XP startup errors

[JM]

A client of mine has a Dell Dimension 4550 with XP. He says the other day
the computer would not boot up. He said "half the screen filled up with
some words about contacting Dell," then would go back off. After a few
tried the computer came on.

Where might I be able to find reference to this incident in XP? I have
scanned event viewer, and I see nothing that indicates a system or startup
failure.

How might I proceed to try to learn what happened?

thank you,

jm

 

[Haggis]

A client of mine has a Dell Dimension 4550 with XP. He says the other day
the computer would not boot up. He said "half the screen filled up with
some words about contacting Dell," then would go back off. After a few
tried the computer came on.

Where might I be able to find reference to this incident in XP? I have
scanned event viewer, and I see nothing that indicates a system or startup
failure.

How might I proceed to try to learn what happened?

thank you,

jm

you probably won't since XP didn't boot "until" suddenly it did with no
error...

the "dell" warning may just have been their custom Bios Splash screen...

check cables ,connections etc. , may just have been a "one of"

 

[eric_d_green]

Since it is a Dell and it directed you to call Dell, I would go to
Dell.com, support, go to drivers and downloads, diagnostic tools, and
download the Dell 32 Bit Diagnostics and run it on that computer. It
may give you more information.

 

[Elle]

A client of mine has a Dell Dimension 4550 with XP. He
says the other day
the computer would not boot up. He said "half the screen
filled up with
some words about contacting Dell," then would go back off.
After a few
tried the computer came on.

Where might I be able to find reference to this incident
in XP? I have
scanned event viewer, and I see nothing that indicates a
system or startup
failure.

How might I proceed to try to learn what happened?

Brace yourself for a lot of hit-and-miss troubleshooting.
IMO, that is the nature of computer software and hardware
troubleshooting. It could be a software problem; a failing
power supply; a bad stick of RAM; an overheated CPU; more.
Symptoms overlap greatly.

ISTM that unless one owns a lot of different diagnostic
tools, then the only systematic approach available is that
of changing out components. E.g. IF you have a second hard
drive laying around with the same OS on it, tuned to this
particular computer's mobo and CPU, you can try booting up
with it. If it boots, you've narrowed down the problem
considerably. RAM is easier to swap out, IF you have a spare
stick meeting the computer's specs lying around.

Elle
New Do-It-Yourselfer lurking here, trying to learn. The
above is where I'm at these days, speaking as a mechanical
engineer with over a decade of troubleshooting ('cept
personal computers!) experience.