desktop with windows xp hangs on splash screen with dim background.

[cloud32187]

Computer boots up to the windows xp splash screen and is very dimly lit. It hangs there for about 10 minutes then will boot to windows very quickly with no issue. No idea whats causing it and have pretty much used up all the testing options. Here's what I've done:

-Full hardware diagnostics on memory and HDD
-Replaced ram with good sticks
-Replaced video card with known good
-Replaced power supply (weird issue here, when I swap out PSU with known good, it no longer POSTs, no idea why)
-Repair install of windows xp
-Scanned for malware/viruses/rootkits
-SFC /scannnow
-Chkdsk /r multiple times till no errors
-Re-installed video/chipset/lan/audio drivers

One thing I haven't tried is to remove all the pci expansion cards hes got plugged in (theres 3 of them:raid card, lan card, sound card). I don't see why that would cause this to happen suddenly though. The computer is about 8 years old and a custom build that he put together himself. Not near the machine right now so i don't have full specs but i know the motherboard is an ASUS A8V Deluxe.

Anyone ever had this issue before?

 

[Baz]

Regarding the power supply you replaced the original with, is it of similar enough power to run everything that's needed on the motherboard? Using a PSU that isn't powerful enough to run everything can cause the issue you have described so that could be an easy one to rule out if you haven't already tried it.

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

Computer boots up to the windows xp splash screen and is very dimly lit. It hangs there for about 10 minutes then will boot to windows very quickly with no issue.

XP slash screen fades in doesnt it? im not near an xp box. So are you saying the second it starts fading in it freezes there and hangs for 10mins? or is there progress on the loading bar before it freezes?

 

[cloud32187]

Regarding the power supply you replaced the original with, is it of similar enough power to run everything that's needed on the motherboard? Using a PSU that isn't powerful enough to run everything can cause the issue you have described so that could be an easy one to rule out if you haven't already tried it.

The power supply he has installed is a 400W and I am using a 450. Should be sufficient power getting to it. I have another power supply in the back somewhere, i'll have to give that one a go too.

 

[cloud32187]

XP slash screen fades in doesnt it? im not near an xp box. So are you saying the second it starts fading in it freezes there and hangs for 10mins? or is there progress on the loading bar before it freezes?

Yup exactly when windows xp starts up that splash screen with the loading bar will fade in normally. Its very a very quick fade in but for some reason it gets stuck during that and after 10 minutes it will load up bright and starts very quickly.

 

[brandonkick]

What happens when you load a live OS say winPE or linux?

Basically this is what you should do:

Strip the PC down to the bare essentials it needs to post:

Remove everything but:
CPU
RAM
Power Supply
Hard Drive
Video Card (if no onboard video on motherboard)

Take out EVERYTHING else...

Do you still have the problem?

Maybe try loading windows XP onto a fresh drive and see if that helps.
An old drive can do that.

Is the system free of dust dirt? Is the heat sink clogged? Do the fans run?

 

[nlinecomputers]

Does it do it in Safe mode? Sounds like a driver hanging to me. Event logs may show some clues.

 

[cloud32187]

Does it do it in Safe mode? Sounds like a driver hanging to me. Event logs may show some clues.

it does do it in safe mode, it hangs on MUP.sys for about 10 minutes

 

[nlinecomputers]

If you see MUP.SYS on the screen then it has already loaded. The NEXT driver is what is hanging.

Enable boot logging and see what loads after MUP.SYS

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-enable-boot-logging-in-windows.html

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

Yup exactly when windows xp starts up that splash screen with the loading bar will fade in normally. Its very a very quick fade in but for some reason it gets stuck during that and after 10 minutes it will load up bright and starts very quickly.

I think you should try what brandon recommended, thats pretty early in the loading progress....i dont think ive ever seen that before.

Edit: Wait whats usually after mup.sys... ahci drivers isnt it?

edit: my bad didnt see nlines post enabling boot logging is a great idea

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

8 years old....AMD CPU and, although I love Asus motherboards, it's a dreaded Via chipset motherboard...ugh, spit or pee on it and move onto a good project. And back to that nearly 10 years old thing, smack dab in the middle of the bad capacitors era?

Back to software troubleshooting...can you try another user profile for giggles?

Boot from a CD in Linux or bootable Windows environment to bypass the hard drive/install entirely?

 

[cloud32187]

What happens when you load a live OS say winPE or linux?

Basically this is what you should do:

Strip the PC down to the bare essentials it needs to post:

Remove everything but:
CPU
RAM
Power Supply
Hard Drive
Video Card (if no onboard video on motherboard)

Take out EVERYTHING else...

Do you still have the problem?

Maybe try loading windows XP onto a fresh drive and see if that helps.
An old drive can do that.

Is the system free of dust dirt? Is the heat sink clogged? Do the fans run?

Hey guys just thought I would update. Went into the office today and decided to take the above device. He has an unused raid card in there among 4 others pci cards. I took out the raid card and presto, instant bootup. Feel a little silly that I didn't think to do this on my own. Thank you so much for all your suggestions. The issue is now solved.