Windows XP Pro SP2 hangs after showing start-up logo

Question

I have a relatively new Inspiron 600m, bought a month ago. It has been working without problems until two days ago, when the operating system (Windows XP Professional SP2 with all recent updates installed) started to hang during start up.

Two days ago (Feb 7), when the problem first occurred, Windows started up and showed the low-resolution Windows XP logo with the sliding blue progress bar. After a short time the low-res logo disappeared and the screen blanked (went completely black) as usual, but instead of popping up the login window next, the laptop hanged and did nothing. The keyboard was locked and did not respond to NumLock, CapsLock, or Ctrl-Alt-Del. I turned off the laptop using the main power switch and rebooted several times using "Last known good configuration" and "Start Windows normally" and the laptop hanged just the same. Then I rebooted using "Safe mode with command prompt"; the first time Windows hanged after showing the line

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\agpCPQ.sys

but the second time I rebooted using "Safe mode with command prompt" I did get a command prompt. After rebooting from this, the laptop started up normally.

Yesterday the laptop worked fine. Before shutting down, it automatically installed the eight or so updates that Microsoft posted yesterday.

Today the laptop again hangs on start up, the same way it did two days ago (after showing the low-res Windows logo with the gliding progress bar). I try again to boot into safe mode with command prompt, but the laptop always hangs on the "agpCPQ.sys" line and never gives me the command prompt. The keyboard is completely locked, though the CD-RW/DVD drive spins if I put a CD-ROM in it (the screen stays black).

I have run the diagnostics tools on the Dell utilities partition, which is independent of Windows. It took a long time but everything passes.

Other than trying to repair Windows by booting from the CD, or going all the way and performing a complete reinstallation of the OS, does anyone have any suggestion on what I could try to recover the system?

Thanks!

100mph · Answer

Thank you very much for taking time to describe your problem!

Please check the Event Viewer (Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Event Viewer) for related events/errors.

You may also want to check the Device Manager (right-click My Computer -> Manage -> Device Manager) for unknown/improperly installed devices.

One more thing ... If the system stops with one driver at the bottom (in your case - agpCPQ.sys), that is usually not the driver that is having problems, but rather whatever driver comes after the one hanging on the screen. And if you can identify the culprit, try updating the drive.

The following MS article has more information on startup troubleshooting:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308041

Hope this helps!

Please keep us posted ...

yindw · Answer

Thanks for your reply. If I can get Windows running again on the laptop I will take a look at the Event Viewer.

Is there a way to find out what driver normally loads after agpCPQ.sys? Is this information found in the registry, or does Windows XP have start up scripts on the system that are human readable (like the /etc/rc.d scripts in Linux) that I can try to decipher?

maxd · Answer

This is a stretch but if they load alphabetically the next file in the Drivers folder is alim1541.sys

Both of these files were updated with SP2. If you booted to the Recovery Console perhaps renaming both files and expanding new ones from c:\windows\servicepackfiles\i386 to c:\windows\system32\drivers may do it.

100mph · Answer

Before you attached the hard drive to another box, please see if this helps: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304449

boj · Answer

hmmm... try booting to safe mode and do system restore...

Always_Broken · Answer

Some Dell laptops have a problem with SP 2, it corrupted my sister's hard drive on her Inspiron 1000. Make sure you have an updated BIOS, that's my reccomendation.

yindw · Answer

Hi 100mph,   I managed to get Windows XP to start up successfully on the laptop.  I don't know how.   I took a look at the Event Viewer.  There is nothing recorded in the System log for any of the failed start ups.  The current successful start up recorded an IPSEC Services termination error (event ID 7023, message 'The attempted operation is not supported for the type of object referenced.'), but I went through the entire system log and see that this error message always shows up as the third event each time the laptop starts up.  I see some warnings and errors in the Application log, but I don't think that they are relevant.  I see nothing interesting in the Security log.   A scan through the Device Manager shows nothing abnormal.  I haven't had time to check whether all the latest drivers and BIOS patches have been applied.  The laptop sometimes starts up normally and sometimes hangs, and I'd like to find the cause before complicating the situation with new patches.   I will follow up with additional messages if I find anything new.   Thanks for everyone's suggestions!   yindw

