XP crashes on startup during the windows logo screen, restarts and keeps repeating this pattern

[Dani723]

Thanks for taking the time. Setup: Windows XP proffessional edition, automatically updated. A radeon 4980 card. 2X2GB dual channel DDR2. An ASRock 4CoreDual-SATA 2 motherboard. A 600w Thermaltake PurePower powersupply.

Firstly, I installed new graphics drivers for my card yesterday, which might be related, but I had 2-3 successfull startups before this problem happened. I just got home after being out for a few hours with the PC on, and it had crashed. I restarted it and since then it's been crashing on the windows icon and then just keeps restarting cyclically.

So I did some research and have tried the following options, all of which failed:

1. The usuals: safe mode, last known good configuration, disabling automatic restart on system failure. This gave me a blue screen with the usual message and this technical confirmation code: ***STOP:0X0000007E(0XC0000005, 0X8050D532, 0XF78A23B8, 0XF18A20B4.
2. Swapping out my 2x2GB dual channel DDR2 RAM for my older 2x500mb dual channel DDR1 RAM as my motherboard has both slot types. I also tried running the PC first with one stick of DDR2, then one of DDR1, making sure they were respectively in the slots marked as '1'.
3. Checking the hard disks in the recovery console with command: chkdsk /r. Then afterwards typing 'fixboot'.
4. Checking CPU and Motherboard temps in the BIOS. CPU: 55c Motherboard: 50c. I have quite decent cooling.
5. Turning on the default optimal settings option in the BIOS.

This is where it gets a bit more complicated. After turning on the deafult optimal settings option, I can no longer run 2x2GB of RAM. By that I mean the PC will power up, but nothing will happen, and the monitor remains in standby mode. I've checked to make sure voltage settings are on low and dual channel is enabled, still, nothing. At least it still works with just one stick, well, until the windows icon screen crash!

So. I've only had the power supply about a year, and haven't had any past problems with it. Could the new problem with running both stick of RAM be related to the boot crashes?

Perhaps I need to switch back some setting that were changed by allowing the default optimal settings option to sort the RAM issue?

Can anyone suggest any BIOS or recovery console options to try?

I have lost the Windows CD, but noted down the identification number for my system, so I think I can get another CD ordered with that number, worth a try?

Thanks very much guys!

[SalVatore]

I guess that your problem of "XP crashes on startup during the windows logo screen, restarts and keeps repeating this pattern" has already been solved on our forums. Just have a look at the following threads for the solution:

1. XP crashes on boot
2. XP Freezes on Start-up
3. http://forums.techarena.in/windows-x...rt/1086160.htm

[Solomon]

This is basically a maleware or an application that is been affecting the system and hence this has lead the system to work out in such way. You need to delete the partitions and then recreate them by using the utility disc of windows. This will work out then.