Freind has problem

A freind has gateway computer and when it starts the windows xp logo shows up and the bars start moving under the logo wich of course is normal but just before done loading the screen goes black. The monitor is getting input from the video card. Tryed safe mode and it starts the procedure but the hangs half way thru but the monitor does not go black. I tryed pulling the memory sticks to see if that was it but same thing. Tryed reinstalling XP but it crashes with blue screen errors. I dont have computer with me at this time but just trying to get some advice, thanks

I think you need to run a diagnostic utility on that hard drive. Download this and burn it to CD, it has all the hard drive diagnostic utilities plus many more besides. You don't need to boot into Windows to run them, just boot up with the CD in the drive, select the utility that you want and it will run:

Ultimate Boot CD

If you aren't sure of the make of drive that is installed use the Seagate Seatools, or Hitachi Drive Fitness Test utilities, as they will work with any make of drive.

sorry that link wants me to bye

That's strange. When I click on the link the first thing I see is "Ultimate Boot CD is completely free for the download, or could be obtained for a small fee. If you had somehow paid a ridiculous amount of money for it, you have most likely been fleeced. The least you could do is to make as many copies of the offical UBCD and pass it to your friends, relatives, colleagues or even complete strangers to minimize the per unit cost of your loss!"

Try this one then. Link has been in my sig for years.

http://ubcd.sourceforge.net/

Go to the column on the left of the webpage and find Table of Content. Click on Download UBCD. Scroll down on this page to Mirror Sites then click on an ISO to download.

Got it and running some things , not sure what to use or how on this , I am running the avira rescue cd now and got a few warnings about something encrypted.Not sure what that meant, Could the mbr be corrupt

You need to give us the exact messages that you get. Nobody can help with "a few warnings about something encrypted" ;)

Sorry cant get anything to work....It just boots to the windows xp splash screen and the bars are scrolling and just when it looks like it is going to come up the screen goes black

There were so many msgs in depth there was no way to give them all..

What ever I need to do it has to be off a bootable disk since cant get into safe mode either

Did you run the hard drive diagnostic utility yet?

it said no errors were found

OK, that's good. Now try running both Memtest86 and Windows Memory Diagnostic.

both memory test passed supersparks