yindw · Answer

I think I have found the probable cause of the Windows hang up.   I have recently starting using a SanDisk 'cruzer mini' 1.0 GB USB flash drive with this Inspiron 600m laptop.  It appears that if this flash drive is already plugged into the USB socket and the laptop is turned on (cold boot), Windows XP gets stuck after showing and removing from display the initial low-res logo.  At this point the laptop display is black but it is still on (you can see the ghostly glow).  As soon as the flash drive is disconnected from the USB socket, the laptop display goes off briefly (no glow), and then comes back on with the usual blue background, centered mouse cursor, and finally the login prompt.   If the laptop is restarted from a successfully running Windows session (a warm reboot through the shutdown-restart-hibernate dialog box) and the flash drive remains connected during the entire reboot process, Windows does not hang up during the restart.   If Windows is stuck during a cold start with the flash drive already connected, the laptop cannot be restarted with a warm boot (Ctrl-Alt-Del is nonresponsive and Windows hasn't loaded properly to provide the shutdown-restart-hibernate menu).  Forcing a power off and power on again with the flash drive still engaged causes Windows to get stuck again, regardless of the start up mode (normal, last known good, safe, safe with command prompt).   The Device Manager shows the following drivers for the USB controllers:   Intel(R) 82801DB/DBM USB 2.0 Enhanced Host Controller - 24CD driver provider: Microsoft driver date: 6/1/2002 driver version: 5.1.2600.0 digital signer: Microsoft Windows Publisher driver files: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\usbehci.sys, C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\usbhub.sys, C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\usbport.sys, C:\WINDOWS\system32\hccoin.dll, C:\WINDOWS\system32\usbui.dll file version: 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)   Intel(R) 82801DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C4, - 24C2, - 24C4, and - 24C7 driver provider: Intel driver date: 7/2/2001 driver version: 4.0.1001.0 digital signer: Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher driver files: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\usbhub.sys, C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\usbport.sys, C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\usbuhci.sys, C:\WINDOWS\system32\usbui.dll file version: 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)   USB Root Hub driver provider: Microsoft driver date: 7/1/2001 driver version: 5.1.2600.2180 digital signer: Microsoft Windows Publisher driver files: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\usbd.sys, C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\usbhub.sys file version: 5.1.2600.0 (XPClient.010817-1148)   This SanDisk cruzer mini flash drive otherwise works fine with the Inspiron 600m.  (I've also used this flash drive with my Inspiron 8200, which supports only USB 1.0, running dual-boot Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS 3.3 and Windows XP Professional SP2, and the flash drive does not cause the Inspiron 8200 to get stuck during cold boot into either OS.)   To respond to maxd's suggestion, the drivers are not listed in alphabetical order when I choose to boot Windows XP in safe mode with command prompt.  In fact alim1541.sys is listed before agpCPQ.sys.  And concerning boj's suggestion, with the USB drive plugged in and the laptop starting from a cold boot, I can't even get Windows to start in any of the safe mode variants, as I described above.   I hope this is it.  Thanks for everyone's attention and assistance.

maxd · Answer

I hope that's it too. What did you add lately is a good place to start trouble-shooting. Hardware , especially USB, should probably be considered first. Sorry, didn't even consider that. Thanks for the followup. Wish more people would do the same.

yindw · Answer

I forgot to mention that I also use a Logitech wireless laptop mouse with this Inspiron 600m. Windows XP does not stall when starting from a cold boot with the wireless mouse signal receiver in the USB port, only when the flash drive is plugged in. Message Edited by yindw on 02-10-2005 05:24 PM

bluejax · Answer

I have not read through all of the replies on this subject but I have also seen where Antivirus Software causes these types of 'lock ups'.  You can test by isolating your machine (disconnect network cable so you are not exposed to viruses).  Then disabling the Real time virus protection services etc.  Reboot with the usb drive connected and see if it locks up then.

Thornwell · Answer

Thanks for posting this! I ran into this exact situation today and you saved me about 8 hours rebuilding a laptop.

boothacre · Answer

I also have had this exact problem. I had installed bugdoctor and antispyware and experienced traumatic hanging. By booting in safe mode and removing these programs, the issue was resolved.

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Windows XP Pro SP2 hangs after showing start-up logo

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