When you try to start Windows XP, the computer may appear to stop responding (hang) with an empty, black screen immediately after the power-on self test (POST) is complete and before the Windows XP logo typically appears on the screen.
Cause:
This issue may occur if one of the following conditions is true:
Cause 1
This issue may occur if you have a CD, a DVD or a floppy disk in your CD, DVD, or floppy drive when you start the computer.
Cause 2
This issue occurs if one or more of the following elements are corrupted and will not load during the boot sequence of the computer:
Resolution:
To resolve this issue, follow these steps.
Resolution for Cause 1
To resolve this issue, remove the media in your CD, DVD, or floppy drive and then restart the computer.
Advanced troubleshooting:
This section is intended for advanced computer users. If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, you might want to ask someone for help or contact support.
Resolution for Cause 2
To resolve this issue, you must have the Windows XP CD-ROM. If you do not have the Windows XP CD-ROM available, you have to call your computer manufacturer to troubleshoot the issue.
If you have the Windows XP CD-ROM, use one of the following methods.
Method 1: Troubleshoot the specific element that causes Windows not to load
Note: This option requires that you perform multiple steps to determine the exact element that causes the issue. This option may allow for you to keep customizations in Windows.
Restart your computer in safe mode. To do this, press the F8 key while Windows is starting. Then, create a Windows XP boot disk to start the computer.
For more information about how to create a Windows XP boot disk, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
305595 How to create a bootable floppy disk for an NTFS or FAT partition in Windows XP?
315222 A description of the Safe Mode Boot options in Windows XP
If you can start the computer from the boot disk without receiving an error message, the damage is limited to the master boot record, the boot sector, or the NTLDR file. After Windows XP is running, immediately back up all data before you try to fix the boot sector.
Use Disk Management to view the partition information and to verify that the disk partition (or partitions) is correct. To use Disk Management, follow these steps:
If invalid partitions are present or you cannot start your computer by using a boot disk, consider reinstalling Windows XP on your computer and restoring your data and configuration information from a recent backup.
If you do not have a current backup copy of the data on the computer, contact a computer specialist to determine the best method of data recovery and configuration.
Repair the master boot record by using the FIXMBR command from the Windows XP Recovery Console.
For more information about how to use the Recovery Console, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
307654 How to install and use the Recovery console in Windows XP?
Note: For more information about an error message that you may receive when you use the FIXMBR command, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
266745 Error message when you run fixmbr command
Warning: If your computer is infected with a virus and you use the FIXMBR command, you may be unable to start the computer. Before you use this command, make sure that the computer is not infected with a virus.
Method 2: Repair your Windows installation
Note: Repairing your Windows installation may change the configuration of Windows. You may also have to follow this step if you complete all the troubleshooting in steps option 1 and the problem is not resolved.
As soon as this issue is resolved, make sure that the firewall is enabled, and then visit the following Microsoft Web site to reinstall the latest updates:
More Information:
For more information about the Recovery Console, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
229716 Description of the Windows 2000 Recovery Console
235364 Description of the SET command in Recovery Console
310497 How to add more power to Recovery Console by using Group Policy in Windows XP Professional?
The information in this article applies to:
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