If it works without the peripherals and does not work with the peripherals you can try doing them one at a time to see if you can break it and figure out which one piece needs replacing. Or just move the data to a new computer and start over.
Did you put the USB stuff back into the same ports, or different ones?
Try one at a time and see which peripheral is causing the issue. 400W should be enough, but you could have a bad supply.
So... here are your test/result possibilities:
1. Same peripheral causes problem, regardless of other peripherals, happens in different USB ports: problem with peripheral.
2. Same combination of peripherals cause problem, regardless of ports used: probably power supply.
3. Port matters: bad usb port - don't use that one.
One other question - do any of the USB peripheral's have a drive, or anything that might look like one to the bios? You could be attempting to boot off of one of the USB devices. Try making sure the bios is set to boot off of the hard drive only.
Try one at a time and see which peripheral is causing the issue. 400W should be enough, but you could have a bad supply.
So... here are your test/result possibilities:
1. Same peripheral causes problem, regardless of other peripherals, happens in different USB ports: problem with peripheral.
2. Same combination of peripherals cause problem, regardless of ports used: probably power supply.
3. Port matters: bad usb port - don't use that one.
One other question - do any of the USB peripheral's have a drive, or anything that might look like one to the bios? You could be attempting to boot off of one of the USB devices. Try making sure the bios is set to boot off of the hard drive only.
I think it's the power supply. These are easy to replace. Remove 4 screws and unplug all the old cables (2 of them will have little thingies on the side of the plug that you need to press to remove it from the motherboard sockets). Pick up a 400+ watt one at Fry's. If you're not sure what to get, take the old one with you. A motivated user can replace one in under 10 minutes for around 50 bucks.
I've run into weird situations where a computer wouldn't boot if USB devices were attached. Does the computer work okay if you plug in the devices after Windows is running?
Check in the BIOS for something like "USB legacy emulation" and turn it off if it's on.
Check in the BIOS for something like "USB legacy emulation" and turn it off if it's on.
Quote:
It actually have the same stripped down peripherals when it worked and when it did not work. When it booted successfully, it did so only ONCE. Never again after that. I am happy that the HD seems to be OK. So I will save the drive. The rest of the computer is going to re-cycle. Thanks for your suggestion.Originally Posted by sbm12
If it works without the peripherals and does not work with the peripherals you can try doing them one at a time to see if you can break it and figure out which one piece needs replacing. Or just move the data to a new computer and start over.
Quote:
Try one at a time and see which peripheral is causing the issue. 400W should be enough, but you could have a bad supply.
So... here are your test/result possibilities:
........
2. Same combination of peripherals cause problem, regardless of ports used: probably power supply.
One other question - do any of the USB peripheral's have a drive, or anything that might look like one to the bios? ......
I tried them on same ports and different ports. All failed.Originally Posted by mbreuer
Did you put the USB stuff back into the same ports, or different ones?Try one at a time and see which peripheral is causing the issue. 400W should be enough, but you could have a bad supply.
So... here are your test/result possibilities:
........
2. Same combination of peripherals cause problem, regardless of ports used: probably power supply.
One other question - do any of the USB peripheral's have a drive, or anything that might look like one to the bios? ......
Your prognoses of possible power supply problem noted.
I had no USB drive (or look-alike) attached at the time.
As I said in an earlier post, I plan to just save the HD and re-cycle the rest. Thanks you for your suggestions.
Quote:
Check in the BIOS for something like "USB legacy emulation" and turn it off if it's on.
My computer does not work now, period!Originally Posted by alanh
I've run into weird situations where a computer wouldn't boot if USB devices were attached. Does the computer work okay if you plug in the devices after Windows is running?Check in the BIOS for something like "USB legacy emulation" and turn it off if it's on.
Thanks for suggesting to check the BIOS for " USB legacy emulation". I don't have a clue how to pursue that. Since the computer is an older one, I would be happy just to recover the files. Thanks again.
Before I even have a chance (due to long weekend getaway) to take care of the sick desktop, I now have another sick notebook.
As for the old desktop, I decided to take care of the problem by pulling the drive and recovering the files. No biggie. So now my concern is to recover my notebook. And I need all the help I can get.
My notebook has almost the same problem it does not launch at Start up. This 2 year-old PC runs on XP-Pro. When I boot, it gets stuck at the screen that fills with text:
We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows does not start successfully..
Choose start Windows Normally.
Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Last Known.
Start Windows Naormally..
I tried all of the above Modes (short of formatting the drive). Nothing works. It always goes back to this same screen.
I do have the Operating System CD on hand, but need guidance how to use it WITHOUT RE-FORMATTING my drive (only as last resort).
Any suggestions are welcome.
As for the old desktop, I decided to take care of the problem by pulling the drive and recovering the files. No biggie. So now my concern is to recover my notebook. And I need all the help I can get.
My notebook has almost the same problem it does not launch at Start up. This 2 year-old PC runs on XP-Pro. When I boot, it gets stuck at the screen that fills with text:
We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows does not start successfully..
Choose start Windows Normally.
Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Last Known.
Start Windows Naormally..
I tried all of the above Modes (short of formatting the drive). Nothing works. It always goes back to this same screen.
I do have the Operating System CD on hand, but need guidance how to use it WITHOUT RE-FORMATTING my drive (only as last resort).
Any suggestions are welcome.
If safety is a real concern, pull the drive from the notebook and buy a 2.5" USB drive adapter (of the appropriate kind: SATA or IDE). Then hook it up to a working PC (kind of short of these at your house 
) and copy the important files.
If you want to replace the Windows installation,then boot off the CD and agree that you want to install it on the existing partition. DON'T format it, just select it. If it says that it replace the existing Windows installation, say OK. It will then install Windows.
This will give you a generic copy of Windows and may not have things like the sound, video, network, wireless and other drivers. You will have to either get them off another manufacturer supplied CD or download them from the manufacturer's Web site. Also, many of your installed Windows programs will not work since the registry settings are gone. They will need to be re-installed. In this scenario, Windows is usually installed in \Windows0 directory and the old install is in \Windows.
(Some PC's like my Thinkpad have a copy of the operating system with drivers and original software on a separate hard drive partition. If you invoke the restore process using these, it formats the drive first, erasing everything, and then restores the disk to factory condition.)
Frankly the only difference between the above install and the back-it-all-up and reformat it install is that you don't have to copy the data files in the first case because they are still there. Personally, I would never do a Windows install without backing up the data to a separate drive anyway. Hence, I usually back it up and reformat and load a fresh of Windows.
Never forget that you are dealing with Windows and err on the side of safety.
) and copy the important files.If you want to replace the Windows installation,then boot off the CD and agree that you want to install it on the existing partition. DON'T format it, just select it. If it says that it replace the existing Windows installation, say OK. It will then install Windows.
This will give you a generic copy of Windows and may not have things like the sound, video, network, wireless and other drivers. You will have to either get them off another manufacturer supplied CD or download them from the manufacturer's Web site. Also, many of your installed Windows programs will not work since the registry settings are gone. They will need to be re-installed. In this scenario, Windows is usually installed in \Windows0 directory and the old install is in \Windows.
(Some PC's like my Thinkpad have a copy of the operating system with drivers and original software on a separate hard drive partition. If you invoke the restore process using these, it formats the drive first, erasing everything, and then restores the disk to factory condition.)
Frankly the only difference between the above install and the back-it-all-up and reformat it install is that you don't have to copy the data files in the first case because they are still there. Personally, I would never do a Windows install without backing up the data to a separate drive anyway. Hence, I usually back it up and reformat and load a fresh of Windows.
Never forget that you are dealing with Windows and err on the side of safety.
I'm going to guess that it's something I hit last week - SP3 upgrade issue with OEM XP builds.
Try this:
1. On the screen that comes up, hit F8.
2. Tell it NOT to restart on fail.
3. Get the stop code on the BSOD (blue screen of death).
4. Google this: "stop <code you got> wxp site:microsoft.com
You should get a page that explains the issue and suggests a fix.
For me, it was boot into safe mode (thankfully that worked) and make a registry change.
The issue as reported affects OEM builds with non Intel processors. Have an AMD chip in there?
Try this:
1. On the screen that comes up, hit F8.
2. Tell it NOT to restart on fail.
3. Get the stop code on the BSOD (blue screen of death).
4. Google this: "stop <code you got> wxp site:microsoft.com
You should get a page that explains the issue and suggests a fix.
For me, it was boot into safe mode (thankfully that worked) and make a registry change.
The issue as reported affects OEM builds with non Intel processors. Have an AMD chip in there?
Quote:
) and copy the important files.
Yes, I am 2 PCs short Originally Posted by wdwright
If safety is a real concern, pull the drive from the notebook and buy a 2.5" USB drive adapter (of the appropriate kind: SATA or IDE). Then hook it up to a working PC (kind of short of these at your house ) and copy the important files.
. Fortunately I have a new desktop (from which I type this msg) and my wife has 2 ^. Your suggestion noted. This will be my last-resort type of move.Quote:
If this method is simply to re-install the XP Pro OS from the CD and nothing else (i.e. all my files will be intact), then it is what I want to try first. Originally Posted by wdwright
If you want to replace the Windows installation,then boot off the CD and agree that you want to install it on the existing partition. DON'T format it, just select it. If it says that it replace the existing Windows installation, say OK. It will then install Windows.
