My computer won't complete boot-up

[Travis]

I have justed moved into a new house and after unpacking the computer
and all the peripherals the computer has had issues during boot-up.
At first it would not boot at all, I opened the case and checked power
conections and cleaned the dust out. It seemed to work for a couple
days but the computer would then just lock-up for no reason. When it
would lock-up even CTRL/ALT/DEL would not bring up the shutdown/restart
options. So my only way to restart was to "give it the finger" and do
a hard shutdown.


Now the computer will not complete a boot-up at all. It will start to
boot-up, the Blue HP screen will come on, I can hear the drive start to
run, the WindowsXP start-up screen will come up and the progress meter
will cycle, but it then stops and tries to re-start.

I am obviously not very tech-saavy, so I am at a loss.

The computer has a partitioned recovery drive, but I don't know how to
access ot form what the computer is doing, or even if that would help.

 

[thecreator]

Hi Travis,

Try plugging the computer didn't a different Wall outlet. Or check your
Power Surge Strip. Try a different Power Surge Strip, also. Apparently the
computer was working up until the time you moved. How much Power is coming
from that outlet?

Have you clean the back of the motherboard? Dust on the back can cause
problems. Use an Air Can or Typewriter brush to clean the circuit board.

 

[Guest]

sometimes pressing alt-f10 during bootup (after the cmos status screen) will
intiate the recovery system located in the hidden partition. Your user
manual or the website may have instructions......

 

[w_tom]

Your computer manufacturer provides software just for this problem.
You don't know what is and is not working. Therefore break a problem
down into parts; then diagnose each part. IOW all testing should
involve no Windows. The manufacturer provides comprehensive hardware
diagnostics for free both in your computer and on their web site. Run
those diagnostics. Learn what does and does not work.

Avoid the 'try this and then try that' strategy. Other than the
obvious - is it plugged in; are all peripheral cards and cables fully
seated; fans spinning - such strategies can even complicate the problem
or destroy log records that would further define the problem. Even
clean dust does nothing to solve the problem. First learn what has
failed in hardware. If nothing, then move on to suspect Windows using
the F5 or F8, et al boot up options.

Forgot which key provide the option list for comprehensive
diagnostics when computer first displays something.

I assume that partition restore literally erases all files and reloads
Windows? Just another example of 'try this and try that'. CD-Rom is
for after all other strategies have failed - or for the on-phone tech
who wants to make a working computer fastest.