Infinite Reboots

If Windows XP reboots ad infinitum, it has encountered a Stop Error but is not reporting it to you. You need to see the blue screen of death (BSOD) to capture error details. Follow these simple steps.

      Steps

     Open the Control Panel and double-click System

     Select the Advanced tab Click Startup & Recovery

     Uncheck Automatically Reboot

     Click OK, and OK again

      Alternative

     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl

     Set the value of "AutoReboot" to 1

      Next Steps 

When you have made the changes, the next time a crash occurs, either note the error codes given to you on the blue screen, or inspect the mini dump file.

To interpret the mini dump file, read the KB article named How to Read Memory Dump Files.

Read this page on Stop Errors to cross reference the error codes and to obtain information on how to fix it.

If you cannot start XP at all, either normally or in safe mode, read this article called Cannot Start Windows XP.

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Revision Date: 29 Nov 2003