System freezes at bootup

Helpline Q&A Directory

When I turn on my PC, more often than not Windows just freezes. I usually have to reboot five or six times before I can start working. What's going on?

Each PC has a different configuration, so we can't say for sure. However, we can offer a number of suggestions. Start by booting Windows in Logged mode. This will allow you to create a text file of the entire boot process so that you can see where it fails.

First, bring up the boot menu. In Windows 95, watch the screen as you start up the computer and press the F8 key as soon as you see the words: 'Starting Windows 95'. In Windows 98, hold down Ctrl from the beginning of the boot process until the menu comes up. At the menu, select the option for Logged (\Bootlog txt) and continue with the boot.

Of course, Windows may boot flawlessly in this instance. Keep at it every time you boot until one of the boots fails. After your system has crashed, reboot again without logging on. To read the log, select Start, Run, type c:\bootlog.txt and press Enter. If your system is in such bad shape you can't get into Windows, you can read the log from the DOS prompt by typing c:\ windows\command\edit c:\bootlog.txt and pressing Enter.

You'll find a long file, but don't worry. Just go to the end - whatever is causing the problem will be in the last few lines. The line that says 'LoadFail' or 'failure' will tell you which file is the culprit.

If the troublemaker is an irksome DLL, you can try reinstalling Windows or the application that the DLL comes from. This allows you to reinstall these over the current installation without wiping out your configuration.

If, on the other hand, the problem is a hardware driver, try uninstalling and then reinstalling the hardware, or getting an updated driver, or replacing the possibly defective peripheral. In the worst case scenario, you may need to leave the troublesome device or program uninstalled until such time as its manufacturer devises a solution.