Power the computer off then on now keep hitting the f8 key, you will be looking for the advanced options menu in xp when you get the menu use the arrow keys to select SAFEMODE, let us know if you get this far and if you do un-install the last program you installed.

We may also need to look at device manger I suspect a bad driver was installed from the webcam, lets see if you can unstall that webcam from safemode, since you can't access device manger.

Do you have a full retail xp disk. or a recovery disk that came with the computer?

Ok, I hit f8 and it brought me to the Phoenix BIOS Setup Utility menu. I arrowed over to Advanced but I don't see any options for Safemode. Thanks for the input.

That is the bios don't need to go there yet please follow the instructions--power down power up now keep tapping the f8 key you may have to try this several times to get SAFEMODE.

Got it. Found Safemode and hit enter. That brought me to a black screen with safe mode in each of the 4 corners. I then got a windows "i" box that says "Windows XP Setup cannot run under Safemode. Setup will restart now. " I haven't clicked ok yet. (I do have a full retail version of XP, product code and everything.)

Make sure no disk is in the drive.

What brand is this computer?

It's an HP Vectra. I noticed the processer is a Celeron, not a pentium. Does that help?

Thanks, but I do not understand why your xp is trying to run SETUP, is there a disk in the drive?

(Windows XP Setup cannot run under Safemode)

There is no disk in the drive today. I did put the XP disk in yesterday but couldn't get it to work.

My husband is looking at the same screen after using a prompt advising him to install a microsoft service pack 3 yesterday. He's been locked up ever since. He cannot get it into safe mode either. This is a Dell.

Summer, please start your own post I cannot help 2 people at once.

caliloo

Put the xp disk in power down the computer and power up tell me what it does.

It looks like some of the disk worked yesterday and the computer is trying to run a SETUP from it.

We may need to go into bios and change boot options so the computer will boot from the XP DISK, let me know how the power down/ up goes with the XP disk installed...

Ok, I did that. It said press any key to boot from cd. I pressed. It moved to a blue screen called Windows Setup. It spent a little time "loading files". Then it went to a new blue screen with 3 choices: 1. To set up Xp now, press enter 2. To repair a windows xp installation using Recovery console, press R 3. To quit setup without installing XP, press F3.
Thoughts? (and thanks again)

That xp disk you have, Did that come with this computer?

No, it did not. I bought it from a colleague at Microsoft several years ago.

See that is where a problem may or may not occur I'm not a 100% here especially if it originally came with its own recovery disk. That being said I do not know what other options you have (To set up Xp now, press enter 2) You could try this it will wipe the disk and should reinstall xp, and this will take a good bit of time and you will need service pack2 unless it is already included on the disk you have. Then install a free virus program, firewall, and your internet software.

How old is the pc? Let see if others chime in here also.

caliloo did this start after you installed sp3 update?

I am still installing the XP disc but I am much encouraged at the progress it's making. Once it's finished, exactly how do I install that sp3 update?

Do NOT install the sp3 update please see my post here about sp3 coming through auto updates.

Since your pc exhibited problems from sp3 I would NOT install it. Just get all the other windows updates and you will be fine.

Set up your windows updates to notify you only then you can choose which updates to allow because if you don't do this it will auto download sp3 and you will have issues again.
start> control panel> automatic updates> set to notify only , apply

Sounds good, thanks for the info.The reinstall seemed to go fine. My only issue now is getting it to connect to my wireless router. I have a little wireless dongle that goes in one of the usb ports. It came with an install cd. It has an led light that comes on when I plug it in but otherwise the machine doesn't seem to recognize it. The network connections are all about dial up and dsl. I can't seem to figure out how to have it recognize my wireless network.

Caliloo...love the screen shot of your BSOD. I will have to remember that one!

Sue