Computer has frozen on windows logo
1) Which version of Windows ?
For the following discussion I am assuming it is 2000, XP
or higher. You may also want to print this, it's long.
2) Is this this the low resolution Windows logo on the black
screen?
3) Reboot the machine using the RESET switch and press F8
during the boot up:
After the post and memory test,
After the enumeration of the hard drives,
After the HD, I/O and interrupt vector information screen
(if it shows you any of these)
But before the Windows LOGO
(timing is critical so you have to experiment)
Also if you enter the BIOS, turn on all reporting screens,
memory tests ... etc for now.
4) If you hit the F8 Key at the correct time, Windows will
come back with a black and white prompt screen
asking you to chose:
a) reboot normally
b) reboot in safe mode
c) -//- with networking
d) -//- in console mode
e) reboot to last known good configuration
etc...
5) Chose the last known good configuration, this should restore
the system state back to the way it was before PANDO
update. If you get back into windows at this point, uninstall
the old pando and re-install it. Forget the upgrade.
6) If it still freezes, try to repeat the process, but this time
chose safe mode with networking.
7) If that fails choose safe mode (without networking)
this tell you if the network stack or drivers have been
corrupted, causing Windows to hang.
8) If you get in at this point, uninstall Pando ... etc.
9) If you still can't get in, try safe mode in console mode.
10) if you get in at this point, edit the boot.ini file to display
driver information during the boot process:
Assuming your boot is on drive C:, enter the following
commands at the command prompt:
C:\
cd \
attrib -R -S -H Boot.ini
Edit Boot.ini
.....
This should open up the boot.ini file inside a primitive
DOS-like text editor, with a blue background.
Now look for a section called:
[operating systems]
multi(...)disk(..)rdisk(...)partition(...)\Windows="......"
......
Find the line that points to your windows installation.
The numbers in parenthesis represent the drive and
partition of the Windows installation using the universal
ARC format:
multi = disc controller, usually 0
disk = SCSI disk number, usually 0 for IDE's
rdisk = IDE disk identifier, usually 0 or 1
partition = partition number not including the EXTENDED
partition container.
These numbers, unlike numbers reported by windows tools
are zero based, so they can be inconsistent. The best advice
is to leave them alone, because you could totally lock your
self out of the system by setting them wrong.
Now...
At the end of the line describing the location of your windows,
after the last quotation mark, enter at least one space,
followed by the switch: /SOS
This switch causes windows drivers to be displayed
as they are loading.
Save the file, close the editor and reboot the machine in
normal mode.
Take note of the drivers as they are loading.
Don't worry about the ones that scroll of your screen,
it is the last one that loads, or the one after it that is
causing the problem.
Once you identify the bad driver, go back into the
safe-mode console, and disable the service using
the "sc" command. This gets a little more complicated,
but you can get help by typing "sc /?"
===
If you cannot get into safe mode in any mode,
The next step is to get into Windows using the RECOVERY
console from your windows installation installation disk.
1) Reboot the machine using the hardware reset switch.
2) Repeatedly press the BIOS access key during the memory
test (before and after if need be)
On most computers, this is the DEL key, but it could
also be F1, F2, F3, F10 etc., check your manual or
experiment until you get there.
3) Inside the BIOS settings, look for the STARTUP tab,
and find a setting for the device boot sequence.
4) Make sure that the CD (or DVD) drive is first in line,
(you should change it back when done)
This will make sure that the BIOS will not try to boot
the bad operating system first, and look to the CD
instead.
5) Insert the windows setup disk, and reboot the machine.
6) Let the setup do its thing, enumerate devices, accept the
license ****... etc, until you get a prompt asking you
to chose between REPAIRING or INSTALLING windows.
a) if you have a rescue disk, check Repair and follow
the instructions on the screen.
b) if you don't have a rescue disk the select INSTALL
(don't worry you will get one more chance to stop it)
Windows will do some more grunting, and growling,
then you will get another prompt asking you to chose
i) Install window
ii) Repair windows using the COMMAND CONSOLE.
chose the command console.
7) The setup program will now search your system
for Windows installations. Give it time, then
chose the correct drive/installation and login as
an administrator.
You may need the administrator's password if you had
previously created one. If you lost it, try booting it with
an older win 2000 disk, which ignores security.
8) If you got this far, Windows in now running in low level
console mode, from the installation CD.
You can edit the BOOT.INI file as I explained above to
display device drivers as they are loaded, so you can
identify the problem.
9) Once you ID the bad device driver, you can go back into
the Repair console to disable it.
====
At some point you have to decide on the path of least pain,
try to keep fixing Windows or re-install it, which depends on
the number of application you have to re-install also, and on the
overall complexity of you running environment.
Re-installing windows, drivers and apps takes about a day.
(although you can get it get is up and pretty in 30 minutes,
it doesn't really do anything useful until 24 hour later.)
Then there is the applications and personal setting which
can take much longer.
You can also spent several weeks trying to fix windows and fail,
depending on how bad it is.
====
I find that the best way to keep windows running is to partition
your hard drive:
1) Windows partition (running)
2) Swap file partition to reduce fragmentation
3) Application partition for programs
4) User Partition for your personal files
5) Spare windows installation for getting in to fix the other
windows (Don't you wish you had one now)
6) Windows and application drive backup parititions at
the end of the disk, which you keep hidden just in
case.
I know of 3 partitioning programs that allow you to manage,
adjust, copy, convert, merge and split partitions on the fly
without damaging the files they contain.
Partition Magic, originally by Power Quest, which was bought
out by Norton's/Symantech. This used to be a very good program
but Symantech has not updated it for larger hard drives and
offers abysmal support.
Acronis tools from Germany is now very good
Paragon also make a program I have not testes.
Hope this gets you started.
Martin
BTW please rate my articles, I need just over 1 percent to
get to "GURU" Thx.
