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Windows xp freezes at log-in screen

Last answer on Sep 4, 2009 6:40:06 am BST eluvlee, on Oct 23, 2008 3:04:49 am BST 
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Hello, i need help in determing the best way to fix my system. my system only starts up as far as the windows log-in screen and then freezes. i can only get in under safe mode w/networking, which is how i'm using it now. I did some registry changes (bad, bad, bad, i know) but i was following trails of adware/spyware tracks revealed by spybot and i guess i deleted something important. Also, as a side note, i had a "securom" folder on my system from the last Sims 2 expansion pack that mysteriously disappeared and it was not one of my targets at the time that i was mucking around, but i keep reading about how it can really fudge up your system, so i'm concerned that it may be a factor of this crisis.

Anyway, it started with my mouse freezing while playing Sims2 and CoH 3d games, and I thot maybe it's the Logitech marblemouse drivers, so i updated them. Still freezing, so then i thot it's my Nvidia GeForce 5500 card drivers, so i updated them. then my AVG 8.0 free antivir kept acting funny, so i uninstalled it along with other progs i haven't used for a long time, all the expired trial games my kids dl'd, and i dumped every "temp" folder i could find, trying to clear out whatever was causing the glitch in my system. Then when i restarted after all of that, the system wouldn't get past the log-in screen. I tried to do a system restore (via safe mode) but am unable because the system freezes before the restore process is completed. I can't seem to get my dvd burner to work while in safe mode (is that normal?) and i'm afraid to lose everything I've amassed (and not backed up yet) if i have to reformat and reinstall. And of course i didn't do a full registry backup, i only backed up the registry folders i really chopped into with my delete key and now i don't even know how to restore those files. any help anyone could offer would be so incredibly appreciated (and if you could restrain yourself from repeating how stupid, stuuupid, stoooopid i was for messing around where i had no business, that would serve me best, as i'm already heartbroken and run into ground over the whole matter already). i just downloaded HiJack this but i am unable to run it yet. Are there any other scans I should dl/run???

Configuration: Windows XP
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1

xpcman, on Oct 23, 2008 4:21:52 am BST

Since you had a virus and then deleted unknown parts of Windows. You may need professional help. But, that costs money $200 to $300 here in the States.

The best bet is to buy a new hard drive ($40 - $100) - remove the old hard drive - install Windows on the new hard drive - and apply Windows updates. This is the only 100% sure way to safe guard your data.

Then and only then install the old hard drive. You could get a USB external case ($30-50) for the drive or install it in the PC case. If you install it in the case you will need to change the jumper from "master" to "slave".

If you have to get someone to do this hardware work - it might be cheaper to buy a new computer and transfer the old drive.

Once the old drive in reinstalled you should have access to its data.

We all need a good backup program and external drive these days.

   
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2

eluvlee, on Oct 25, 2008 1:46:36 am BST

Xpcman wrote:
"Since you had a virus and then deleted unknown parts of Windows. You may need professional help. But, that costs money $200 to $300 here in the States....If you have to get someone to do this hardware work - it might be cheaper to buy a new computer and transfer the old drive.."

Huh?? it's never "cheaper to get a new computer" when all I have to do is get a new hard drive and reinstall the os, if it comes to that. That is something i can do myself. Altho I'm no computer expert, I built this computer myself chossing each component as I saw fit, so I'm not a total noob either. I'm not as knowledgable as I'd like to be about programming, software, amd registry entries, but I expect that this "freezing" matter is something pretty simple to remedy. I never suspected a virus, just a conflicting software entry and now, likely, a missing registry entry.

Well, I already considered the option of getting a new HDD or just reformating this one since I've already moved the files that are important to me to my 2ndary partition (f: drive) and I can just do a repair of WinXp or reformat of my c: drive. But i did't want to go thru all of that. So I was just hoping that there was some registry-checking program that could do some sort of verification of necessary registry entries and possible identify what's missing so i can fill in the blanks and get things running smoothly again. I was able to boot up 2 times today already (without safe mode) and get on without any delay and so far so good, it's working fine, but i suspect that it will freeze up at any moment and i'll have to hard boot again.

On another forum somewhere, i read that this may also be a symptom of my psu getting ready to quit on me, so that's another lead that i'll likely follow-up on. But thank you for your input anyway. I still hope that someone else will respond with some alternate options or at least confirm that my contigency to repair/reinstall/replace PSU is headed in the right direction. I just don't want to do anything else drastic, unnecessarily.

   
Reply to eluvlee

4

mart9012, on Jan 5, 2009 6:00:02 pm GMT
  • +3

Never underestimate the problems raised by failing PSUs. I checked the PSU last and of course that was exactly the problem. Lots of little problems I guess caused by the motherboard struggling for stable power. Computer version of diabetes i guess.

This is a while ago so i have no idea whether this was fixed, be interesting to find out what it was.

   
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5

eluvlee, on Jan 22, 2009 5:43:46 pm GMT
  • +3

To MART9012:

Thanks for your reply and encouragement.

It turned out to be a conflict between an update to the McAfee Security Suite that comes with Comcast's Broadband services and my other anti-virus/spyware programs that was causing the crash at the login screen while the startup files were loading. Had I just identified that and uninstalled the security suite first before I started mucking around in the registry, it would have been resolved effortlessly. While in safemode, I removed the entire software suite, but obviously, I really did delete some other important start up entries/files of some sort as well, because now it was letting me login, but then would freeze when my other programs began loading their startup files.

Well, I decided a reinstall of the OS was likely the only remedy at that point. However, I ended up doing a "repair" to winxp using the install disk and a technique where you basically replace/rename/overwrite some of the startup task entries/files which worked like a charm (http://icrontic.com/articles/repair_windows_xp). I didn't lose ANY of my files or programs. YEAH!

However, I did end up with another issue once i got my system back up:

In my haste to get my "baby" back up and running, I flew thru the process without pulling my internet connection out (meanwhile none of my Anti-virus software was active while I did the fix), and I "caught" the ANTIVIRUS 2009 browserhelper virus. But MALWAREBYTES dispatched of that nuisance with extreme prejudice, and I was able to get back on track in a snap. I have not reinstalled McAfee bcuz between AVAST, SPYBOT, & MALWAREBYTES which I run often, I seem to be pretty well covered (so far).

And I never did get a new PSU since it didn't seem to be the problem after all, but all is well again. :~)

   
Reply to eluvlee

3

AVAra, on Oct 29, 2008 10:01:53 pm GMT

You don't need to get a new HDD !
you can get win xp life CD (google it) and run windows directly through the CD, move all the data from the partition where your OS is and format it after that install a new Windows.

Btw i have the same freeze problem with my XP but i can not start it at all (even in save mode) and i didn't install new hardware or software just restarted it through the restart button on the case.
Staying with Vista for now... :)

   
Reply to AVAra

6

eluvlee, on Jan 22, 2009 6:10:27 pm GMT
  • +1

I used these instructions to get my pc back up: http://icrontic.com/articles/repair_windows_xp. It worked wonders, but the instructions caution that it works best if the matter is not related to a virus attack. My issue was apparently not a virus attack but software conflicts which I made worse by ignorantly fumbling thru my registry (where I had no business, since my knowledge there is far too limited to be useful). I ended up with "Hive" errors and such once I got McAfee removed. I found this fix via googling for hive error fixes and OS repair suggestions. Maybe this process will help you too.

I don't know much about Vista, so I cannot comment on whether it is better than XP or not. I am never very thrilled about new OS from Microsoft bcuz it seem that each new OS takes away more and more control of my pc from me as the owner, giving more and more remote control over to MS. And I don't dig that at all.

   
Reply to eluvlee

7

andre, on Jan 30, 2009 12:27:29 pm GMT

Just press ctrl+alt+del at the logon screen (normal boot) and type your user account and password, if you don't have any password just leave it blank.

   
Reply to andre

8

 ryan, on Jul 14, 2009 8:09:49 pm BST

Like you said be verry carfull in the regestry!!! Windows is Absolutly Sh*t And should probably be overtaken by apple or lunix, even the Xbox 360 is crap and is easaly put to shame by the ps3, Sony and apple! i only use XP for The Sims 2 & Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.If like me you DO NOT WANT THE PROBLEMS THAT XP AND VIST HAS GO TO THE BETTER VERSION OF WINDOWS, APPLE SOFTWEAR. The best microsoft has to offer is windows mobile 7 like my HTC Tyton II. PS. The sims 2 rocks and so dose the sims 3!!!! YEA!!!

   
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