Computer keeps rebooting, cannot complete bootup

Question

My Inspiron 4100 is unable to complete a bootup. It keeps rebooting, but then immediately after the 'Windows 2000 Professional' spash screen, it briefly goes to a blue screen that only stays up for about 2 seconds, way too short for me to read the error message. The error message appears to say something about a missing dll, but it's impossible to read it in such a short amount of time before it disappears.   How do I get this blue screen error to remain up permanently, so that I may have sufficient time to read it and write down what it says?   If it is a missing dll, how do I repair it when I am unable to boot up to the operating system?   Fred Message Edited by fappleyard on 11-09-2006 10:23 AM

ejn63 · Answer

Try safe mode (f8).

fappleyard · Answer

F8 Safe Mode didn't help. It made no difference. The blue screen error still disappears way too fast for me to catch what it says, making troubleshooting this problem impossible.   What's the command to freeze the blue screen error, so I can have time to read it. How can I apply the command?   Also, I earlier attempted to repair Windows from the Windows 2000 CD, but that didn't repair the problem. Thanks, Fred

jec4312 · Answer

As soon as you get the blue screen try pressing the pause key, it works for other things and it's worth a try.

fappleyard · Answer

The pause key didn't work, but I was able to repair Windows again with the Windows 2000 CD (for about the 20th time this year), and got the laptop working again for now. I think other problems might precipitated it, including 'INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE' errors that kept cropping up, followed by the Windows Installer errors I was having after installing the Dell Chipset Driver. After I cured that problem by installing the latest Microsoft Windows Installer upgrade, this problem occurred, so I've had to repair Windows twice today to fix this new problem.   If this or similar blue screen error occurs again, I will still need to know how to freeze a blue screen error that only stays up for 1 or 2 seconds.   Fred

ejn63 · Answer

99.99%+ probability is that you have a rapidly failing hard drive. Power on, F12, Dell Diagnostics, extended test, hard drive.

fappleyard · Answer

Is F12 Dell diagnostics then a BIOS program?   This is the third Hardrive I replaced in this laptop. I find it hard to believe they could have such a high failure rate. A couple months ago, I took it to a local shop and their diagnostic tests found no hardware problems. My mainframe PC that also has Windows 2000 has never had any of these problems, and it's about the same age as the laptop. Message Edited by fappleyard on 11-10-200608:35 AM

fappleyard · Answer

The problem has returned.   F12 doesn't give me Dell Diagnostics, just a choice of which drive I want to boot first.   I still cannot figure out how to get the blue screen to remain up so I can read what it says. It only stays up for about 2 seconds.   Safe mode doesn't work.   Fred Message Edited by fappleyard on 11-13-200608:30 PM

do not ask me · Answer

To prevent the blue screen from being x'd out by restart, follow these commands:

Click Start

Run: sysdm.cpl

Click Advanced

Click Startup and Recovery

Click Settings

Uncheck 'automatically restart'

Click OK

Done and done! :emotion-2:

ejn63 · Answer

At the bottom of the F12 list should be Dell diagnostics.

Storage, Drives & Media

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