xp won't load after update

[MasterMushu]

This is the second time it's happened to me, xp does an automatic update, then the very next time I reboot, the pc won't get past the loading screen. Right when I think I should get the logon screen both monitors loose video signals but the pc activity light is still blinking normally for a startup. has anyone else come across this?

my setup:
asus m2n-e sli deluxe
3 gigs of ram
7950 gt 512 nvidia/bfg factory oc (97.xx ver. driver)
1 optical dvd/cd +-r
1 hd 250 gb
500w ps

[glc]

Boot it up into safe mode and do a system restore. Then change your automatic update preferences to either notify you before download, or download and notify before install. That way you can take a fresh restore point before doing the update in case it happens again.

[MasterMushu]

Unfortunately I can't boot into the OS at all. The loading screen with the animated bar is the last thing I see before the monitors loose the video signal and go off. I also tried to boot from the cd and use the recovery console and it won't recognize the admin password, so that won't work. The last time this happened it killed my hd, anyhow I think I'm just going to suck it up and reload xp.

[glc]

You have to press F8 *before* you get the loading bar to get the boot menu to choose safe mode.