Windows XP Pro won't boot (even in safe mode)

[Smash144]

Okay guys I come to you with yet another XP problem. Heres the situation:

The computer powers on
power on self test runs, ram is checked, devices are detected, the bios does its thing.
Screen goes blank, and normally at this point the loading windows xp screen comes up showing the load progress indicator.
However, the screen just stays blank, and the system hangs.

I can hit F8 at the right moment to bring up the boot options window for windows before the system hangs. If I try safe mode, the same thing happens. Same with last good known configuration.

This is a friend's computer. She said she wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, simply playing a game. The sound started to get messed up (she said it got 'scratchy'), so she rebooted the computer. The sound got even worse after reboot, so she tried again (as if it might magically work if she tried it again), at this point the system started to hang during the boot and now I'm left to figure out why and fix the problem. I'd appreciate any suggestions and help offered. Thanks guys.

 

[Lord Evermore]

First check the BIOS and make sure the processor isn't getting too hot, and make sure the fans are working. I presume the full amount of memory is detected and passes tests.

See if the system will boot to a floppy disc or bootable CDROM just to see if it can get to that point (since you can get a boot menu, it probably will work).

Unfortunately, Microsoft didn't see fit to make the System Restore feature available unless you can boot into the OS in the first place.

If nothing you do lets you get into the OS, you've got two options. Boot from the XP CD, and use the Recovery Console to run chkdsk to be sure it's not corrupted. Or, use the Repair option during the install process, to repair the installation without wiping out all the application settings, program files, start menu, all that stuff that was such a bother to reinstall when you had to rebuild a Win98 machine. When you boot to the XP disc, go through the setup process until it locates the existing installation, then tell it to repair the existing install. It reinstalls original drivers and settings, so you end up with basically a fresh install of XP, but with all the programs you had before. It will need to go through the normal new install process of detecting devices and loading drivers for them all. You'll then need to run through Windows Update several times because all the updates are gone, and any customization of the interface will be gone as well.

You might also get another hard drive that you know is good, and verify that the system will boot to that drive.

 

[NogginBoink]

If you can hit F8 and get the menu, then the BIOS is loading ntldr properly.

Hmmm.... first thing I'd do is boot to recovery console and run chkdsk against the drive in this case.