I have a Packard Bell iMedia desktop PC which often freezes on the Windows XP loading screen when the PC is started, always after many hours shutdown. When it eventually chooses to open and run, if the user closes it down and imediately switches it back on the PC will always restart perfectly normally. The PC and OS run perfectly once the OS opens. The frozen picture often turns a stringy greenish-yellow!

The HDD has been chkdsk /r'd and the system has been factory recovered. The fault is predictable and not random which makes me think the graphics card and other hardware are probably OK.

The system only freezes when the PC is started after a long period of being turned off. I have run out of ideas except, perhaps, to clone the hard drive on the assumtion a sector may be faulty. Can anyone add any other suggestions?

There are no fault codes, BSOD, etc, simply a frozen screen that sometimes loses it colour.

Hello di4charles,i am wondering how old is your bio/cmos battery!

Hi vger, An excellent suggestion but I recently installed a new one. I have tried yet another just in case, but still the same problem.

Hello di4charles,ok so hopefully a Tech or another member will address your problem soon......thanks for your patience.

Essentially Windows XP Home will not boot, it either freezes during the load or crashes prior to the desktop. Its looking more likely that it is a hardware issue afterall, possibly the PSU, video card or even HD.

I received and completed the following suggestion from the Microsoft website but no sucess:

Sounds like a hardware issue.

If under warranty, get it repaired through that. If not, get ready to
either replace or repair it elsewhere.

You can do some system cleanup if you like, to be sure it is not
software....

Fix your file/registry permissions...

Ignore the title and follow the sub-section under "Advanced Troubleshooting"
titled, "Method 1: Reset the registry and the file permissions"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949377
*will take time
(Ignore step 6 if you already have SP3)

Download, install, run, update and perform a full scan (separately) with the
following two applications (freeware versions are the ones to use for this):

SuperAntiSpyware
http://www.superantispyware.com/

MalwareBytes
http://www.malwarebytes.com/

After performing a full scan with one and then the other and removing
whatever they both find completely, you may uninstall these products,
if you wish.

Download and run the MSRT manually:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx

Reboot.

Download the latest version of the Windows Update agent from here (x86):
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=91237
.... and save it to the root of your C:\ drive. After saving it to the root
of the C:\ drive, do the following:

Close all Internet Explorer windows and other applications.

Start button --> RUN and type in:
%SystemDrive%\windowsupdateagent30-x86.exe /WUFORCE
--> Click OK.

(If asked, select "Run.) --> Click on NEXT --> Select "I agree" and click on
NEXT --> When it finishes installing, click on "Finish"...

Reboot.

Then follow the instructions here:

How do I reset Windows Update components?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058

Reboot.

CHKDSK
How to scan your disks for errors
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265
* will take time

Defragment
How to Defragment your hard drives
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848
* will take time

Ensure your hardware drivers are up to date (from the hardware
manufacturer's respective web pages.)

Reboot.

Log on as an user with administrative rights and open Internet Explorer
and visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and select to do a
CUSTOM scan...

Every time you are about to click on something while at these web pages -
first press and hold down the CTRL key while you click on it. You can
release the CTRL key after clicking each time.

Once the scan is done, select just _ONE_ of the high priority updates
(deselect any others) and install it.

Reboot again.

If it did work - try the web page again - selecting no more than 3-5 at a
time. Rebooting as needed.

The Optional Software updates are generally safe - although I recommend
against the "Windows Search" one and any of the "Office Live" ones or
"Windows Live" ones fornow. I would completely avoid the
Optional Hardware updates. Also - I do not see any urgent need to install
Internet Explorer 8 at this time.

That will get the machine up to date and generally clean - if you still have
the issue - it is likely hardware, see the first suggestion.

I will now start changing hardware, in the order: PSU, graphics card, HD.

Anyone any other thoughts?

Ok,i am going to open this thread so it will get more attention...thanks for your patience........

Di4Charles,

In order to check the hard disk out for issue, can you please download Astra32 from the link below and install it. After you have run it please click Diagnostics on the left > HDD diagnostics.
If will give you a hard drive health reading. If it says bad or poor you really need to replace your hard drive as soon as possible.

ASTRA32 - Advanced System Information Tool - Free Download