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It started to Windows splash screen but froze. Next time it came up Ckdisk but didn't run all the way through, got to 98%.

Then I tried use the XP disk but wouldn't load.

Then I got into the BIOS to change boot order but froze.

Now it won't boot at all.

Anyway to \"repair disk\" using the XP disk and ide to USB.

Or.....am I starting over?

Hard drive may have shot craps on you.

From what your describing, you can no longer can get into the BIOS - This is not an OS or software issue but straight up hardware failure. Try new or different memory sticks, different HDD, otherwise you are most likely looking at a new MB.

CPU, memory, motherboard, power supply, video card. Could be any one of those.

Other components are unlikely to keep the system from POSTing into BIOS since they are not required to reach that far. The only real way to narrow it down is to swap them with known good components one at a time. When a system doesn't POST things like drives/sound cards/network cards/raid cards/etc should be disconnected from the mainboard and PSU to eliminate them as a cause and to protect them from a potentially bad PSU or other faulty components.

Also, if it means anything, it was off for the last two weeks.

That's a \"quenky dink\",eyh?

I'll do a little more tinkering.

Thanks for the posts.

1. I'd do a hard reset on the bios. there's a chance the settings got hosed up and are screwing with you. A hard reset takes bios setting out of the equation.

2. If your MB has onboard video, unplug your video card, and eliminate that from the equation.

3. If it doesn't, the MB usually gives you feedback on how it's doing via the cheesy speaker. It may be particular to your MB, but generally a single, short beep means it's booted okay, and anything else means problems. You can do this w/o video, so all you'd have connected is CPU and ram.

4. I've have weird problems related to ram seating. If you have multiple sticks, try one at a time, in slot no. 1, and make sure you take the first out and reinsert it to make sure that it's seated correctly.

If you don't have any luck with all that, I'd tend to blame the MB first. I've had a couple MB's go bad, and never a CPU. If it was me, I'd probably replace both with some sort of an upgrade.

[EDIT] oh yeah, Power supply, as mentioned -> I've had one go bad, and it did so slowly... the first symptom I saw was it having trouble supplying enough USB power... so my USB items wouldn't initialize correctly. I'm really not sure how to advise diagnosing a PSU failure... replace that with the MB & CPU?

I'd do a hard reset on the bios.

Snoopy, Want to make sure how to do the above.

Been setting up another computer to use but will try your suggestions, thanks.

Normally there is a jumper on the M/B somewhere. It will be on a 3 pin connector (usually) If it's a newer board, it will probably be the ONLY jumper.

Move it so it is plugged into the center pin and the other that was exposed. If the battery is in, all you will need to do is leave it there for a couple of seconds and then put the jumper back the way it was. it should have been reset.

Thanks, I'll ck it out. This is an older machine. Gateway 500S.

I know, dump it and buy a new one.....can't afford it right now.

Make sure if you reset your BIOS, and the machine begins to boot…you must go into setup and make sure the settings are correct.

IE: disable any onboard sound or video that you may have a card in a slot for.

This might not sound important, I just went thru hell after replacing a battery and forgetting to disable the onboard sound card…the drivers that windows installed when I booted caused a major headache!

I mean Major! And it was avoidable.

hehe, good advice Spidey.

Ya might just want to replace the battery now if you've never done it before. They're fairly cheap.... if you don't buy them in the hearing aid dept.

[Edit] What Krom said.

Most PC BIOS batteries are 3.0v CR2032

From the sound of it, could be a heat issue. You say it keeps freezing and the machine has been off for a while. Did you check and make sure the cpu fan is spinning up? I have personally had issues with machines that are normally on 24/7, once I turn it off and then on again the fan can get stuck and not spin up. I once also had a friend with a laptop that would freeze on POST. All I had to do was stick a paperclip in the fan vent to nudge the fan back into action and the laptop booted up normal.

Fans are really easy to check, if that is all good then go with what Krom first suggested. Problems like these are usually caused by bad cpu, memory, video, powersupply, mb. Some (most modern?) motherboards have led indicators that tell you in what direction the problem lies. See if it has those.

Sounds like a hard drive issue, since you stated you can't boot to the hard drive or it locks up with it tried to, generally when that happens it the hard drive, one thing you can do is disconnect the hard drive and see if you can boot to the cd drive, since you stated you couldnt even do that, and if you can boot to the cd drive, then try either a different hard drive connected or to different IDE/SATA ports and different cables.

Xamindar wrote:Some (most modern?) motherboards have led indicators that tell you in what direction the problem lies. See if it has those.

Not in an off the shelf computer, stuff like that costs extra and will never end up in a machine from any OEM like dell or gateway.

The heat idea is sound, but if that were the case the computer would work again after being off for several hours.

Trying to install another hd. Thought that may be the easiest and fastest thing to do.

Get an error \"A problem with the hard drive has been detected\".

1. This drive, I believe, has XP on it.
2. I can see the hd using a ide to usb cable and it has data and \"Windows\" folder.
3. I'm trying to boot from XP CD that I thought would re-install XP but computer doesn't see CD and I've changed Boot order.
4. Tried \"bad\" hd again and it tries to load and also recognizes the XP cd.

Does that sound like \"new\" HD is bad?

Just tried the \"old\" drive and used the XP \"repair\" and it ran all the way through and booted up.

I'll let it run for a day or two and see how she do.

I also have the case open so I close it up in case it's a heat problem.

Still wondering about my last post on the other hd I tried.

Possibly could have just needed to be reseated.

You’re right Krom…DELL’s do not have any diagnosis LEDs on the MB…they are located on the back of the case.

All four of mine.

Although in all fairness, I have never bought a lower end model…so I can’t speak for those.

Now it just sounds like maybe the ide cables or some cables just needed to be reseated.

Spidey wrote:You’re right Krom…DELL’s do not have any diagnosis LEDs on the MB…they are located on the back of the case.

All four of mine.

Although in all fairness, I have never bought a lower end model…so I can’t speak for those.

Depends on the model, some are in the front, some are in the back

Still running. I guess reseating my have done the trick.

Thanks for the posts.

just in case, when you log into windows if you hear the \"Windows Startup Sound\" with major stuttering (not a brief pause or 2) you have a failing IDE controller. you can clarify in the hard drive properties because it will longer be running in Ultra 5 MODE. It will still run but will eventually die