PC will not fully boot to normal desktop

[Electricengy]

Good day everyone,

I need help to resolve that my PC will not boot to a normal desktop view.

Problem details.

On power up (HD boot), monitor displays no keyboard (wireless keyboard) message, though striking F1 continues boot process.

Monitor displays normal Windows XP start up screen and shows the bar graph incrementing showing OS loading - start up.

After that, the monitor displays only the cursor / hour glass with a background of vertical white bands on the left and right sides with a centered green / black band (bands are approximately 1/3 width), no icons displayed, screen blinks in and out (bands to black slowly).

Tried booting from the Windows OS CD (HD and floppy boot disabled thru system configuration, F2) same color bands are displayed, no icons displayed, screen blinks in and out (bands to black slowly).

System spec's overview.

PC - Dell Dimensions 8200.
OS – Windows XP Home Edition.
Ram – 512 mb.
HD – 30 gig.
Additional spec's not available.

Any suggestions?

Thank you

 

[RiverS]

Tried booting from the Windows OS CD (HD and floppy boot disabled thru system configuration, F2) same color bands are displayed, no icons displayed, screen blinks in and out (bands to black slowly).

Have you tried changing the Boot order in your BIO's so you can boot from a CD?

 

[~Darkseeker~]

It sounds to me like a hardware issue, if only 1/3 of the screen is used it could be the graphics chip. Try reinstalling the OS by entering BIOS (usually F2 on POST screen for Dells) and setting the CD drive to 1st boot priority then insert the XP disk. If this fails to solve the problem, then it's a hardware issue.

Can you boot in safe mode? (F6 on startup)

 

[Electricengy]

RiverS -

I went into the BIOS and disabled booting from the HD and floppy drive; only left CD enabled for booting.

Darkseeker –

It is not so much that only 1/3 of the screen is used; picture a full screen of white with a vertical green/black stripe in the center. The mouse cursor is visible from corner to corner, any where on the screen.

It is odd that after the XP loading screen showing the bar graph indicator loading the OS and then when it goes to display the desktop, the above mentioned view is displayed.

If it is a hardware issue, I would think that I would not have any information displayed.

Did try to boot in Safe Mode, same conditions occurred.

Any help is appreciated, Thank you everyone.

 

[~Darkseeker~]

Well, if you get the same problems in safe mode, that means it isnt a driver issue of any sort. Only option here really is wipe and load.

 

[Electricengy]

Well, if you get the same problems in safe mode, that means it isnt a driver issue of any sort. Only option here really is wipe and load.

Well...

Trying not to having to wipe and load; as I am one DUMB AXX for not following the cardinal rule, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP.