OK have looked, honest!

Have a desktop, 3Ghz P4, 1024, twin 120Gb, Radeon X800. Networked to the one I'm on now!

Has decided to boot through to XP logo screen, with normal running blue bar, then about the time the desktop should appear........black screen.

Boots into XP desktop OK via F8 Safe Mode, even with network ACTIVE and working if that option chosen, but then I can SEE nothing amiss, nothing saying it has an issue in Device Manager.

Tried reverting to previous System Restore point...same.

Tried repair installation from CD......same (well nearly, now also left menu option to installation in boot menu.............SIGH!).

Just once on boot it indicated that hal.dll was corrupt............and in case it was getting masked at other times, I extracted/copied it from CD...same........

Had spare blank HDD, so fitted that removing HDD with old XP install completely, but won't install new to this drive either, same black screen.

Thinking possibly graphics, have tried to reinstall the Graphics Card drivers, but installation fails.

It's sitting there right now, in safe mode, back with original HDD, taunting me with it's rubbish resolution..............  

Any thoughts please guys??

bravedanuk ........ Do you have the original install/Restore cds which came with the pc thats acting up or or you using something else ?


dl65  Thanks for reply........

I have a OEM product recovery disk, but also have an unused (freshly broken out of MS Box packaging for this test) XP install disk, have tried both, starting with the OEM supposedly "matching" disk  (apart from NUMEROUS Windows Updates of course).

Should have said (sound of wrist being slapped) that OS is XP PRO.  

Both install disks do the same thing, appear to start off OK, and then freeze.

To be honest, I'd quite like to install the NEW 250Gb SATA HDD as c:, which removes the old XP completely (?) and start with a new clean XP install to it...and keep the old 120Gb D drive (where most of my active data resides anyway).

I'd keep the the old c: available as a BACKUP to plug in on a spare SATA line if I found that any old files were required...............

But it won't allow me to install to the blank drive.......I have run the WESTERN Digital prep prog on it, but XP install freezes. ( I have done this before on another PC, so it's not the first time I have installed a HDD, but it is the first SATA type computer install)

DaveRestore CD's may not work on a new hard drive if some soft of hidden recovery partition is needed. Some maker's do this, unfortunately.

Let's make this a simpler proposition. There are too many variables. How about disconnecting for now EVERYTHING you do not need - the second hard drive, a second optical drive, any add in cards - modems, etc. and just see if the machine is capable of loading Windows to the intended drive.