Computer stuck in start up cycle Windows XP will not boot

Im Using Windows XP home edition on my ENPOWER lap top.
When I turn the system on, it does it's first page fine (the one that has the system information) then goes to the screen that says "windows didn't start successfully, a recent hardware or software change might have caused this" and gives me the start up options of 'safe mode', safe mode with networking', 'safe mode with command prompt', 'start windows normally' and 'last known good configuration'. I've selected all the options once and they all do the same thing - once selected it goes to the windows xp screen and looks likes it's loading then a blue screen with information pops up for a micro second, the system then restarts itself and goes back to the same "windows didn't start successfully,..." window.
I know I may have to boot a windows xp disc and recovery console, or recover windows.
Unfortunately I have missed placed the Windows XP Disc.
I really don't know what to do know.

Is there a way to fix this with out the CD?
Where I can I download XP Recovery console for free?

Hi,

It would be better to borrow a windows xp home cd with the same service pack as the one you have installed on your pc from a friend and make a repair. Once you do that, reply here and I'll give you instructions for how to make a repair on your win xp home.

Hey thanks but check this out I now have a different problem.
I did find my Wondos XP CD for my laptop I did a recovery console with the windows XP CD. Welcome screen came up and pressed "R" to repair . Got a window that says "Set up did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer...This may involve running a manufacture-supplied diagnostic or set up program. Set up can not continue"
I was told by computer repair that the HDD needs to come out and be diagnosed. I already removed it now my questions are:

-I have a Western Digital Scorpio SATA HDD, can I use a Seagate diagnosis program
( http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/seatools ) to do this diagnosis or does it have to be from western digital?

-If I end up doing the diagnosis my self and it happens to be that the HDD went bad do to a virus, is it advisable to diagnose it on my desktop? Will the virus transfer? ( trying not to spend hundreds for some one else to fix my issue)

-what other suggestions ight you have with this issue im having?
Im stuck what i should do next

Thanks for your time in responding and helping out

Hi,

Get the HDD back to it's original position. You didn't repair windows correctly. Let's try first to repair windows and we'll see what it comes up.

To repair windows correctly:

• Press F2 or delete, whatever makes your way to the bios, select as 1st boot device the CD-DVD-ROM. Then save and exit. The pc will restart.
  
• The pc will boot from cd and you will be prompt to a blue screen where it will begin loading Windows XP Setup. Don't press anything, let it load.
  
• When the loading is over you will be asked to chose for set up windows xp, repair windows xp and quit setup. You must press ENTER not REPAIR
  
• Press F8 on the agreement
  
• When you see C: partition press R and windows will start to repair.

Try this and reply back.

Hi
I did this: waited for set up in blue screen when loading was over I was asked the same questions. Didi not press "R" I pressed Enter and it still gives me the same message.
"Set up did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer...This may involve running a manufacture-supplied diagnostic or set up program. Set up can not continue"

this makes me wounder if its a boot sector not working because when it was removed i was able to read the info in my laptop HDD on my desktop computer.

This is weird
What do think can be causing this?

Thanks for your help

Download Partition Wizard- http://www.partitionwizard.com/partition-wizard-bootable-cd.html

Select 'Rebuild MBR' from the left task pane.
Click 'Apply' at the bottom right corner. See if your able to boot into windows now.

Hi,

I think that your HDD then has a problem. I would also recommend you to call a technician home so that he can diagnose the problem of the HDD.

Also try to install the HDD on another computer as 2nd hard drive and see if it works. If not, then you should get a new HDD, if it works, there's something else causing the problem.

this makes me wounder if its a boot sector not working because when it was removed i was able to read the info in my laptop HDD on my desktop computer.

What do you mean by that? When what was removed? A drive was removed from your pc? Explain me more please

Sounds like the hard drive is on its last legs , I would to what "Vladimir" says and get looked at by a Technican

Seedy21

Thanks guys for all your comments
What I ment about
"...this makes me wounder if its a boot sector not working because when it was removed i was able to read the info in my laptop HDD on my desktop computer..."
is that I removed the HDD from my laptop, I connected it to my Desk top Computer with a SATA cable that went into a USB converter into my desktop.
The Desktop Computer could read all the information that is in the HDD that was removed from the laptop. But when I reinstalled the HDD back into the laptop it would not boot windows and when I tried booting windows with the Windows XP CD it read "... Set up did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer..." this is why I have a feeling we are all right in saying that my HDD is in "...its last legs..."
I guess im going to back up all the info i can and get it diagnosed. IF i have to will install a new HDD then that's what I have to do.

Thank you all for your concerns comments and help i really appreciate it.
feel free to send more suggestions if any if not Ill let you guys now what ended up happening.

Ill also try downloading "Partition Wizard" as mentions by EzioAuditore
Thanks

Python3d wrote:

Thanks guys for all your comments
is that I removed the HDD from my laptop, I connected it to my Desktop Computer with a SATA cable that went into a USB converter into my desktop.
The Desktop Computer could read all the information that is in the HDD that was removed from the laptop. But when I reinstalled the HDD back into the laptop it would not boot windows
.

Ok it sounds like this USB Converter may have changed the partition and not made it Boot Partition( you need a boot partition to boot up windows). What was the name of the software that you was using???

Next time you have the hard drive in your desktop please go to start , right click my computer (or Computer if using Vista or later) then click on Disk managment , On C:\ at the top of screen please write what it says on the status colum for example Healthy (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary Partition)

Seedy21

EzioAuditore wrote:

Download Partition Wizard- http://www.partitionwizard.com/partition-wizard-bootable-cd.html

Select 'Rebuild MBR' from the left task pane.
Click 'Apply' at the bottom right corner. See if your able to boot into windows now.

Created Bootable Cd from downloaded ISO. Once I tried booting Laptop from CD It did work but did not get the 'Rebuild MBR' Option on the left panet. Image 1 ( https://i.servimg.com/u/f31/16/11/80/32/111.jpg, Shows ) what I got booting from partition wizard image 2 ( https://i.servimg.com/u/f31/16/11/80/32/211.jpg, ) is what I got booting with Windows XP CD.

Stuck!! any more suggestions

Hi,

Test your HDD. Put in on another system as secondary and see if it's working.

Ok it sounds like this USB Converter may have changed the partition and not made it Boot Partition( you need a boot partition to boot up windows). What was the name of the software that you was using???

Next time you have the hard drive in your desktop please go to start , right click my computer (or Computer if using Vista or later) then click on Disk managment , On C:\ at the top of screen please write what it says on the status colum for example Healthy (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary Partition)

Seedy21[/quote]

Seedy21
I did exactly that and image as you can see shows a healthy partition.https://i.servimg.com/u/f31/16/11/80/32/disk_m12.jpg

Vladimir wrote:

Hi,

Test your HDD. Put in on another system as secondary and see if it's working.

When I put my HDD into my desk top it reads fine and I can also see all my folders.

Man Im confused do you guys think the best think to do is back up all this information an reformat the drive and see it it works?
As you saw in previous postings when I booted the HDD in laptop with the partition wizard as EzioAuditore mentioned
It did not give me the option to select 'rebuild MBR'