THE PROBLEM:
The Computer does boot up to the question screen where it asks if you would like to boot into safe mode or normal. No matter the selection I make, the computer hits a certain point shortly thereafter and reboots. It returns to that question screen (normal/safe mode?), only to restart again. (if you don¡¦t press anything it boots in normal mode). It will just sit there all day long restarting itself. It can¡¦t get back into windows.

This happened about a month ago and I had to redo my computer. Then I had it running just perfect and it happened again! Very frustrating.

The first time I was synchronizing my pocket pc, and doing a million other things at once on it when it froze. So I hit the reset button and windows was broke.

This last time doesn¡¦t make any since. We didn¡¦t install anything major. I closed all running programs. Told windows to restart itself and it did, only it couldn¡¦t come back up.

I suppose it could be a virus, although I¡¦m pretty vigilant with Norton antivirus. Could be a hacker?- always getting security alerts from my Norton firewall software. Could be my power supply going out, or computer overheating as I have added many more drives recently. Is there a software that can help me diagnose my tower¡¦s hardware to make sure everything is ok?

I really think that somehow a key part of the windows got corrupted somehow. To recover my data could I install windows over itself? How do I do that?
The first time this happened I was able to recover most of my data but not all of it, by installing windows on another drive and then rescuing the data. Unfortunately I had my xp account password protected and files privatized in my documents. I wasn¡¦t able to get these files back. ƒ¼ How do I keep this from happening again? Would some software like bootmagic, help prevent this from happening again? Is there an easy was to fix my pc?

Thanks!

i might be able to help u more if you provide more info on ur system..

from what i evaluate its one of three:

Most probable: Virus (norton is pretty crap)

then: Damaged Memory Module

finallty (still probable: Overheating

QUOTE

Most probable: Virus (norton is pretty crap)

If you think norton is crap, what do you sugest for preventing viruses- or, what do you use as antivirus softwere.

QUOTE (xboxfrizzy @ Dec 25 2003, 09:24 AM)

QUOTE Most probable: Virus (norton is pretty crap) If you think norton is crap, what do you sugest for preventing viruses- or, what do you use as antivirus softwere.

common sense

first of all
use your xp cd to boot to the recovery console.
log on to your xp installation and type chkdsk /p
try it! then reboot

QUOTE

common sense

It takes common sense to make a virus, alot more then that to prevent them.

i disagree with that. very rarely does my computer get a virus. just dont expose yourself and youll be alright.

and stop using kazaa.

QUOTE (kaioshade @ Dec 25 2003, 06:28 PM)

i disagree with that. very rarely does my computer get a virus. just dont expose yourself and youll be alright. and stop using kazaa.

he speaks the truth!

i havent gotten a virus in over a year now, and kazaa is by far the biggest source of them

Is there a way to test your memory, or overheating? thanks!

pc stats:
xp home edition
1.4 athalon
768 mb ram

memtest is a good ram tester

use this to put it on a floppy

or

use this to burn it to a cd

after writing the program, boot the disc and it will run the test