PC will not start

[Pooh]

Hello,

One of our PC's will not boot up. This was rebuilt in July following a
failed motherboard. I then had to put a new graphics card in a few weeks
ago. Now nothing happens!
I basically want to get it running so I can get the data off and buy a new
PC...it is 4 years old.

When it is turned on the PC just has a curser blinking on a black screen &
nothing else.

Last time I knew it was the graphics card as we put the monitor cableinto
the on-board graphics socket & it was fine. This time even the curser does
not appear.
Help, please? What is the best step now.... I am loathe to try anything
without some advice.

The other problem is that it is 200 miles away with daughter so I cannot get
access to it until next week, but I can talk her through things over the
phone!!
Thanks for any ideas.....annoyingly I have just bought her an external hard
drive so she can back all her documents/ photos etc up....

 

[Rich Barry]

Try another wall outlet and if the Power Supply has a on/off switch in
the back turn it on and off.

 

[Pooh]

OK....does that sort of reset things? Power is getting through OK as the
monitor gets the curser. There is a power switch.

We'll give it a go.

Julie

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

If you're going to buy a new PC anyway, I would get the new system, remove the hard drive from the old system and install it as a slave drive in the new system. You can then take ownership of the files on the old drive and save them to the drive on the new PC.

Here is the Microsoft reference for taking ownership.

HOW TO: Take Ownership of a File or Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

If you are using Windows XP Home version, you will need to perform the taking ownership work in Safe Mode.

A Description of the Safe Mode Boot Options in Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315222

 

[Pooh]

Thanks I will try that....but I would like to get it working first if
possible as there will be a delay between ordering & receiving a new PC.
Any further ideas to try?

Thanks
Julie


If you're going to buy a new PC anyway, I would get the new system, remove
the hard drive from the old system and install it as a slave drive in the
new system. You can then take ownership of the files on the old drive and
save them to the drive on the new PC.

Here is the Microsoft reference for taking ownership.

HOW TO: Take Ownership of a File or Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

If you are using Windows XP Home version, you will need to perform the
taking ownership work in Safe Mode.

A Description of the Safe Mode Boot Options in Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315222

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

If you cannot get into safe mode or any of the other boot oprions, you might want to try a Repair Installation. This reinstalls XP without effecting the data on the hard drive.

The instructions are here:

How to Repair Install: (Toward the bottom of the page)
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm