Fix Windows Start-up Errors

If you receive an annoying error message every time you restart your computer, the problem may be an incompatibility between a specific file that a piece of hardware or software has installed and your operating system.

Write down the error message in its entirety. If the name of a file, service, or program on your computer is mentioned in it, then check to see if the file is listed in the System Configuration Utility. If you are receiving a nonspecific error message, search for other solutions or contact a professional for assistance.

Check to See if a File is Listed in the System Configuration Utility

• Click Start in the lower lefthand corner of your screen, then click Run.

• In the box that appears, type Msconfig.exe, and in the screen that appears, search for the names of the files or services you saw in the error message. Make sure to look thoroughly in the SYSTEM.INI, WIN.INI, SERVICES, and START-UP tabs.

• If the file in the error message is not listed, search for other solutions, or contact a professional.

• If the file in the error message is listed, you need to restart your computer with the Recovery Console.

• Restarting and Repairing Your Computer With the Recovery Console Insert the Windows CD-ROM or the Windows boot disks, whichever your computer supports.

• Restart your computer.

• The Welcome to Setup box should pop up. It should ask you whether you want to repair any versions of Windows XP. Press R, then press C.

• The Recovery Console should appear.

• Choose the option that enables you to install Windows. Select the Administrator account and type in your Administrator password, then hit Enter.

• A box should appear. Select the SystemRoot\System32 folder.

• Type in listsvc, then hit Enter.

• Search the list that appears for the name of the driver or service that appears on your startup error messages.

• Type disable _______ (insert the name of the service instead of the blank line), then hit Enter.

• A message should appear. This is the prior start_type of the service you just disabled. Copy it down so you have the information in case you need to enable it again.

• Type Exit, then hit Enter.

The computer should automatically restart. Let it boot normally (not from CD or boot disk). If the problem is solved, then congratulations – you're done. If the start-up error remains, a program that you recently installed may be the cause. Even if you think you've permanently deleted this new program manually after you found out it was causing problems, there could still be remnants of it on your system.

Permanently Delete a Program From Your Computer

Although it may seem counterintuitive, the first step to permanently deleting a program that has been improperly deleted is to reinstall it.

Click Start, then Control Panel, then Add or Remove Programs. (You should only use this tool to delete programs from your system from now on.)

Select the program you just installed from the list that appears. If the program is not on the list, then ask the manufacturer how to remove it.

• Click Change/Remove.

• When prompted to remove the program, click Yes.

• Restart your computer.

The program should be now be fully uninstalled from your computer. If you still receive error messages upon startup, search for alternate solutions or use a registry cleaning software and antispyware tool.