Robert writes:

<<I've got a friends computer that stopped booting.  It boots to the
desktop showing the wallpaper then stops short of the icons popping on the
screen>>

Try any or all of these methods to resolve startup problems:

1. There's probably a conflict between the startup programs.  In dos, see
if you can get to Windows Startup folder and remove everything in it.  Make
a note of the programs you remove.  They are only shortcuts in this folder
and can be easily replaced later if or when you get the system running
again. Ideally, you should have only Explorer and Sytray running.  If this
fixes the problem, then identify the culprit by adding each startup prog
back one at a time, rebooting each time.   Particularly suspect any
Crash-proof or a-v software.

2. Check if there's an autoexec.bat file in C-Drive, move or rename it
temporarily if there is. It may be starting something even in Safe Mode
(a-v programs like Nortons and McAfee are activated by an autoexec.bat)
.  Trouble is, the autoexec.bat is re-created by the registry at every
boot, so this may not work.  You'd have to restore back to a registry made
before any such program was installed.
Autoexec.bat is not vital to Windows, and may safely be removed. Best just
rename it autoexec.old, then you can examine it in Notepad later.

3. Use step-by-step boot when you see the startup menu, eliminating
everything that's not absolutely necessary---ie all startup programs,
especially a-v and system utilities, which usually cause more problems than
they solve.

4. Restore the registry by going back to the original "system 1st" if you
know how--though it's a bit of a tricky procedure.  This will restore the
registry from a backup made the first time Windows was installed. Has to be
done in dos from a startup floppy.

5. Once you get Windows running, download Bootlog Analyser (freeware), then
run a logged startup from boot menu.  BLA will show you where (therefore
why) loading is stalling. Or, without the utility, you can read the logged
file, "bootlog.txt" I think is its name, in C-Drive, or maybe in Windows
folder. This may be useful later if do manage to Windows up and running.
You may be able to read this file from dos.

6. Disabling Power Management might possibly help--this is known to be
troublesome in Compaq's. But that's not usually a startup problem, as far
as I know, more a shutdown problem.

Don Penlington
Free computer tutorials at: http://www.geocities.com/donaldpen/
Also Fractal Galleries,  free icons,  poetry,  and beautiful Queensland beaches.

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