windows xp won't resart; blue screen boot looping

What is your system make and model?

What is your XP Version and Service Pack?

Describe your current antivirus and anti malware situation:  McAfee, Symantec, Norton, Spybot, AVG, Avira!, MSE, Panda, Trend Micro, CA, Defender, ZoneAlarm, PC Tools, Comodo, etc.

Was the issue preceded by a power interruption, aborted restart, or improper shutdown?  (this includes plug pulling, power buttons, removing the battery, etc.)

Does the afflicted system have a working CD/DVD drive (internal or external)?

Do you have a genuine bootable XP installation CD that is the same Service Pack as your installed Service Pack (this is not the same as any Recovery CDs that came with your system)?

If the system used to work properly, what do you think might have changed since the last time it did work properly?

How did you recently restore to factory settings?

What was the issues that compelled you to restore the system to factory settings in the first place?

If you used the recovery CDs you made or any that came with your system or used the built in recovery partition (if there is one), I think that would have wiped out all your personal file anyway.

It sound like you are getting a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) and if XP encounters that during startup, it will automatically try to start again and we need to know what the BSOD says.

Here is how to do that:

If there is a problem booting, XP is configured to automatically try to boot again and you can get stuck in a loop of just being unable to get past the boot options screen or none of the boot options you choose will work.

Sometimes when XP has a problem starting or crashes and tries to start again, it will give you a "short" menu of boot options and none of them will seem to be the right ones to get your system going again.  Something like this:

Safe Mode

Safe Mode with Networking

Safe Mode with Command Prompt

Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked)

Start Windows Normally

You've tried them all!

The options resemble the XP Advanced Boot Options menu, but the one option you need (Disable automatic restart on system failure) is not offered because XP has gone too far along in the boot process and offers you a limited number of boot options.

If that is the case, you must invoke the Advanced Boot Options menu yourself until you do see the option:

Disable automatic restart on system failure

When you do get to the correct XP Advanced Options Boot menu you want to see, it has options on it like these:

Safe Mode

Safe Mode with Networking

Safe Mode with Command Prompt

Enable Boot Logging

Enable VGA mode

Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked)

Directory Services Restore Mode (Windows domain controllers only)

Debugging Mode

Disable automatic restart on system failure

Start Windows Normally

Reboot

Return to OS Choices Menu

What you need to choose from that menu is the option:

Disable automatic restart on system failure

Then if XP fails to boot normally, you will see an error screen with information and clues regarding the problem and then you can decide what to do next.

If you do not see the Disable automatic restart on system failure option, you need to reset your system and start tapping the F8 key on the keyboard until you do see the Disable automatic restart on system failure option. 

If you miss the F8 window of opportunity, you need to try again and start tapping the F8 key with more urgency (sooner and more frequently) until you do see Disable automatic restart on system failure, then select it.

You need to keep trying the F8 menu until you do see Disable automatic restart on system failure option, and select it.

 If your system is experiencing a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), we need to know what the screen says:

Here is a BSOD example showing information you need to provide:

http://techrepublic.com.com/i/tr/downloads/images/bsod_a.jpg

Send the information pointed to with the red arrows (3-4 lines total).  

Send the entire *** STOP message line since there are clues in the 4 parameters.

If it looks like there is some kind of file name listed under the STOP message, send that line too.

Skip the boring text unless it looks important to you.  We know what a BSOD looks like, we need to know what your BSOD looks like.

Respond to the queries and report back the results from the Disable automatic restart on system failure screen and you can decide what to do next.

Hi,

I would suggest you to follow the steps from this link and check if it helps:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308041

Hope it helps.

That's good.

This thread may be of interest to you:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_xp-system/unmountable-boot-volume-stop-0x0000000ed/570c7f90-5869-e011-8dfc-68b599b31bf5

Thanks for the help getting to the BSOD 

unmountable_BOOT_VOLUME

*** STOP: 0x000000ED (0x83984e3, 0xc0000006, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

I hope this is of some help

Its and XPsp3

Thanks

Gerry