Reboot on error after installing a Windows update

[Brian Palmer]

We are running Windows XP with all required updates as of
last week..
The system is a generic computer with 384 Mb of RD ram.
(2 x 128 + 2 x 64)
The install was a clean install on a new 80 Mb Maxtor
hard drive.
Last week everything was working fine.

A Windows update was installed on April 17 2003. Since
then Windows will not start in normal mode.

One of the log files I looked at indicated there were
errors in the update. I'm sorry, I had tried so many
things by this point my brain was fogged and I didn't
notice the specifics.

Windows gets as far as the splash screen. Then the splash
screen disappears, the monitor changes display mode and a
brief message on a blue screen flashes for about 2
seconds before Windows restarts. The error message does
not last long enough to read. It seems to fill the whole
screen with information in paragraphs. Is there any way
of stopping Windows at this point so I can read the
screen?

Also, in earlier versions of Windows you could step
through the boot process one process at a time to
determine which process was causing the problem. This
does not seem possible in Windows XP. Is there a way to
do this?

I can boot in safe mode.

I have not been able to go back to an earlier
configuration or to revert to last known good boot.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Brian Palmer

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Brian,

From Safe mode, have you tried uninstalling the recent hotfixes (Control
Panel/Add & Remove)?

Also, start/run eventvwr.msc and check the system logs for clues on the
error message that passes by too fast.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone -
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Win98 Help - www.rickrogers.org

"Brian Palmer" > wrote in message
...
> We are running Windows XP with all required updates as of
> last week..
> The system is a generic computer with 384 Mb of RD ram.
> (2 x 128 + 2 x 64)
> The install was a clean install on a new 80 Mb Maxtor
> hard drive.
> Last week everything was working fine.
>
> A Windows update was installed on April 17 2003. Since
> then Windows will not start in normal mode.
>
> One of the log files I looked at indicated there were
> errors in the update. I'm sorry, I had tried so many
> things by this point my brain was fogged and I didn't
> notice the specifics.
>
> Windows gets as far as the splash screen. Then the splash
> screen disappears, the monitor changes display mode and a
> brief message on a blue screen flashes for about 2
> seconds before Windows restarts. The error message does
> not last long enough to read. It seems to fill the whole
> screen with information in paragraphs. Is there any way
> of stopping Windows at this point so I can read the
> screen?
>
> Also, in earlier versions of Windows you could step
> through the boot process one process at a time to
> determine which process was causing the problem. This
> does not seem possible in Windows XP. Is there a way to
> do this?
>
> I can boot in safe mode.
>
> I have not been able to go back to an earlier
> configuration or to revert to last known good boot.
>
> Any suggestions would be appreciated.
> Thank you,
> Brian Palmer
>

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Brian,

From Safe mode, have you tried uninstalling the recent hotfixes (Control
Panel/Add & Remove)?

Also, start/run eventvwr.msc and check the system logs for clues on the
error message that passes by too fast.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone -
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Win98 Help - www.rickrogers.org

"Brian Palmer" > wrote in message
...
> We are running Windows XP with all required updates as of
> last week..
> The system is a generic computer with 384 Mb of RD ram.
> (2 x 128 + 2 x 64)
> The install was a clean install on a new 80 Mb Maxtor
> hard drive.
> Last week everything was working fine.
>
> A Windows update was installed on April 17 2003. Since
> then Windows will not start in normal mode.
>
> One of the log files I looked at indicated there were
> errors in the update. I'm sorry, I had tried so many
> things by this point my brain was fogged and I didn't
> notice the specifics.
>
> Windows gets as far as the splash screen. Then the splash
> screen disappears, the monitor changes display mode and a
> brief message on a blue screen flashes for about 2
> seconds before Windows restarts. The error message does
> not last long enough to read. It seems to fill the whole
> screen with information in paragraphs. Is there any way
> of stopping Windows at this point so I can read the
> screen?
>
> Also, in earlier versions of Windows you could step
> through the boot process one process at a time to
> determine which process was causing the problem. This
> does not seem possible in Windows XP. Is there a way to
> do this?
>
> I can boot in safe mode.
>
> I have not been able to go back to an earlier
> configuration or to revert to last known good boot.
>
> Any suggestions would be appreciated.
> Thank you,
> Brian Palmer
>

[Matthew Mucker [MSFT]]

Boot to safe mode.

Go to System control panel, advanced, startup and recovery, and uncheck the
check box that says automatically reboot.

Boot to normal mode and tell us what the STOP code is and what the numbers
inside the parentheses are.

-Matt

"Brian Palmer" > wrote in message
...
> We are running Windows XP with all required updates as of
> last week..
> The system is a generic computer with 384 Mb of RD ram.
> (2 x 128 + 2 x 64)
> The install was a clean install on a new 80 Mb Maxtor
> hard drive.
> Last week everything was working fine.
>
> A Windows update was installed on April 17 2003. Since
> then Windows will not start in normal mode.
>
> One of the log files I looked at indicated there were
> errors in the update. I'm sorry, I had tried so many
> things by this point my brain was fogged and I didn't
> notice the specifics.
>
> Windows gets as far as the splash screen. Then the splash
> screen disappears, the monitor changes display mode and a
> brief message on a blue screen flashes for about 2
> seconds before Windows restarts. The error message does
> not last long enough to read. It seems to fill the whole
> screen with information in paragraphs. Is there any way
> of stopping Windows at this point so I can read the
> screen?
>
> Also, in earlier versions of Windows you could step
> through the boot process one process at a time to
> determine which process was causing the problem. This
> does not seem possible in Windows XP. Is there a way to
> do this?
>
> I can boot in safe mode.
>
> I have not been able to go back to an earlier
> configuration or to revert to last known good boot.
>
> Any suggestions would be appreciated.
> Thank you,
> Brian Palmer
>

[Matthew Mucker [MSFT]]

Boot to safe mode.

Go to System control panel, advanced, startup and recovery, and uncheck the
check box that says automatically reboot.

Boot to normal mode and tell us what the STOP code is and what the numbers
inside the parentheses are.

-Matt

"Brian Palmer" > wrote in message
...
> We are running Windows XP with all required updates as of
> last week..
> The system is a generic computer with 384 Mb of RD ram.
> (2 x 128 + 2 x 64)
> The install was a clean install on a new 80 Mb Maxtor
> hard drive.
> Last week everything was working fine.
>
> A Windows update was installed on April 17 2003. Since
> then Windows will not start in normal mode.
>
> One of the log files I looked at indicated there were
> errors in the update. I'm sorry, I had tried so many
> things by this point my brain was fogged and I didn't
> notice the specifics.
>
> Windows gets as far as the splash screen. Then the splash
> screen disappears, the monitor changes display mode and a
> brief message on a blue screen flashes for about 2
> seconds before Windows restarts. The error message does
> not last long enough to read. It seems to fill the whole
> screen with information in paragraphs. Is there any way
> of stopping Windows at this point so I can read the
> screen?
>
> Also, in earlier versions of Windows you could step
> through the boot process one process at a time to
> determine which process was causing the problem. This
> does not seem possible in Windows XP. Is there a way to
> do this?
>
> I can boot in safe mode.
>
> I have not been able to go back to an earlier
> configuration or to revert to last known good boot.
>
> Any suggestions would be appreciated.
> Thank you,
> Brian Palmer
>