Troubleshooting Startup Problems In XP
Thursday, April 1, 2010 19:18
There are many sources of problems that could give you Startup troubles. These include (but are not limited to): defective, incompatible, or incorrectly configured hardware, incompatible (software) device drivers, or a recently installed program.
Problem: Your screen remains blank when you switch on the PC.
Cause: That you are not able to even get the BIOS POST screen indicates a problem with basic hardware.
Solution: Look at the other sections in this guide. Work through the PSU, video card, and motherboard troubleshooting sections before checking the other components.
Problem: After the POST screen, the system hangs.
Cause: Again, more hardware related problems. This time the culprit could be the video card.
Solution: Work through the video card troubleshooting section before checking the other components.
Problem: Your XP computer stops responding at startup.
Cause 1: A device driver or a recently installed software or service is stopping Windows from booting up normally. There has been a corruption in the Windows registry.
Solution 1a: Restart the computer and log into XP in Safe Mode. Open Device Manager and look for any problematic devices. Ensure that any jumper settings on the hardware are properly set. If the hardware is properly configured and you are still facing the problem, then it may mean that the device driver for the hardware needs to be updated. Remove the device through Device Manager and reboot normally. Obtain the updated device drivers for the hardware (through the Internet, a CD, etc.). Run the Add Hardware Wizard and reinstall the device drivers.
