Windows XP Pro Start-up error

At start-up a message comes up starting : "We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start successfully ... " It gives me an option to go into Safe Mode and other options.
I've tried BIOS adjustments to fan, but to no avail. Please has someone had the same problem?

 

press start windows normaly

 

do you have the recovery console installed, or on a cd?

you should run fixboot and fixmbr and chkdsk c: /r

 

Yes I have, many times and all the other options too.

 

I think I'm out of my depth here. I don't know what the recovery console is and I don't know where the other apps mentioned are. If I did I don't know How I could run them if I can't access the files. I would like to say I acquired this computer 16 years ago from a friend and XP was already on it. I have used it continuously all that time with no problems except I had to fit a new DVD/ROM drive about 4 months ago. Also I might add this computer does not know the internet exists!

 

1. the drive may be incompatible with xp, if you can get into the bios, disable the dvd or cd drive, save changes and exit, see if it will reboot.
2. if you have access to a working pc, you can download the recovery console ISO and burn it to a cd or to a usb flash drive if your pc is capable of booting from a flash drive
3. go HERE and download xp_rec_con.iso
4. you can use imgburn to burn a cd or Rufus to burn to a flash drive
5. read at below link and if you have further questions about the recovery console, just ask:

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/138692/xp-boot-fixes/

if you have an install cd for xp you can also get to the recovery console there.
note: you will have to get into the bios to set either the cd or usb to boot first when using the recovery console
note2: chkdsk with the /r parameter , the iso is for service pack 3, what service pack is on your pc?

 

Thank you Elizabeth23. I will work through your 5 suggestions, it may take a bit of time, I am learning as I go and you may have gathered I'm not a Spring Chicken any more. I have got a copied XP pro operating system and MS office XP. I will try to find out my Service Pack. Also to find out about the little faces.

 

Ok, let me know if you have questions, I will attempt to answer them.

 

Yes I am a happy bunny. Thanks a lot Elizabeth23, following your suggestions, I first replaced the new optical drive with the old one with the duff laser. The system recognized it but still would not boot. So I refitted the new Sony one I bought on ebay. Same error.
Then I downloaded xp_rep_com.iso from your link to OneDrive. Then googled for imgburn and it eventually gave me NCH software called ExpressBurnDiscBurner.exe. After quite a few failed attempts at burning the iso and finalised empty discs I did eventually burn the CD.
I went to your link to bleepingcomputer and found the Recovery Console Tutorial very useful.
I ran fixboot first as you suggested and it came up with " The Boot Sector is Corrupt" "New Boot Sector was successfully written" and I really felt I was getting somewhere. I tried to boot up at this stage but the same error message came up.
I then ran fixmbr but cancelled it before it did anything because it was warning me the hard disk could become inaccessible.
After numerous attempts to run chkdsk with comments like " This parameter is not valid" I googled AskLeo.com/chkdsk to learn about parameters. when I got the spaces and capitals right it worked - it worked all night because it kept going back to lower percent complete eg. at 75% it went back to 50%.
In the morning the screen said "CHKDSK found one or more errors on the volume" The first boot had the disappointing error message again. But I had learnt a lot and realised I had to quickly remove the rescue cd as soon as I was able to and before it started booting because I had changed the boot device order with Sony drive above the hard drive.
It booted like a dream!
ps The service pack is SP2, but seemed to be ok with that iso file.

 

sp2 is the last service pack for 64bit systems and sp3 is the last service pack for 32bit systems, to tell go to start/ my computer/ right click on my computer and choose properties/ if anywhere on the first general tab you see 64 then you have a 64bit system if you do not see 64 then you have a 32 bit system.

checkdisk figures will fluctuate, this is normal, if an error is found it is a good idea to run checkdisk again, and you can do this from within windows if it is now booting.

How to perform checkdisk

if you do not have Recovery Console installed, then run from the start menu

go to start, run, type in cmd

in cmd type in chkdsk c: /r and press enter

notice space between k and c, and : and /

type Y for yes and press enter

type exit and press enter

restart pc, allow checkdisk to finish and run again

this is a lengthy process depending on the size of your harddrive, the percentages will fluctuate, this is normal, you can view report in the event viewer.

go to start>run> and type in eventvwr.msc, click on the applications directory, and in the right hand panel choose winlogon.

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if you are booting now there is no need but if you need to run fixmbr you can disregard that warning, while there may be a possibility to an inaccessible harddrive, I have not had that problem, and I have run both fixboot and fixmbr several times after trying different linux downloads.

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parameters are the commands you use to perform whatever actions you want.

within the recovery console you can always type help and it will give a list of commands , then you can type in a command , a space and then /? and it will give a list of parameters, you can always google the commands and parameters for further knowledge,