From my HP Getting Started manual, I tried to follow the Repairing the operating system procedure. Here is what I went through so far (without success):
After CD is inserted and power is up, I see:
Windows setup
(at the bottom of screen see various files and I/O drivers being loaded)
The comes the Welcome to Setup windows:
This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft Windows XP to run on your computer.
- To set up Windows XP now, press this
- To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, Press R
- To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3
So far I tried the REPAIR route. The following shows up:
The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality. Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.
C:\>
The above screen simply stays there for a loooooong time. From the HP manual , it said this process may take up to 2 hours to complete. (I actually gave it 3 hours) and I had to EXIT and quit.
What did I do wrong?
Quote:
I see that I have 3 partitions. Can you explain what they are and which should I change or not?Originally Posted by wdwright
(Some PC's like my Thinkpad have a copy of the operating system with drivers and original software on a separate hard drive partition. If you invoke the restore process using these, it formats the drive first, erasing everything, and then restores the disk to factory condition.)
Quote:
Never forget that you are dealing with Windows and err on the side of safety.
Do you mean that I can do a data backup under current condition of my notebook? If so, please detail the procedure as to how I can do that.Originally Posted by wdwright
..........I would never do a Windows install without backing up the data to a separate drive anyway. Hence, I usually back it up and reformat and load a fresh of Windows.Never forget that you are dealing with Windows and err on the side of safety.
Thank you for your time and effort!
Quote:
Try this:
1. On the screen that comes up, hit F8.
2. Tell it NOT to restart on fail.
3. Get the stop code on the BSOD (blue screen of death).
4. Google this: "stop <code you got> wxp site:microsoft.com
You should get a page that explains the issue and suggests a fix.
For me, it was boot into safe mode (thankfully that worked) and make a registry change.
The issue as reported affects OEM builds with non Intel processors. Have an AMD chip in there?
Yes, I do need to read up on the subject. Appreciate for the lead. In addition, I went to number of forums too. Time consuming, but educational.Originally Posted by mbreuer
I'm going to guess that it's something I hit last week - SP3 upgrade issue with OEM XP builds.Try this:
1. On the screen that comes up, hit F8.
2. Tell it NOT to restart on fail.
3. Get the stop code on the BSOD (blue screen of death).
4. Google this: "stop <code you got> wxp site:microsoft.com
You should get a page that explains the issue and suggests a fix.
For me, it was boot into safe mode (thankfully that worked) and make a registry change.
The issue as reported affects OEM builds with non Intel processors. Have an AMD chip in there?
My notebook has Intel chips in it.
Thanks.
Be sure to try mbreuer's BSOD suggestion before anything else as almost all Windows problems have been experienced by others and there are a lot of specific solutions if you can narrow the symptoms.
Posted by allset2travel
"So far I tried the REPAIR route. The following shows up:
The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality. Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.
C:\>
The above screen simply stays there for a loooooong time. From the HP manual , it said this process may take up to 2 hours to complete. (I actually gave it 3 hours) and I had to EXIT and quit.
What did I do wrong?"
The Recovery Console is a limited functionality DOS prompt. You can find out what is possible by typing HELP and hitting the Return key. Not for the faint of heart, but you could type DIR C:\ and see if it gives you a list of directories. This would let you know if the stuff is still readable.
"I see that I have 3 partitions. Can you explain what they are and which should I change or not?"
The big one is the Windows installation and most likely has your data files in it. Usually the last one is likely the one that has a restore to factory backup on it that will erase everything and restore the PC to factory defaults. The small first one is sometimes used as a small boot up partition that gets you to the big Windows one. (This is a guess. Some Sony's put Windows on the 1st partition and leave the second one for data storage. Other configurations are possible. You just have to look and see what is there.)
"Do you mean that I can do a data backup under current condition of my notebook? If so, please detail the procedure as to how I can do that."
Sorry I wasn't more clear. I was referring to my earlier discussion of pulling the hard drive and putting it in a USB case. Since you are in the Bay area, go to Fry's and get a USB drive case. They start at $9.99. Check them out here. There are 2 kinds of hard drives, SATA and IDE. SATA wasn't used much until the last two years, but you'll want to pull the hard drive and determine which one you have. Or just by one of each at Fry's and return the one you don't need.
Procedure:
1. Get USB drive case at Fry's.
2. Remove drive from PC. This isn't as scary as it sounds. Most Thinkpads have a single screw that you remove. I've seen Dell's that are the same. The manufacturer's Web site likely has info or you can do a Google Search: replace (model name) hard drive. [I love Thinkpads - I did this for an x31 and there is even a movie that shows you how to do this!]
