Q: SP2 = Reboot loop

Hello!

After a clean XP Pro installation, using either Windows update or disc-based
SP2 update results in my PC entering a reboot loop that can only be fixed by
entering safe mode and uninstalling SP2.

I have done this about four times with the exact same result. The Windows XP
boot screen starts, then quickly goes to a blue screen with lots of numbers.
then reboots (over and over). It reboots too fast to get the error code on
exit to blue screen.

I have added no new hardware since my last clean install in July, and have
never had this issue before. Any ideas?

P4/3 Ghz
Asus P4C800-E Deluxe
2GB RAM
Windows XP Pro
Nvidia GF 5900 Ultra

Thanks,

Patrick

On Sun, 20 Nov 2005 21:55:01 -0800, Patrick Zapatka <> wrote:

>Hello!
>
>After a clean XP Pro installation, using either Windows update or disc-based
>SP2 update results in my PC entering a reboot loop that can only be fixed by
>entering safe mode and uninstalling SP2.
>
>I have done this about four times with the exact same result. The Windows XP
>boot screen starts, then quickly goes to a blue screen with lots of numbers.
>then reboots (over and over). It reboots too fast to get the error code on
>exit to blue screen.
>
>I have added no new hardware since my last clean install in July, and have
>never had this issue before. Any ideas?
>
>P4/3 Ghz
>Asus P4C800-E Deluxe
>2GB RAM
>Windows XP Pro
>Nvidia GF 5900 Ultra
>
>Thanks,
>
>Patrick

Windows XP has a default setting to "Restart on failure".

Start up in the Safe made again, Right click on "My Computer" and select Manage.
Expand the Event Viewer category and look through each of the three sub-categories for the red
flagged error records. The date and time of these should correspond to your restarts. Double
click on an error record to see the details of the error.

To change the restart behavior, Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, System, Advanced. In the
Startup and Recovery section, click on the "Settings" button to open the Startup and Recovery
window. In the System Failure section, uncheck "Automatically restart", Click "Apply", "OK"

After that change, the computer will no longer restart when a system failure occurs. Instead it
will probably throw up a "Blue Screen Of Death" with a STOP error message and then halt
completely, requiring a manual power off and restart (or reset if it has a hardware reset
switch).

But the contents of the STOP error message will give a specific clue as to the underlying cause
of the problem.

Don't be suprised, if after changing the setting, things appear to run just fine.
Some errors are so minor that they will only show up in the Event logs and not produce a BSD.
However, they would still evoke the restart if the setting were changed back to the default.

"Patrick Zapatka" <> wrote in message
news:5A1F770C-BA98-4C6E-B58C-...
> Hello!
>
> After a clean XP Pro installation, using either Windows update or
> disc-based
> SP2 update results in my PC entering a reboot loop that can only be fixed
> by
> entering safe mode and uninstalling SP2.
>
> I have done this about four times with the exact same result. The Windows
> XP
> boot screen starts, then quickly goes to a blue screen with lots of
> numbers.
> then reboots (over and over). It reboots too fast to get the error code on
> exit to blue screen.
>
> I have added no new hardware since my last clean install in July, and have
> never had this issue before. Any ideas?
>
> P4/3 Ghz
> Asus P4C800-E Deluxe
> 2GB RAM
> Windows XP Pro
> Nvidia GF 5900 Ultra
>
> Thanks,
>
> Patrick

If your P4 CPU is a Prescott core, you may need a BIOS update for the
motherboard.

Great information to have!

After applying every other update EXCEPT SP2 and then applying SP2, I
proceeded with your information, only to have the computer work prefectly on
the first reboot.

Thanks,

Patrick

On Mon, 21 Nov 2005 08:37:06 -0800, Patrick Zapatka <> wrote:
>Great information to have!
>
>After applying every other update EXCEPT SP2 and then applying SP2, I
>proceeded with your information, only to have the computer work prefectly on
>the first reboot.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Patrick

You're welcome. In the future, could you please include some of the message you are
responding to, in your reply? That way, all can benefit from the solution.
(Tools, Options, "Send" tab, check the "Include message in Reply" box.)