Win2K keeps rebooting

[Daboo]

My PC won't complete the Windows start up any longer. It usually gets to the point of putting all icons on the desktop, then lays out the background of the desktop, right to the point where you expect to start working, and then the PC reboots automatically. The blue screen error message that comes up is too brief to read but says something about Fatal error and memory dump. Same problem happens when trying to boot up in Safe Mode.

This does not appear to be a hardware issue since I have been able to install a new hard drive and load/run Windows on that. I thought this might be a Zotob worm issue but Symantec's utility to find Zotob did not detect it in my old C: drive.

Anybody have some other suggestions I can try before I simply reformat my old C: drive and reload Win2K on there?

[Panama Red]

Have you made any recent changes/upgrades to either hardware or software? The timing of the restart sounds like it's related to software that is trying to start. You might try a repair/install before you choose a complete reformat. Works just like repairing XP.

[Daboo]

No we didn't make any recent installs or upgrades. The fact that even Safe Mode bombs out to me says something integral to Windows itself got corrupted.

[Digitalic]

Can you boot to safe mode?

If so go to control panel\system\advanced\start up and recovery. Under system failure clear the box that says to automatically reboot. If we can get your system to boot up normally then we have a chance to find the problem.

edit: Sorry, just saw your post that safe mode won`t start. Try holding F8 when you boot and try Last Known Good Configuration.