeks before this problem. Any
> > ideas on what might be wrong and any possible solutions to get it running
> > again?
>
> And, if you disconnect all the USB devices, does it boot properly?
>
> HTH
> -pk
>
>
>
Before running the last set of trials (and prior to my reply to the previous
response) I tried booting with NO USB's connected. didn't make any
difference...

I suspect a serious hardware error. Best to take your
machine to a qualified dealer.


"Fred615" <Fred615@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0550302C-C60E-47F5-B35B-D59053D420B5@microsoft.com...
>I tried booting with the CD after trying the first set of "F" buttons
>didn't
> work. The DVD drive wouldspin up and the light would flicker for about 6
> seconds and then nothing..
>
> I've tried <DEL>, <F8>, <F12>, and <F9> and cannot get beyond the first
> screen except that when I use <DEL> (to get to the BIOS) the bottom lines
> change from the listing of the "F" buttons to a line that says "Preparing
> to
> Enter Setup" and then the last line is "01/11/2007- I945-6A79TG0RC-00"..
> And that's as far as it goes..
>
> Fred615
>
>
>
> "Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:
>
>>
>> "Fred615" <Fred615@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:B8D1A3D9-A789-4480-9D83-34D510EDEBED@microsoft.com...
>> >
>> >
>> > "Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:
>> >
>> >>
>> >> "Fred615" <Fred615@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> >> news:356A8357-CAC2-4993-BE8B-E6D5CD50ABCF@microsoft.com...
>> >> >I have an Intel dual core 2.4 ghz running XP Pro SP2. After a couple
>> >> >of
>> >> > reboots to install some USB devices including a USB to Parallel
>> >> > cable
>> >> > for
>> >> > a
>> >> > printer, I wasn't able to reboot the machine. All I get is the very
>> >> > first
>> >> > DOS
>> >> > type screen where the Function keys are listed at the bottom of the
>> >> > page.
>> >> > I've tried F8, F12, etc. to try to get to the boot screen with no
>> >> > luck.
>> >> > The
>> >> > first screen just sits there (for as long as 30 minutes) and I have
>> >> > to
>> >> > power
>> >> > down via the power button.
>> >> >
>> >> > The machine had been working just fine for weeks before this
>> >> > problem.
>> >> > Any
>> >> > ideas on what might be wrong and any possible solutions to get it
>> >> > running
>> >> > again?
>> >>
>> >> What are the words you see after the BIOS messages?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> > If you mean what follows the "Award BIOS, etc" line at the top, then it
>> > is
>> >
>> > "CPU : Intel, etc"
>> > "Memory Test : 1 GB OK + 8M shared memory"
>> >
>> > and then blank except for the boot and bios instructions at the bottom
>> > of
>> > the screen.
>>
>> The absence of any Windows-related messages suggests that
>> the Windows boot files never begin to load, which could be
>> caused by a motherboard or a hard disk problem. What happens
>> when you boot the machine with your Windows CD? Remember
>> to get into the BIOS first and to set the CD drive as the primary
>> boot device.
>>
>>
>>

A friend suggested that maybe the system wasn't looking at the HD with
partition C: and suggested I disconnect the other hard drive. Presto! It
booted and everything was good except I didn't have the second drive active.

But, when poking around the hard drive data, I noticed that the boot drive
is showing up as drive(1) and the secondary drive as drive (0). I'm sure that
is why it was trying to boot from the second hard drive. So, now the question
is, is it possible to reassign the drives to the correct physical addresses
without screwing up the entire system?