Help with XP hanging.

[Mychael]

I'm out of ideas so I'll put this out there to see what others can suggest.

My dual boot system has been working fine for well over a month now and the dual boot component still does function correctly.
Win 7 works properly.

The trouble is happening in XP and began a little over a week ago.

I get POST screen, then option to select O/S to boot into.
I get XP splash screen, then desktop, then desktop populates normally.
Trouble happens after that, one of several things will occur.

1/ Have normal appearing desktop with mouse control but mouse pointer stays in 'working' icon and you cannot open or close anything and you have no keyboard control.
2/ Same as above except mouse pointer normal on desktop but 'working' in taskbar.
3/ Everyhing looks normal on taskbar and desktop but you cannot do anything, except move mouse pointer around.
4/ Same as '3' but once you try to click on something mouse pointer goes to 'working' and you can get no further.

If I can get control > alt > Delete to work (it usually doesn't) then after killing and re-starting explorer everyhing will then work normally.
Sometimes it will boot normally of it's own accord.
However once I arrive at a working desktop, once there everything works as per normal for the O/S and all it's files and programs.

I've tried with a minimum start-up list.
I've deleted the two most recent programs I'd installed (ESET & Secunia)
I've run Chdsk, Sfc /scannow , full virus and maleware scans, Cccleaner never any faults/errors found by any of them.

I might get 3 good boots/re-starts in a row with out issue or it might act up on the very first boot.

Same mouse/keyboard combination I've had for ages plus they work fine if the boot is normal and they work fine under 7.
Both O/S's are on the same HDD.
HDD less then 3 months old and SMART monitoring shows no errors.
All temps are good.

I don't get crashes, I don't get BSOD's.

Only other thing I have noticed when this happens is that the all the Modem lights appear to stay on solid and if I turn the modem off for a few minutes then back on it will sometimes sort itself out. This is a Modem about 3yrs old and all other things internet seem to be working fine.

So I've tried everything everything I can think of. I'm open to ideas and suggestions.
This problem pretty much just started after many yrs of stable XP.

Always have virus checkers and anti malware programs installed and running.
Don't visit risky sites or P2P so I consider my infection risk to be low.

 

[cybercore]

Uninstall Secunia and enjoy.

 

[Mychael]

It is uninstalled and it did not solve the issue.

 

[Core]

Are these operating systems installed on separate partitions?

 

[Mychael]

Single drive, separate partitions. Had dual boot for close on a month now before these problems with XP began.
Hard to find a pattern as some boot ups will go normally for several times in a row and then the next one (to XP) gives trouble again.. Win 7 boots are so far ok.

 

[cybercore]

Give us a little more info:


1. http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/driverview.html

2. http://windows7forums.com/blue-scre...mportant-every-thread-starter-please-see.html

 

[Mychael]

Ok. Here we go.

Just a bit more info on the pattern ( or lack thereof) of what's happening I've now discovered that if I do nothing at all. Just leave the system for about 3 mins it comes good.

 

[Mychael]

May all be a moot point as I seem to have suffered a hardware failure.
I put in one of my other HDD that only has XP on it, kept it as a fall back if the other drive failed. I knew this O/S was good and i was going to use it to compare settings.

Anyway it got half way through loading and locked solid in a different way, I re-booted and got the message that "Boot Manager is missing".

"Hhmm", thinks I "this does not bode well". I put back in my dual boot HDD and got the same error message of boot manger missing. Looks like the MoBo has died, this could explain the random problems with boot ups.

So your getting this message compliments of the G/F's laptop.

 

[TrainableMan]

Maybe try booting to the Windows Repair Disk

 

[cybercore]

Ok. Here we go.

Just a bit more info on the pattern ( or lack thereof) of what's happening I've now discovered that if I do nothing at all. Just leave the system for about 3 mins it comes good.

---> Uninstall SUPERAntiSpyware, you already have MSE + Malware Bytes - that's enough.


--->

Update old drivers:

Logitech QuickCam 9/1/2005

Analog Devices 4/4/1996

Marvell Youkon 11/19/2009



Enjoy.

 

[catilley1092]

May all be a moot point as I seem to have suffered a hardware failure.
I put in one of my other HDD that only has XP on it, kept it as a fall back if the other drive failed. I knew this O/S was good and i was going to use it to compare settings.

Anyway it got half way through loading and locked solid in a different way, I re-booted and got the message that "Boot Manager is missing".

"Hhmm", thinks I "this does not bode well". I put back in my dual boot HDD and got the same error message of boot manger missing. Looks like the MoBo has died, this could explain the random problems with boot ups.

So your getting this message compliments of the G/F's laptop.

I don't know this for sure, but I've read that during the cloning process, once complete, does something to cause the former drive not to boot. When I done it with Acronis, something happened to the former drive, but I forgot what it was. That's been a while back.

Having two drives with the same OS's installed, along with the same COA#'s, I don't think is legal. That would be the same as two computers with the same COA's. However, you can, and are allowed to have a full backup, and you should have that on hand.

My OEM drive with this same install is in the closet. Something happened during the cloning process (I believe that something was deactivated) I would pull it out and try it out, but don't want to be red-flagged as not being legal, as I now have SP1, and the other drive doesn't.

My point is, if your computer wouldn't boot from the other drive, it may not be an issue with the computer, but that spare drive (install) itself.

Cat

 

[TrainableMan]

Any time I clone a HD the new one won't boot till I pop in the repair disk but it has never done anything to the old drive. Since you aren't running the back-up drive, merely keeping it as an unused back-up, you aren't violating licensing. If you put it in another machine and run both then, of course, you are in violation.

 

[Mychael]

Wont boot from either Drive Cat. Same error message.
However when all was good yes it does run fine from a cloned drive.
You may recall I spoke awhile ago of my cloning dock which works independently offline of any computer.
Makes a carbon copy of one drive to another provided the destination drive is the same size or larger then the source drive.
It's the perfect backup as it's not relient on software.
One drive gets safely stored away for protection and about once a month I re-clone and swap the drives over to share the load.
The other advantage over software cloning is that if I make some program change that causes issues I cannot fix then I can just go to the other drive, even better if a bad virus or power surge kills my drive then I have a reliable fall back with only 1 month old data on it.
As I live in a slightly fire prone area having a HDD I can just grab and take with me if I had to evacuate means I've saved everything.
Not illegal if your not using it on another machine at the same time and besides if you put it in another case/motherboard then the O/S would detect the new MoBo and ask for another validation key anyway.

 

[catilley1092]

Mychael, you have a good point there. I've never lived in a fire or disaster prone area, having that recent HDD means everything, as far as saving your data goes. Computers, and their respective OS's are replaceable, provided you can pay for it.

But your personal data, that may be a collection of many years, cannot be bought back from a major disaster, w/o spending thousands of dollars for possibly limited (bits & pieces) recovery of data. I see your point.

I suppose for this reason and others, that's why some users prefers file (no disk image) and online backup. Having Acronis True Image, I have this option, but have never used it. I also have Karen's Replicator (suggested by yodap) downloaded, but not installed. The 1TB Caviar Black that I bought is loaded with disk images, but no file backup, except one that I created months ago with Windows Backup. The least that I could do is keep that updated. Also, my docs folder is loaded with .iso images of install discs, at least 30, they could be moved elsewhere. That would preserve space. And make the backup & defrag processes a little faster.

Or I could get yet another extra drive, and do as you're doing. I recall that cloning device that you mentioned, now I know why you have it.

Cat

 

[Mychael]

Yes, the cloning machine is very practicle for me because I have quick release case covers and carry trays for the HDD. No screws. I can have one drive out and another in it's place in under a minute if I hurried a bit.
I suppose the clone machine is not infallible and certainly you would not want a power failure mid task but to my way of thinking your removing three fallible things from the equation, your O/S, the copy software and the MoBo/drive connections. Less "handling" of the data must make for less chance of error.

I was using Carbonite off site backup but that did not provide me with a full working operating system with all my settings, a cloned drive does.

 

[catilley1092]

You know what? I could take that 1TB Caviar Black, and do the same as you. The 320GB Caviar Blue (my OEM HDD) is in the closet, I also have a 500GB Seagate Free Agent backup drive. Those would be plenty of space for file backups.

I also have a 160GB WD Passport, that I could move all of those .iso images to, that way, my backups won't be so large. Using Acronis True Image Home 2010, and that Caviar Black drive as a backup, it generally takes a minimum of three hours to backup both OS's (Win 7 & Mint 9), and their respective VM's and other files. Those .iso's are just in the way, at least 70-80GB of them.

So, can I simply wipe & swap on a bi-weekly or monthly basis? Or do you write over the installed OS and data that's on the drive every time? I've only done this cloning deal once, and that was with Acronis, it takes a while that way.

Cat

 

[Mychael]

With the machine type cloning that I do there are two things you need to remember.
The destination drive must be equal to or larger then the source drive and it will copy exactly as to however the source drive is, so basically blank will give you blank, multi partition will give you a copy of multi partition.
BUT you cannot leave anything that is already on the destination drive untouched, it will all go, at least as far as I've seen in my cloning and be replaced by what is on the source drive.

Edit to clarify. Destination must be PHYSICALLY larger than or equal to the source drive.
So even if your 1tb source drive only has 250gig of actual data on it, it will not allow you to clone to a 500gig drive. But you could clone the 500gig to the 1tb.

Edit 2. I keep it simple and safe by using drives of equal capacity and from the same maker/model.

 

[catilley1092]

I have two 1TB drives, one Samsung HD103SJ (Spinpoint, I believe) and the WD Caviar Black. Actually I lucked out on the Caviar Black, I bought a 750GB one from Newegg, then had to RMA it, WD sent me the 1TB drive instead. Plus, the 750GB one was on sale at Newegg, that even made things sweeter, paying a sale price for one, then getting a extra quarter of a gig upon the exchange.

Being that they're different brands, could I have problems?

Cat

 

[Mychael]

I would not think so Cat. Though I would not try to clone if one of the drives was a SSD. Otherwise I see no reason for there to be a problem.
The other thing I forgot to mention is the time it takes IS NOT dependent on the amount of data but again the physical size of the drive.
As there is no operating system/software driving the clone process (or at best something very basic) it simply starts at one end and keeps going till it's at the other.
My 500gig drives take a bit over the hour, my 1tb drive considerably longer. Have not timed it. The machine just switches off once it's done, set and forget.

 

[catilley1092]

I have no SSD yet, but when I buy another notebook computer, I will get one.

Thanks for the info, now I see how to keep a fresh drive at all times, and a backup at the same time.

Cat