Computer starts up o/k, instead of loading xp normally an unusual login screen appears, input password, screen goes blue with a small box in the centre, in the the centre of the small box is a large red X. Clicking on the cancel button returns to the login screen. This cycle repeats until I switch off. Computer loads in safe mode o/k but I can't get xp to load properly, always as above. Tried 5 different dates of system restore, computer returns message saying unable to restore. Tried repair in recovery off xp CD, now lost all restore points machine still with same fault. Disk repair finds nothing, boot log shows many drivers not loaded. This fault suddenly happened for no apparent reason. Any idears I'm really stuck? Thanks.

Do you login to the built in admin account or an account that was created for you?

In Safe Mode type in the Run... box: control userpasswords2

This should show all your accounts. Hopefully you will see an account named Administrator that is other than the account you usually use.

If so try to boot again normally and at the login screen press Ctrl Alt Delete

This should show that Administrator account as a possible login. If not try again but press Ctrl Alt delete twice in succession.

See if you can login to this account. If so you might want to delete the other user and create a new one. Of course save any important data that is under that user first.

In a worse case scenario you can run a Repair Install that should leave your data intact as seen here:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XP...install.htm#RI

Already done all that twice still the same. What I can't understand is that safe mode runs o/k and there doesn't seem to be a disk problem.

Try booting into the Recovery Console again and run the command FIXBOOT

Other possible commands here: FIXMBR and BOOTCFG

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058

If none of them work a Repair Install might be necessary.

Apologies, thanks for your replies. Just done fixboot.fixmbr,bootcfg then repair install, after completion of repair machine hangs in a blank blue,XP starting up screen. On restarting fault is just the same. I will be trying a new hard disk next to prove motherboard.

Jephree
Got it going with a fresh install of XP without formatting, it must have been a corruption of the original installation that could not be repaired any other way, I have learnt something.
Thanks for your help.

Thanks for the update and the thanks.

Let us know if we can help further in the future.