3. Put the drive in the case -sometimes involves 4 screws, sometimes just plastic clips. No forcing - you don't want to bend the little pins on IDE drives.
4. Connect the drive to a working PC. It will discover the USB drive, install it and sometimes ask you to restart PC.
5. Double click My Computer. You should see some drives that weren't there before, usually shown as Removable Drives. Look at these and you will find one with your Windows stuff on it. You can use the Search feature of Windows to help you find things if you're not sure where they are.
I can't be losing people's data, so I always do this if there is valuable info at stake. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, but want the safety of having your data before you fool with restoring Windows, call a few computer places and ask what they want to back up your data off a disk with a damaged Windows installation. My guess is that you can get it done for less than $100.
Once you have your data, you can restore off your CD with no fear. It also sounds like there is a restore partition on your PC that will let you restore with that method to factory defaults.
Posted by allset2travel
"So far I tried the REPAIR route. The following shows up:
The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality. Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.
C:\>
The above screen simply stays there for a loooooong time. From the HP manual , it said this process may take up to 2 hours to complete. (I actually gave it 3 hours) and I had to EXIT and quit.
What did I do wrong?"
The Recovery Console is a limited functionality DOS prompt. You can find out what is possible by typing HELP and hitting the Return key. Not for the faint of heart, but you could type DIR C:\ and see if it gives you a list of directories. This would let you know if the stuff is still readable.
"I see that I have 3 partitions. Can you explain what they are and which should I change or not?"
The big one is the Windows installation and most likely has your data files in it. Usually the last one is likely the one that has a restore to factory backup on it that will erase everything and restore the PC to factory defaults. The small first one is sometimes used as a small boot up partition that gets you to the big Windows one. (This is a guess. Some Sony's put Windows on the 1st partition and leave the second one for data storage. Other configurations are possible. You just have to look and see what is there.)
"Do you mean that I can do a data backup under current condition of my notebook? If so, please detail the procedure as to how I can do that."
Sorry I wasn't more clear. I was referring to my earlier discussion of pulling the hard drive and putting it in a USB case. Since you are in the Bay area, go to Fry's and get a USB drive case. They start at $9.99. Check them out here. There are 2 kinds of hard drives, SATA and IDE. SATA wasn't used much until the last two years, but you'll want to pull the hard drive and determine which one you have. Or just by one of each at Fry's and return the one you don't need.
Procedure:
1. Get USB drive case at Fry's.
2. Remove drive from PC. This isn't as scary as it sounds. Most Thinkpads have a single screw that you remove. I've seen Dell's that are the same. The manufacturer's Web site likely has info or you can do a Google Search: replace (model name) hard drive. [I love Thinkpads - I did this for an x31 and there is even a movie that shows you how to do this!]
3. Put the drive in the case -sometimes involves 4 screws, sometimes just plastic clips. No forcing - you don't want to bend the little pins on IDE drives.
4. Connect the drive to a working PC. It will discover the USB drive, install it and sometimes ask you to restart PC.
5. Double click My Computer. You should see some drives that weren't there before, usually shown as Removable Drives. Look at these and you will find one with your Windows stuff on it. You can use the Search feature of Windows to help you find things if you're not sure where they are.
I can't be losing people's data, so I always do this if there is valuable info at stake. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, but want the safety of having your data before you fool with restoring Windows, call a few computer places and ask what they want to back up your data off a disk with a damaged Windows installation. My guess is that you can get it done for less than $100.
Once you have your data, you can restore off your CD with no fear. It also sounds like there is a restore partition on your PC that will let you restore with that method to factory defaults.
Funny thing- I've been following this thread (for no particular reason) and this morning, when I turned on my 9-month-old T61, I got the We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows does not start successfully" message.
This was particularly surprising as I haven't installed, uninstalled or updated any hardware or software recently.
Fortunately, the "Start Windows Normally" option worked for me, but I've spent the morning backing up my files to a flash drive and to my portable hard drive.
Now I'm just hoping that everything continues to work at least through Monday, when I leave for two months. If I'm going to have to reinstall anything, I'd much rather wait until I return in mid-November.
I'm not taking the T61 on the trip.
This was particularly surprising as I haven't installed, uninstalled or updated any hardware or software recently.
Fortunately, the "Start Windows Normally" option worked for me, but I've spent the morning backing up my files to a flash drive and to my portable hard drive.
Now I'm just hoping that everything continues to work at least through Monday, when I leave for two months. If I'm going to have to reinstall anything, I'd much rather wait until I return in mid-November.
I'm not taking the T61 on the trip.