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Resolved Question

Windows XP Pro SP3 (Corp.) hangs during boot on 2nd Win logo

Oct 31, 2011 12:18PM PDT

Brand new laptop that came with Win 7. I installed Windows XP SP3 (Corp.) and created a dual boot with the help of Easy BCD. Works perfect. Installed all XP drivers and fundamental necessities (media players, a/v tools, compression utilities, etc.). Everything's working perfect.

Finally get to a point where the system is exactly the way I'd like it if I had to restore it at some point and start over, so I decide to back it up. I figured I'd try Norton Ghost since the program I've historically used (EZ-Gig II, which is basically an older version of Acronis) doesn't work with Win 7. I installed Ghost 15, but during the installation XP SP3 reported that critical Windows files had been replaced and to insert my Windows CD to replace the system files. The Ghost installation was still progressing so I allowed Ghost to finish installation before doing anything, and once it was installed I ran it to make sure it was working properly after receiving the error msg from Windows. It appeared to be working fine, so I wasn't sure what to make of the error msg from Windows, but I went ahead and put in the original Windows CD. After just a moment that error message asking for the Windows CD went away, so I figured it replaced the offending file(s), and Windows was working normally. I wasn't worried about it breaking Ghost, since I can always re-install that if need be.

Using Ghost I went ahead and cloned just my XP partition (about 16GB) to a 160GB HD. It seemed to work fine and there were no issues. Went to sleep, and when I woke up I rebooted my laptop, and that's when I noticed Windows XP hang during bootup. This was the original HD with the dual boot installation, not the HD I had backed up to. Windows XP start to load normally, gets past the first Windows XP logo with the black background, then gets to the blue background with the separator lines at the top and bottom and the small XP logo near the center. By watching the HD activity I can tell it's still loading and based on past load times it should be ALMOST done, but then I see the HD activity stop, and just flicker occasionally, and it sits at that point indefinitely doing that.

Since this was a new laptop and I was just getting everything installed, I hadn't made any recovery discs yet. The Corp XP CD provides an option for the Advanced Disk Recovery Service (or something like that) if I press a button while booting from CD, but if I select that it prompts me to insert the floppy disk (lol, who has a floppy drive in a laptop anymore?). It does NOT allow me to access the Recovery Console booting from that CD, but I do have a separate CD I can boot to and load the Recovery Console. Don't know that that will solve my problem since I don't know what file(s) need to be replaced.

So that's where I'm at, and I'm pretty much stuck. I've spent so much time installing drivers and software and configuring all of them with this XP installation, I would HATE to have to scrap it and reinstall from scratch, just because there's a file or two that have been replaced or perhaps even deleted.

MY PC knowledge level is pretty high, so I'm comfortable with doing just about anything anyone suggests. Any help is appreciated, and thanks in advance!

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edenney has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer

Best Answer

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Good news!
Oct 31, 2011 11:08PM PDT

Good news! Since you have a volume license, you have a number of support options open to you. First there is your employer, or whomever paid for the license. Surely they have an IT staff you can ask. Alternately, such licenses usually come with some pretty good support direct from Microsoft.

The local IT people can actually play with the unit directly, and Microsoft flunkies probably would be a better bet than taking your chances here. So, since you're comfortable doing just about anything anyone suggests, I suggest you take it either to the local IT people, or give MS a call... Unless, that is, there's something you wish to tell us about the origins of that copy of XP.

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Appreciate the help.... not.
Nov 1, 2011 6:30AM PDT

I don't appreciate the insinuations about the Corporate XP CD. For many years I worked in IT for my global company until I was extremely critically injured in an accident several years ago, and was forced to work at home in another role for the company due to the extent of my injuries. I still have access to our corporate software, but I'm not going to hand my laptop over to someone else in Corp. I.T. when it's something I've done myself for so many years prior to the accident.

I resolved the problem about 10 minutes after I posted the message.....

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Sorry if you found it offensive.
Nov 1, 2011 6:41AM PDT

But it's part of the super benefits of that version. You don't have to deal with forums and the usual support lines.

How could you take offense at that? (I'm not sure.)
Bob

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Answer
Correction to my post, it's Automated System Recovery Disk
Oct 31, 2011 12:25PM PDT

Don't see an option to edit my post so note the correction to my previous post in this subject line.

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You lucky dog you.
Nov 1, 2011 3:38AM PDT

That's the great thing about that license. It's support is top notch. It's time to call it in.
Bob