my mother has a dell and when she turns it on it acts like it wants to load it will go thru the steps of showing the dell logo and then the windows xp logo will show its loading but after a few seconds it will go to the screen of boot in safe mode and all the other configs but if you try to boot it in safe mode or any config it goes strait back to the dell logo and then to the windows xp loading logo... what in gods name could be wrong with this thing???
2006-12-16 06:08:34 · 5 answers · asked by rattlesnake1261 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Desktops
it wont even boot in last known good config
2006-12-16 06:17:15 · update #1
i have also tried to use a bootable cd and the computer will not even read it.... so im guessing by reading thru these awnsers that maybe just maybe the computer is hosed...
2006-12-16 06:38:03 · update #2
This usually happens when you have a problem with your peripherals or a massive failure in your OS (unlikely).
If you feel competent there are a couple of things that you can do, if you don’t feel competent then leave it alone and get someone else to look at it.
First, make sure that there is not a disk in the floppy drive (if it has one).
Second, try to enter the BIOS setup screen (depending upon the BIOS it could be Esc, Del or F2) maybe something else, look in the user manual. If you get into the BIOS go to the bios setup and click on “default configuration”, save and exit.
If this doesn’t work, go back into the BIOS screen, go to the integrated peripheral screen and make sure and disable all of them. This should be a sound card and LAN, possible some other communication device like a modem.
Restart. If the PC boots normally go back and enable these one at a time until it craps out again. If this is the scenario then you will just have to do leave the device disabled until you have downloaded the latest and greatest driver. Load the driver, enable the device and see if it will start, if not, disable the device and either get a PCI card that will perform the appointed function or just leave it disabled and not replace it if it is not needed. For example, the LAN would not be needed unless it is on a network.
If this fails then turn off the PC, open the case and remove all of the cards except for the video card and see if it will boot. If it will, replace the cards one at a time until it craps out again, this will be the problem.
If it is a heat problem then the PC should turn all of the way off. A memory problem will give you a series of gawdawful beeps.
The rest of the troubleshooting that I know about requires a higher level of experience or possibly some Dell (crap) specific mumbo jumbo that another reader may have the answer to;so I will stop here.
Good luck.
2006-12-16 06:32:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know what's wrong, but I might have a solution to fix it. Boot up the computer while tapping the F8 key. A black screen with allot of writing will pop up, somewhere in the middle will be an option to Boot Up On The Last Known Good Configuration. That has always saved my bacon, worked fine. Best of luck, chow.
2006-12-16 06:15:22 · answer #2 · answered by Clipper 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just boot off a bootable CD to determine if the computer is bad or if Windows is hosed. Most computers will give you a boot screen if you hit F12 when they start up.
2006-12-16 06:34:24 · answer #3 · answered by Nomadd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would guess it would be a hardware problem.
1) 1st try and running a memory test. here is a program that will run from a boot floppy. Download it to your computer and unzip it to the floppy.
http://www.memtest86.com/
2) Second check the inside fans and the processor heatsink and see if they are stopped up with lent or dirt. Overheating a processor can trigger a BIOS reboot in an effort to avoid damage.
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial118.html
2006-12-16 06:17:03 · answer #4 · answered by acklan 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
go and give it to a computer place and they will fix it
2006-12-16 06:13:05 · answer #5 · answered by Tyler Scholl 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