Big problem - need help

[Yannick]

Ok where to start?

I got my new pc about 2 weeks ago now, its still under full warranty. Im on Windows XP Professional, and Service Pack 1a.
My specs are as follows:

AMD 64-bit 3700+
1 Gb A-data RAM, 400Mhz
DFI LanParty nF3 250Gb UT
RX800XT Vivo Platinum
120Gb Western Digital HDD
High Power 420w power supply.

Ok, and to the problems.

Earlier on (im on my mums pc now) on my comp, i scheduled ScanDisk to start up next time my comp was booted up. Later on, my brother was playing UT2003, when it froze. this is normal (see my other thread), and so he pressed the re-set button. while booting, ScanDisk started up. About half way through, my brother (who is young) panicked, as he didnt know what was happening, and so held down the off-button. The comp switched off, so he then pressed it again to turn it back on.
When it started up, The LanParty screen which i nornmally have, came up. then, a new screen came up. Im sure youve seen it - the lack screen which says :

"Wondows did not start sucessfully. Blah blah", then gives you five options for start up:

Start in Safe Mode
Safe mode with networking
Safe mode with Command Prompt

Start with last know good configuration ( last settings that worked)

Start Windows normally.

Ok, now, no matter what i press, all that happens, is a black screen, the the pc resets, and i get that screen again. i cant get passed it, it just resets, no matter what i do.

Does anyone know whats wrong? If not, any good websites, where i can recieve tech help from someone who can help me?
i can take it into a shop, but not for another week, and id rather not spend the mony if i dont have to.

big problem i know - if noone can help, then anyone know plaxces like PCWorld where i can get good help from tech people, or places to look and ring?

thanks, i really wanna get this fixed, that pc was expensive
Blitzkrieg.

[rob.]

ok, first off, dont take a computer back over that, it is meirly an OS/HardDrive problem, not the whole computers gone spastik

it seems that something has been corrupted, ie- windows.

if you didnt have anything important on the PC then i suggest, you format, and re-install windows(being that it ISNT oem). Thats the best i can give you, sorry.

[PitaBred]

Most new PC's ship with a recovery disc (I'm assuming it's a branded machine? Dell or something?). That is probably your best option right now. It will delete all your info, though.
What would be best is if you had a real XP install disc, because you could then do a repair install, and it would at least get you a bootable Windows system.
Short and sweet: Windows is broken, the freezing shouldn't have been tolerated (did you have the newest drivers? Maybe an overloaded PSU?), and you've probably lost your data unless you know some deeper mojo than most people. I could get your stuff off the machine, but I can't walk you through it. Take it to a local computer expert if you have anything terribly valuable you need recovered.

[Monster_user]

Originally Posted by _blitZkRiEG_

...ScanDisk started up. About half way through, ... held down the off-button.

Ouch. What happened was, ScanDisk pull some files off of the drive, and was putting them back to see if the drive was Okay. Before it put them back, the power was lost, and so were the files. Whatever files they were.

Just repair your WinXP installation.

[Yannick]

Thanks guys.

No, it was a custom built pc, so i have no re-format disks, but i also went to another website, and they said to put in my XP disks, and that should reinstall windows. i didnt have anything too important on there, just crap, but that dowsnt matter - better than having no pc. I think the crashes are due too an overloaded PSU, but well worry about that later. Ok, im off to try this out - wish me luck.

[rob.]

so i have no re-format disks

Er, Windows XP has its own formatting utility in the setup, just delete your exsisting partition, then create a new one and format it under NT File System. If your computer was custom built, you should have an XP Cd, But their is one problem, IF the cd is OEM, you wont be able to use it again on the system.

[PitaBred]

If you have an XP CD, it will have a "Repair Install" option when you boot from it. Use that. It'll keep most (if not all) your settings and programs, depending on what was lost.

[Yannick]

Yeah, i tried that, but it wouldnt work - it just had an exit option that was all. Im all done now - completely new pc...

Doesnt matter, i didnt have much, just gotts re-download all my programs...