Microsoft KB Archive/322205

= After you install a new hardware device or new software, Windows XP may continuously restart, or you may receive an error message on a blue screen =

Article ID: 322205

Article Last Modified on 11/9/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
 * Microsoft Windows XP Professional

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This article was previously published under Q322205



This article is intended for a beginning to intermediate computer user. You may find it easier to follow the steps if you print this article first.



Symptoms of the problem
After you install a new hardware device or new software on a Windows XP-based computer, you may experience one of the following symptoms:
 * The computer continuously restarts.
 * You receive an error message on a blue screen.



Steps to resolve the problem
Step 1: Disconnect any new hardware

If you recently installed a new hardware device, disconnect the device, and then try to start Windows XP again. If you can start Windows XP after you disconnect the device, contact the device manufacturer to obtain updated drivers for the device or to learn about any other known issues.

Step 2: Start the computer by using the Last Known Good Configuration feature  Start the computer. When you see the Please select the operating system to start message, press the F8 key. When the Windows Advanced Options menu appears, use the ARROW keys to select Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked), and then press ENTER. If you are running other operating systems on the computer, use the ARROW keys to select Microsoft Windows XP, and then press ENTER.

Notes
 * By using the Last Known Good Configuration feature, you can recover from configuration problems such as newly installed drivers that may be incorrect for the computer's hardware. This feature does not correct problems that are caused by missing drivers, by missing files, by corrupted drivers, or by corrupted files.
 * The Last Known Good Configuration feature uses information that is saved from the last time that you shut down the computer. This information is used to restore registry settings and drivers. Therefore, you can use this feature only if you can start the computer successfully before you restore the computer by using the last known good configuration.
 * After you start the computer by using the Last Known Good Configuration feature, changes that were made since the last successful startup are lost.

Step 3: Use the System Restore feature

Method 1: If Windows XP does not start  Restart the computer, and then press F8 during the initial startup to start the computer in safe mode by using a command prompt.

For more information about safe mode, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

315222 A description of the safe mode boot options in Windows XP

</li> Log on to the computer by using an administrator account or by using an account that has administrator credentials.</li> Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER:

%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

</li> Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to restore the computer to an earlier state.</li></ol>

Method 2: If Windows XP starts  Log on to Windows by using an administrator account.</li> Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore. System Restore starts.</li> On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Restore my computer to an earlier time if this option is not already selected. Then, click Next.</li> On the Select a Restore Point page, click the most recent system checkpoint in the On this list, click a restore point list, and then click Next. You may receive a message that lists configuration changes that System Restore will make. Click OK.</li> On the Confirm Restore Point Selection page, click Next. System Restore restores the previous Windows XP configuration, and then System Restore restarts the computer.</li> Log on to the computer as Administrator. The System Restore Restoration Complete page appears.</li> Click OK.</li></ol>

Step 4: If a fix or a workaround is not available, you can use the &quot;Advanced Troubleshooting&quot; section to try to resolve this issue

If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, you might want to ask someone for help or contact support. For information about how to contact support, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus

<div class="moreinformation_section">

MORE INFORMATION
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

841567 You receive a &quot;Cannot install this hardware&quot; or &quot;An error occurred during the installation&quot; error message when you try to install a PCI device

810882 Error message: Cannot install hardware. An error occurred during the installation of the device

319908 Information about hardware device drivers for Windows XP

883259 How to install and configure Bluetooth devices in Windows XP Service Pack 2

330181 Windows XP problems with damaged or incompatible hardware

If the articles listed here do not help you resolve the problem or if you experience symptoms that differ from those that are described in this article, search the Microsoft Knowledge Base for more information. To search the Microsoft Knowledge Base, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com

Then, type the text of the error message that you receive, or type a description of the problem in the Search Support (KB) field.

Advanced troubleshooting
This section is intended for advanced computer users. If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, you might want to ask someone for help or contact support. For information about how to do this, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus

Step 1: Start Windows XP in safe mode
 Restart the computer. Press the F8 key repeatedly when the screen becomes blank.</li> Click Safe Mode, and then press ENTER.</li> If you are prompted to select a version of Windows, select the correct version, and then press ENTER.</li></ol>

Step 2: Use the Rollback Driver feature
 <li>Start Device Manager. To do this, click Start, click Run, type devmgmt.msc, and then click OK</li> <li>Double-click the device for which you want to restore the driver.</li> <li>Click the Driver tab, and then click the Roll Back Driver button.</li></ol>

Step 3: Determine whether a third-party program is causing the issue
Note If you disable all Microsoft services and then restart the computer, the System Restore utility is disabled, and you lose all system restore points. Therefore, we do not recommend that you disable all Microsoft services when you use the Msconfig utility to troubleshoot connection issues. <ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;"> <li>Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.</li> <li>Click the General tab, click Selective Startup, and then click to clear all check boxes except the Load System Services check box.</li> <li>Click the Services tab, and then click Hide all Microsoft Services.</li> <li>Click Disable all.</li> <li>Click OK, and then restart the computer.</li></ol>

If Windows XP starts, go to Step 4. If Windows XP does not start, go to Step 6.

Step 4: Determine the conflicting program or the conflicting utility
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;"> <li>Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.</li> <li>Click the Startup tab.

Because of the number of entries that may be listed, we recommend that you determine the conflicting program by using the following process of elimination: <ol> <li>Select approximately half of the listed items, and then click OK.</li> <li>Restart the computer.

Note If Windows XP does not start, restart Windows XP in safe mode.</li> <li>Continue this process of elimination until you have identified the conflicting program.</li></ol> </li> <li>We recommend that you remove the program if you are not using it. Or, configure the program so that it does not start when the computer starts.

Note You may have to contact the software vendor for information about how to perform this configuration.</li></ol>

Step 5: Determine whether a third-party service is causing the issue
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;"> <li>Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.</li> <li>Click the Services tab, disable all the services, and then click OK.</li> <li>Restart the computer.</li></ol>

If Windows XP starts, go to Step 6.

Step 6: Determine the conflicting service
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;"> <li>Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.</li> <li>Click the Services tab.</li> <li>Enable half the services on the list, and then click OK.</li> <li>Restart the computer in normal mode.

Note If Windows XP does not start, restart the computer in safe mode.</li> <li>Continue this process until you determine the service that is causing the issue. We recommend that you remove or disable the service.

Note You may have to contact the developer of the program for information about how to do this.</li></ol>

Keywords: kbresolve kbexpertisebeginner kbceip kberrmsg kbdriver kbtshoot kbhardware kbhowto kbprb kbprod2web KB322205

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