It started up with a normal screen where it checks the memory's OK and finds the IDE drive and other bits. TThat all went normally.

Then it gave me a black & white screen "we apologize for the inconvenience… a recent hardwre change…Safe Mode…Start Windows Normally… Now I haven't changed anything so I guess something's gone pop.

Then it goes into the Windows XP start up screen for a second or two, then i get a blue screen with white writing for about a 10th of a second and I can't make out what it says other than "hardware or software" is in there somewhwere.

Then it all starts over again.

There's only 1 bleep (the usual one) on startup.

I've done the thing that usually works – opening it up, pressing things and blowing on the cards but that hasn't helped.

What might have gone wrong?

Its quite old – 1.4gb Athlon AST Rock motherboard and, it reckons 458752KB OK of memory.

One guess: cmos/bios battery on the mainboard fails, computer can't remember what hardware is attached, windows throws wobbler. Fit a new battery, run setup from the bios screen and roberts yer wossname.

virus? did you change anything recently?
will it start in safe mode?
if it does can you restore to earlier point.
try and make a note of the error message on the blue screen (BSOD- blue screenof death) then google it
try asking on a pc geek forum like bleepingcomputer.com
or chuck it and by a mac (there said it before anyone else does)

I don't think it's the battery as it still knows the date and time.
Haven't changed anything
It won't start in safe mode or from last known config
I can't read the error message – it lasts a fraction of a second

I don't want to go on a geek forum. I'm happy staying with us nerds.

Have you got the XP install disc?

Yes' I have the disc right here

OK – try this

http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

That hardware message is a generic one shown when something is wrong, doesn't always mean a hardware fault.

If possible get an ubuntu cd. You can run memtest from its startup menu, and also you can use it to try and rescue your files from the hard drive onto a usb stick or something.

You can also try doing a repair install using the windows cd. But make sure you back up your files first in case the disk is failing!

It sounds like a Windows file corruption to me. Use the Windows installation CD and try running repair or failing that you will require a full Windows re-installation

But make sure you back up your files first in case the disk is failing!

He's not going to find that easy without swapping the HDD to another machine

I've just put the XP disc in and booted from the DVD.

Its asking me if I want to setup. I don't want to re-install everything, or lose the data. Is there any way I can just bring it up from the DVD then go back and try it again from the HD?

Ahh – just understood the post from clunker. Repair, eh? I think I'll press R and see what happens.

He's not going to find that easy without swapping the HDD to another machine

Yes, indeed he'll need another machine or a friend who can download/burn the cd.

Reason I suggest doing the backup first is that doing a repair install hits the disk pretty hard, and can make a failing disk into a dead one (and/or make filesystem corruption worse).

Its not happy. I'll take it down to the repair bloke in town tomorrow.