Please Help!!! My desktop will only boot to the Windows XP Screen, after about 5 mins it will just go to a black screen and will not do anything. I've tried to start in every safe mode offered however all I get is the safe mode with a black background and does not work! I don't know what to do.

Did you try Safe Mode / System Restore?

Do you have a Microsoft XP CD or was XP pre-installed (OEM)?

If the latter what is the exact make and model of the computer?

Originally Posted by jephree

Did you try Safe Mode / System Restore?

Do you have a Microsoft XP CD or was XP pre-installed (OEM)?

If the latter what is the exact make and model of the computer?

I tried to boot in Safe Mode but all I get is a black screen with Safe mode in the 4 corners, and Microsoft (R) Windows XP (R) (Build2600) message at the top. it won't respond to anything else.

XP was pre-installed.

The make is An EMACHINE T1120 I believe, i'm not 100% sure though it's not the computer I use, but my brother.

T1120 Support Information
http://www.emachines.com/support/pro...es&model=T1120

eMachine offers little help on-line

Do you have the manual? You will need to boot the Recovery CD and check what options are available to you.

When you start your eMachine, press either del, F1, or F2 key to enter setup (BIOS). Make sure it's set to boot from the CDRom 1st, HDD 2nd. Then press ctrl|alt|del to reboot (make sure the CD is in the drive before you do), and you should be on your way.

See if they offer a Recovery Console. If not there should be a choice between a Destructive and Non-destructive Reinstallation of XP.

There might also be an alternative set of Safe Mode options.

Boot the disk and see what comes up. Let us know.

Unfortunately he doesn't know where the disks are..

I do however have the Microsoft XP Installation disks for my Dell, would those work just the same?

Most likely no. Every manufacturer tailors these disks to their machines.

Of course you can try it just to see if you can get anywhere but I doubt it.

There is little else that you can do except contact eMachine and purchase new disks or purchase a new XP from Microsoft.

Recovery disks are as important as any computer

http://www.emachines.com/support/options.html

You could try booting Knoppix just to access the hard drive data but it probably won't offer any avenue of repair.

http://www.knoppix.org/

I can open the recovery console on the EMACHINE, however I have no idea how to use this console or what commands to use in order to fix my problem???

All I can do from here is assume that the Recovery Console is the same as Microsofts'.

That being said I would suggest this:



If you cannot boot into Windows I would suggest first trying the Recovery Console:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;EN-US;307654

To try to fix the boot:

Assuming that your XP is on C: then:

Type:

FIXMBR C:

then enter. After that completes type:

FIXBOOT C:

then enter. After that completes type:

BOOTCFG /rebuild

then enter. After that completes type:

EXIT

then reboot.

If in the process you are asked to run chkdsk say YES.

Also after the BOOTCFG /rebuild you will be prompted to:

C:\Windows
1. Add installation to boot list? (Yes/No/All):
2. Enter Load Identifier: (Custom description for an operating system loading from the Boot menu)
3. Enter Operating System Load Options: (that is: /fastdetect)

Reply:
1. Yes
2. XP
3. /fastdetect

It's telling me now that I need to write a new MBR? Is that what I want to do, or will it be more harmful to my computer??

At what point does this come up? Did you run all of the above commands?

Is it offering to write a new MBR or asking you to?



Anything you do without eMachine disks will be somewhat risky.

That the computer is responding to your Dell disk actually surprises me.