[SOLVED] Grub Hangs - won't launch Win XP [now broken install]

[Was_Just19]

JohnBoy
When it starts to boot you see (at least on an older system):
The memory test
Find the IDE and/or SATA drives
then it says Verifying DMI Data (on newer it says something about NVRAM)
that is when you should hit the F8 key & get several options.
Earl

Tried it mate ...... and all other F* keys as well   
The only one does anything is F10

I am going to close this thread here as the situation has changed beyond what it was --- I now have a broken Win install.

Thanks to everyone for their help and suggestions.

More drastic measures are now needed.

regards.

[kjpetrie]

Does it not give the telephone number?

This is what began me on my journey away from Win. I had spent all night re-installing XP and then it recognised the HD partitions in a different order and refused to boot without reactivation. As it had not booted sufficiently to have an Internet connection it couldn't activate online and I eventually had to ring the help number and beg permission to use my own computer.

However, that said, the MS operator who answered the call was understanding and gave me an activation code without any quibble.

To see the Win boot options press F8 repeatedly until they appear. The time Window for pressing it is quite narrow and there is no prompt, so hammer away at it as fast as you can. However, I'm not sure that will help you in this case.

[Was_Just19]

The Win install is broken at this stage so it is a reinstall after I find a home for about 100GBs of data which I will copy off using PCLOS.

It is not longer a problem for the Linux side which is why this thread is being abandoned.

.....  and no .....  no amount of hitting any key on multiple boots will give anything ...... 

[Was_Just19]

I changed the motherboard and XP will attempt to boot without issues -- not even a need for the noverify in the boot stanza! .......  so not a Grub problem per se .......  but a failing motherboard it seems was at the root of the problem!

What a weird manner in which to fail!   

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

regards.

[uncleV]

John...

It was the hardware.
And I'll tell you where should be the problem.


Most probably you had almost died condensators somewhere around your processor.
Or you had bad contacts somewhere in power line.

These problems cost 20-30 dollars to fix, as for my own practice.


But I'm not a genius, these are only my thoughts.

Anyway it's good to hear you are wealthy now.

[ThirdOfSix]

JohnBoy,

Please forgive me, but, I have to ask.

Did you replace the motherboard with an identical motherboard.

And, most importantly, did it have the same version number on the BIOS?

[Was_Just19]

JohnBoy,

Please forgive me, but, I have to ask.

Did you replace the motherboard with an identical motherboard.

And, most importantly, did it have the same version number on the BIOS?

No, the failed board was an Abit and the replacement an Asus.  Both AM2 so processor & memory just transferred without problems.

regards.