Apparently frozen at 'Please wait...'

I've just put a new monitor on my XP PC, replacing its 24" Ilyama
Prolite E2403WS with an Acer 19.5". But I've hit a problem: some way
through the boot up process (after the choice of OS comes up) I have
this screen:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...blem-Agent.jpg

I've given it half an hour. What's the best course of action now
please? If there's ANY chance at all that it will spring back to life
then I'll wait, but it doesn't look very likely!

In case it's relevant, this XP PC does not have the right socket on
the back so I bought a £6 DVI-to-VGA adapter for the cable.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

On 30/06/2016 17:06, Terry Pinnell wrote:
I've given it half an hour. What's the best course of action now
please? If there's ANY chance at all that it will spring back to life
then I'll wait, but it doesn't look very likely!

No it won't spring back to life. Your best option is to reboot the
machine. Switch off and Switch on. There is no point in sitting there
just staring at the screen. You'll go mad if you wait for too long.



--

Windows 10
https://app.box.com/representation/file_version_74032471857/image_2048/1.png?shared_name=jx7x8bblrf906i7ktrvu4kn89t48b43b

Good Guy wrote:

On 30/06/2016 17:06, Terry Pinnell wrote:
I've given it half an hour. What's the best course of action now
please? If there's ANY chance at all that it will spring back to life
then I'll wait, but it doesn't look very likely!

No it won't spring back to life. Your best option is to reboot the
machine. Switch off and Switch on. There is no point in sitting there
just staring at the screen. You'll go mad if you wait for too long.

I let it run. On getting up yesterday I saw "Windows has finished
checking the disk" as the last line on the screen. Nothing else of
obvious interest;, 0 bad sectors, etc.

I expected it to have continued where it left off, namely rebooting.
Or at least with a message asking me to restart the PC.

Anyway, after using the reset button I was disappointed that it
repeated the now familiar process: after the Windows logo it was back
to the permanent black screen.

I then used F8 Safe mode and looking around it was clear that the
video problem suspected earlier was still there. My nVidia 8800GT was
nowhere to be found. The Wizard volunteered to deal with 'Unknown' new
hardware but failed.

On reboot the PC then failed to get back to Safe Mode. Stopped a with
a screen full of files, the last one being BootDefragDrivers.

I reset again and used F8 VGA mode. Then located and installed my
nVidia drivers, 306. With great difficulty, as the nVidia installation
window was semi-transparent and so impossible to read properly. After
removing all desktop icons and wallpaper I could use it and
installation was apparently successful.

On rebooting I was recommended "strongly" to let Windows check C: for
consistency. I had already done this before, but decided reluctantly
to let it proceed. Thought it would take 4-5 hours, based on the 20-25
it took for the 3 TB WD HD. And given that it had already done a
CHKDSK on C: recently during this saga, I was apprehensive that all
would not be well afterwards anyway.

But it looks as if it is! ;-)

On hearing a beep I found it was rebooting after a mere 15 mins or so.
Must have terminated the 'consistency check' at an early stage. And
the reboot (always tedious) now seems to be proceeding nicely.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Terry Pinnell wrote:
Good Guy wrote:

On 30/06/2016 17:06, Terry Pinnell wrote:
I've given it half an hour. What's the best course of action now
please? If there's ANY chance at all that it will spring back to life
then I'll wait, but it doesn't look very likely!
No it won't spring back to life. Your best option is to reboot the
machine. Switch off and Switch on. There is no point in sitting there
just staring at the screen. You'll go mad if you wait for too long.

I let it run. On getting up yesterday I saw "Windows has finished
checking the disk" as the last line on the screen. Nothing else of
obvious interest;, 0 bad sectors, etc.

I expected it to have continued where it left off, namely rebooting.
Or at least with a message asking me to restart the PC.

Anyway, after using the reset button I was disappointed that it
repeated the now familiar process: after the Windows logo it was back
to the permanent black screen.

I then used F8 Safe mode and looking around it was clear that the
video problem suspected earlier was still there. My nVidia 8800GT was
nowhere to be found. The Wizard volunteered to deal with 'Unknown' new
hardware but failed.

