how to process a simple loop in WWW::Mechanize to be more efficient?

Windows XP stuck on restart loop, help reinstalling?

• After my computer froze, I held down the power button to turn it off. Now, my computer is stuck on a "restart loop" when I try to turn it on. Each time I try to start up the computer, it says "Welcome," but changes to "Shutting down" then keeps doing that infinitely. I think I have to completely reinstall Windows XP, but I need help/don't know how. ---------- I'll explain the things I have tried to fix the problem so far: 1. Trying to start up in Safe Mode doesn't work, the loop continues. 2. Trying to go back to the "last known good configuration" doesn't work, the loop continues. 3. I know it’s possible to try to turn off the automatic restart, but I don’t know what I’d do after it was turned off and how to fix the problem? 4. After putting in the installation disc to get to the Setup menu, I tried pressing "R" to repair using the Recovery Console. There, I type: "1, enter, cd system32, help." I have tried using "fixboot, y, exit" but it doesn't stop the restart loop. ---------- 5. On the "boot from CD" menu, it takes me to the "Windows Home Edition Setup" page. There are 2 options, "set up Windows XP now" and to repair by pressing "R." When I try to repair, the process works almost all the way, but never completes (I've tried it 4 times). It has 5 sections (Collecting Information, Dynamic Update, Preparing Installation, Installing Windows, and Finalizing Installation). It always starts at the "Installing Windows" step, loads through the language selection, product key, installing network, and performing configuration. But about 65% of the way though the "completing installation" step, the computer restarts and it starts trying to load the repair all over again at the “Installing Windows” step. ---------- 6. The last thing I can think of to fix this is going to "set up Windows XP now." I agree to the license agreement, but then it says it couldn’t read the CD I inserted (I tried restarting the process 3 times and it still says that!). A few days ago, it WAS working and I was confused about if I should overwrite the partition. For this step: http://www.winsupersite.com/images/showcase/wxp_sg_clean_010.gif there were 2 partition things (one had a small file size, the other was very huge), but I didn’t know which one to select. Now I don’t know what to do. It was my desktop computer that hosted the router for the internet, but luckily the internet is still working (I’m using my laptop right now).

• Answer:

  When all else fails, install a new hard drive.