[kitty16]

My son's computer has Windows 2000. It keeps starting over and over. It will only get to the Windows 2000 screen and then it restarts. It does this constantly. It won't even get to the desk top screen.

Thanks,
Kitty16

 

[crjdriver]

Rebooting can be a little difficult to pin down. The first thing I would do is to see if you can get into safe mode. If the system loads in safe mode, you most liklely have a software / driver / tsr problem. If it will not load into safe mode, you have a hardware issue. Once we find where the problem lies, it becomes easier to solve.

To attempt to load safe mode, hit the F8 key when boot your system [after it detects your devices like hd, cd drive, etc. Select safe mode from the menu. It will take a while to boot into safe mode; at least 2-3 min longer than a normal boot.

 

[kitty16]

I can't get into safe mode.

 

[crjdriver]

Ok, most likely a hardware problem. Start by checking the things that do not cost anything. Gohere and download memtest86. The app will make either a bootable floppy or a bootable CD. There is no need for an os to be installed. Boot your system with the cd or floppy and run the memory tester. Note it will take a few hours to completely test the memory. The next thing is to download and run the hd mfg utility for checking the drive. You download this from whoever made your hd ie Western Digital, Maxtor, etc.

Post back with your results.

 

[kitty16]

Ok, sorry for the stupid question, but I am totally computer stupid. I need to have a CD or floppy to download this onto correct? And once that is done then I put it in my son's computer?

 

[crjdriver]

Just use the computer you are using now to download it and create the bootable media ie floppy or cd.

 

[amthmi]

It could also be a corrupted registry hive.
During this boot loop that you're in just after the Windows 2000 splash screen
and just before it restarts again do you see (although it may be very quick)
a blue screen possibly just blue text that says something along the lines of...
STOP: c0000218 {registry file failure} bla bla bla
if you do and your son made a ERD (Emergency Repair Disk) then it's possible to use
that to repair the hive.
If not then crjdriver is probably correct.

Edit: this might help if it's not a hardware related problem
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...familyid=56d3c201-2c68-4de8-9229-ca494362419c

 

[kitty16]

I put the CD in the computer and a black screen came up that said :

Pri. Master Disk HDD S.M.A.R.T capablility: Disabled

and at the bottom it says to Remove disks or other media

 

[kitty16]

No blue screen

 

[crjdriver]

Did you make a bootable cd from the memtest download or did you make a bootable floppy? Is the bios set to boot from whatever media you made?

 

[kitty16]

I made a bootable floppy. Sorry, I don't know what you mean by your last question.

 

[crjdriver]

In the system bios you set the boot order. If you made the app on a bootable floppy, you want the floppy drive to boot ahead of the hd. The boot order would look somehting like this. A; CD ROM; HD. Each bios is a little different. Some name the device such as LiteOn CDRW, others just say CD.

In order to check your memory, the floppy must boot your system. After it starts, the memory test program loads.

This might be a silly question, however you did unzip the file and run the install.bat correct? That makes the bootable floppy for you; all you need to do it put a disk in the A drive and double click on the install.bat file.