On reboot the PC then failed to get back to Safe Mode. Stopped a with
a screen full of files, the last one being BootDefragDrivers.

I reset again and used F8 VGA mode. Then located and installed my
nVidia drivers, 306. With great difficulty, as the nVidia installation
window was semi-transparent and so impossible to read properly. After
removing all desktop icons and wallpaper I could use it and
installation was apparently successful.

On rebooting I was recommended "strongly" to let Windows check C: for
consistency. I had already done this before, but decided reluctantly
to let it proceed. Thought it would take 4-5 hours, based on the 20-25
it took for the 3 TB WD HD. And given that it had already done a
CHKDSK on C: recently during this saga, I was apprehensive that all
would not be well afterwards anyway.

But it looks as if it is! ;-)

On hearing a beep I found it was rebooting after a mere 15 mins or so.
Must have terminated the 'consistency check' at an early stage. And
the reboot (always tedious) now seems to be proceeding nicely.


The 8800GT had an issue with PCI Express bus compatibility,
but none of the symptoms are a match for what is happening to
you (you don't have a crusty old VIA chipset).

However, you might want to run a Google search anyway, including
your new hardware components, just in case some new issue
involves the 8800GT.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8800GT...ith_PCI-E_1.0a

What ATI claimed to be doing in the same generation, is
starting in PCI Express 1 mode, and switching up at some
point (perhaps under driver control, not sure). In any case,
ATI bragged at the time, that they were immune to this issue.
And it's always a bad idea (bad karma) for a hardware
maker to brag about anything. Most of the time, it's better
to just keep your head down, so the spotlight doesn't
fall on you :-) That's the nature of hardware design.
Duck and cover. Hide in the shadows.

Paul

[Default] On Thu, 30 Jun 2016 17:06:17 +0100, in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.general Terry Pinnell
wrote:

I've just put a new monitor on my XP PC, replacing its 24" Ilyama
Prolite E2403WS with an Acer 19.5". But I've hit a problem: some way
through the boot up process (after the choice of OS comes up) I have
this screen:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...blem-Agent.jpg

I don't see what has this picture got to do with the text or subject
line?

At any rate, I have the same problem, with white lines every 1 or 2
letters in selected text, whether dragged or not. I think it started
when I changed computers to this Dell Vostro 220, with no video
updates, running Vista. Any way to get the white lines out of
selected text??

I've given it half an hour. What's the best course of action now
please? If there's ANY chance at all that it will spring back to life
then I'll wait, but it doesn't look very likely!

In case it's relevant, this XP PC does not have the right socket on
the back so I bought a £6 DVI-to-VGA adapter for the cable.

Micky wrote:

[Default] On Thu, 30 Jun 2016 17:06:17 +0100, in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.general Terry Pinnell
wrote:

I've just put a new monitor on my XP PC, replacing its 24" Ilyama
Prolite E2403WS with an Acer 19.5". But I've hit a problem: some way
through the boot up process (after the choice of OS comes up) I have
this screen:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...blem-Agent.jpg

I don't see what has this picture got to do with the text or subject
line?

At any rate, I have the same problem, with white lines every 1 or 2
letters in selected text, whether dragged or not. I think it started
when I changed computers to this Dell Vostro 220, with no video
updates, running Vista. Any way to get the white lines out of
selected text??

I've given it half an hour. What's the best course of action now
please? If there's ANY chance at all that it will spring back to life
then I'll wait, but it doesn't look very likely!

In case it's relevant, this XP PC does not have the right socket on
the back so I bought a £6 DVI-to-VGA adapter for the cable.

Yes, sorry, meant to post two screenshots. The main one was this:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...layProblem.jpg

Now sorted by installing new drivers for the nVidia 8800GT.

I posted the Agent shot thinking it *might* be related, but it's
clearly a separate issue. One I encountered in Agent years ago (can't
remember the details) and never seen again until I installed Agent on
my new PC with Win 10. Getting a bit used to it now, but sure would
like it gone!

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK