Windows XP help, please

Jr was doing his homework yesterday and was working in Word when it froze, so he re-booted PC.  Now the PC is caught in a loop when it boots up.

It identifiies that there was an issue and asks if I want to boot in Safe Mode, Last Known Config etc.  I have chosen Safe Mode, Windows Normally, and Last Known Config and can't get beyond the splash screen whereupon it starts the boots sequence again.

I have put in my XP CD in the hope I can either repair or format the PC and also tried to use Norton Save & Restore but it's not recognising the DVD drive.

I have tried all permutations and combinations of boot up in the BIOS but I still can't get beyond the splah screen or get the DVD drive to work

Does anyone have any ideas what I can try next, especially as a format/re-installing a back-up is not an option

Thanks

STOP LOOKING AT PORN

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and making up this rubbish story about it being Jr's fault......

Why is it whenever you have a computer problem, someone says the exact thing above...and leaves without offering any help! Annoying.

Schmunkee, sympathies...i spent hours yesterday sorting my Vista...covered all manner of geekery, from reboots, to config changes, to system restore, to safe mode, to updates, to notepad runs.

Presuming from what you've put that a system restore isn't working? That's always a great easy way to put things back right.

I had a dig around, this looks a decent set of options if not

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/10-things-you-can-do-when-windows-xp-wont-boot/6031733

Cheers Stevie G but most of them need the recovery console on the Installation Disk.  My XP won't even identify the DVD drive for me to run the disc.

Whatever method I chose to re-boot I just get to the splash screen and the re-boot process starts again.  Even in Safe Mode.

If you can boot from USB you can transfer the XP installation cd to a USB stick
The following URL tells you how to do it.

http://pcsplace.com/windows-xp/boot-into-xp-using-a-usb-flash-drive/

The other option is if you have a another pc with a cd-rom drive in it borrow that, some pc bios are less fussy for cd roms compared to DVD which did have issues on some early bios releases.

Alternatively if your a Londoner I would be willing to have a look and can get the box to me.

It could be that the DVD drive is not on the list of drives to be read at start up.  Can you get into the BIOS (can't remember which key to do this, either F2 or F8 on startup)- this should give you a list of the drives and the order they are read.  You should be able to change the order. 

Sounds like you have data corruption on your hard drive. I'd reboot into safe mode and select Command Console. Select the installation you want to recover from, type the administrator password. From the DOS prompt  type 'c:\'.Then type 'c:\chkdsk /F' and go make yourself a cuppa.Wait for it to finish then type 'exit' + return. Reboot your PC normally and it should work.

Russell Nimbus wrote (see)

I'd reboot into safe mode and select Command Console.

I can't even do that

FerrousFerret wrote (see)

It could be that the DVD drive is not on the list of drives to be read at start up.  Can you get into the BIOS (can't remember which key to do this, either F2 or F8 on startup)- this should give you a list of the drives and the order they are read.  You should be able to change the order. 

Squeakz wrote (see)

If you can boot from USB you can transfer the XP installation cd to a USB stick
The following URL tells you how to do it.

http://pcsplace.com/windows-xp/boot-into-xp-using-a-usb-flash-drive/

I will check if I have a USB boot option but not sure.  I may have a floppy disk drive tho

Squeakz wrote (see)

The other option is if you have a another pc with a cd-rom drive in it borrow that, some pc bios are less fussy for cd roms compared to DVD which did have issues on some early bios releases.

Alternatively if your a Londoner I would be willing to have a look and can get the box to me.

Am I being a numpty?  Do you actually mean to take out existing CD/DVD drive and put a new one in?  I can do that as I have 2 spare DVD drives

Hi Schmunkee, removing the DVD and replacing it was exactly what I meant, around the windows XP era some of the AMI bios releases had issues with specific models of DVD players and sometimes replacing them can work. If you have spares could be worth a go.

I finally managed to get the dvd drive to recognise the installation disc but couldn't repair so decided to bite the bullet and format.

Encountered nothing but problems with the screen keep turning itself off.  This happened all throughout yesterday.  Wondered if it was anything to do with my new monitor (bought a couple of weeks ago) so re-connected old monitor.

It still kept turning itself off so decided it might be the Video Card drivers.  I could not get them to update so took it back via System Restore to SP2, but the monitor still kept turning off.  I reckoned I needed a new video card so opened up the tower and it seems to be built in to the motherboard.  So I decided a trip to Maplins was in order for tomorrow.. 

But then I decided to format again, once last time, and put everything on in the usual order.  I went to turn the monitor on and it's now stuck on the motherboard splash screen.

So I have made the executive decision to invest in a whole new base unit.  My current one is 6 years old and I am running XP on it.  I guess a new video card would be around £80 and there is no guarantee that nothing else will go kaput in the near future.

I have been debating about buying Windows 7 for a while (I have two laptops running on it) and it's included in the price of a new base unit.  £249 for the most basic Dell Inspiron 570 but I am hoping I can upgrade it (especially HDD's) as and when necessary

So now I have a question about Office 2010

Obviously I am going to get a basic version included in my package. but I am quite fond of Office 2000 and am loathe to use 2010 but I have noticed on both my laptops that it automatically instals itself when I open an excel spreadsheet. First of all, is there any way I can stop Office 2010 overriding 2000 and  installing itself when I open a spreadsheet.

if I have to suffer offcie 2010 I would buy the full Home and Student version.  My question is this......it may make sense for me to buy the three user version.  All the info says it's for 3 PCs.  Is that literally or can it be put on laptops?

I know Home and Student does not have an e-mail client.  Is there a decent e-mail client out there.  I run a few e-mail addresses and it would be quite handy to have them all pull in to one place.  What are people using to accomplish this? Or is it worth getting the Home and Business Version and getting Outlook included?

Is there anything else I need to be aware of either with the new base unit or Office