cant boot up anything

[sunnysunsets]

Hi, I am having problems starting my xp computer. The electric was shut down a couple of times and restarted. My computer said it was shut down incorrectly and it started to reboot. When the screen came on that asked me how I wanted to start, ex last time , safe mode or normal. I could not type in or use up or down or f keys. So it started in normal. beeped and went back to beginning again. That is as far as I can go. it just keeps repeating.
PLEASE HELP me !! I have no cd or anything to start up.I checked my keyboard and mouse and they are fine.
would appreciate any answers.
thanks

[Cricket]

What kind of computer is this? Home built or name brand?

Do you know the specs for this computer?

If you're sure the keyboard and mouse are okay but you couldn't use any of the keyboard keys to choose a bootup option then you may have a damaged motherboard on your hands.

Did you try hitting F8 during bootup to see if you can get into Safe Mode?

Cricket

[sunnysunsets]

computer is built. amd 1 gh 150 gigs 112 ram.zo Keyboard is working and mouse. I press f8 but no response. Do you think it is my motherboard? Is there anyway I can test motherboard?

[Cricket]

What are the full specs for this computer. List the parts by brand and model including the power supply.

Cricket

[sunnysunsets]

I dont know. forgive me I am a dummy. I did finally get the F8 to work, but it asked for a floppy, cd or another thing. I tried it all, but no luck.

[sunnysunsets]

If you are online now, i CAN turn it on and tell you what screen says. I am on a laptop at this time sitting next to other computer.

[sunnysunsets]

What do I do after F8 screen comes up. my keyboard works with that.

[flanzig1]

If hitting F8 brings up a screen, select to boot in SAFE mode.

[sunnysunsets]

It doesnt give me that option

[flanzig1]

Let's start with the basics, unplug the power cord from the PC and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. While it is off, open the case and pull the motherboard battery for 5 minutes and put back in. Check around inside to make sure all cables are fully seated.

[sunnysunsets]

all cab les are connected, power is unpluged, but like an idiot, I dont know what the battery looks like??

[flanzig1]

The battery on the motherboard is about the size and shape of a quarter. There will be 1 or 2 little clips holding it in the battery holder.

[sunnysunsets]

ok found it thanks. NOW, does the plus side go back in up or down???

[sunnysunsets]

put it back in.. snapped in like before. NOW WHAT ?
Thanks for your patience !!

[flanzig1]

Put it in the way it came out and generally the + facing out.

Just saw your next post: plug the power cord back in and try a normal turn on. Hoprfully with the power and battery off, it cleared it self.

[sunnysunsets]

Nope same thing. Thanks. I cant put arrows up to put in safe mode, but F8 brings me to a screen that says select first boot device and a choice of floppy, ide-0 cdrom, and network. the up down buttoms will now work but only for this page.

[flanzig1]

Try selecting IDE-0.
When you select F8, the screen should be the "Windows Advanced Options Menu" with the "Start Windows Nornally" high lighted.
Could also try to get into the BIOS by tapping on the DEL key(may be the F2 key if the system is a Compaq) during the start of the computer booting. If you can get in the BIOS. look for a selection to load default or optimized setting. Select it and save and exit. It will reboot and let it try to completely boot.

[sunnysunsets]

Is there some key I can push that will freeze the window telling about the computer? It flashes on and off so fast I cant read it It says boot menu network host. also pri slave not detected. that is all I can read in the second the screen is on

[sunnysunsets]

WOWEE I got to the amibios setup utility !!Choices are standard cmos setup
power mgmt setup, PCI
Load Optimal settings, Load Best Performance Settings

[sunnysunsets]

NOW I GET THE FIRST PAGE THAT SAYS STARTUP ATTEMPT WAS INTERRUPTED DUE TO POWER FAILURE OR ETC................... SAME AS BEFORE AND TELLS ME TO PUSH ARROWS UP OR DOWN FOR SAFE MODE, SAFE MODE WITH NETWORKING, SAFE MODE WITH COMMAND PROMPT AND LAST KNOWN GOOD CONFIGURATION ETC. tHIS IS JUST WHAT I HAD BEFORE BUT NOW THE START WINDOWS NORMALLY WHICH USUALLY COUNTS DOWN TO START IS FROZEN. AND I STILL CANNOT USE ARROW KEYS.

[flanzig1]

Would try the Optimal settings which is probably the same as default on other BIOSs.
When you select it, hit the ESC key. This will get you back to the first page. Should be a selection to Save and Exit. Then let it go through a boot(don't press any keys).

[sunnysunsets]

i TURNED COMP OFF AND ON AGAIN AND NOW ALL SEEMS FROZEN IN SAME SCREEN.

[sunnysunsets]

I had done all what you said. and now frozen on first page i hit escape and etc. nothing is happening

[flanzig1]

Sounds like a possible hard drive problem or a corrupt Windows problem.
To test the HD, figure out what brand it it and download that makers HD diagnostic utility and run it on the PC. If you can burn a copy to a CD then get into the BIOS and set the CD to first boot device and run the utility.
If Windows is corrupt then you need the Windows install CD or the Recovery CD(if this is a name brand PC). If you don't have any of these, then would think about going to a PC repair shop with the PC.

A side note: all Caps is considered yelling.

[Cricket]

Look at the capacitors on the motherboard...are any leaking or bulging? If they are the motherboard is going bad. Since it's a AMD 1GHz system it's about 7 years old now...I would seriously consider replacing it with a new computer.

Cricket

[sunnysunsets]

Hi, my amd athlon is 4 yrs old, but I did notice some things on it are dated 2001. I have a new laptop but need to get into this older one to retrieve my pictures that cannot be replaced.. I now cannot start windows at all only the first screen. nothing works anymore.

[sunnysunsets]

pushed reset button and screen came back to count down. I pushed the Del button and the setup screen came back. I tried Load Optimal Settings, but same thing happened. Also tried Load Best Performance Settings with no luck. What about the other ones I am in Advanced Setup now and not sure what to do

[Cricket]

If you just want to retrieve your digital photos from the hard drive (HDD), get an external HDD housing (like this one) and put the hard drive in it. Connect the external HDD housing to a computer/laptop via the USB port and it'll appear as another drive on that computer so you can then move your digital photos to the other computer/laptop.

Cricket

[glc]

If you just need to retrieve your files, pull the hard drive and use a USB adapter to connect it to your laptop. Cheaper than buying a housing.

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?inv...2IDE-N&cat=HDD

[sunnysunsets]

That sounds great !! Can I harm my new laptop by connecting a possible bad harddrive to it? My old one is a xp windows, new one is Vista Satellite.