Re: Computer help!
I believe Dells get you into the BIOS by holding down the delete key during boot-up. Go to: http://www.knoppix.net/ and download the latest version of Knoppix and burn it to a CD as an ISO. You can run it live off the CD to check for hardware problems. -p [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: My computer is fracked up again, though this time I've been able to at least recover my data with relative ease. I really need help: my computer won't boot. It's a Dell Precision 650 (I think) dual-Xeon workstation, running Windows Vista Ultimate for about a week now. It's a few years old, but it's more powerful than anything new I've tried lately. I bought it used from my old boss last December. It never had problems while I was using it at work for two years, nor after I brought it home, until I started playing games on it (specifically GTA San Andreas and Star Wars Battlefront II). A little over two weeks ago, my hard drive became inaccessible and I didn't have the original Windows XP disk, so I had to scrap everything and buy a new OS and hard drive. Vista has been a dream until two days ago. At the point in the boot cycle where the BIOS is done and Windows is supposed to start, nothing happens. The screen is blank and a cursor smugly blinks away in the upper left corner. I've tried using the restore options on the Windows Vista disk, but to no avail (it says there's nothing wrong with my install of Vista, and restoring the system to a previous date doesn't fix anything either). I used an old Norton SystemWorks disk to run their equivalent of Disk Check, where it found some sort of security descriptors problem and fixed it, but the system still won't boot. I'm beginning to think this is a hardware issue unrelated to the hard drive, but I don't know how to find and solve the problem. Also, since this is a used computer, I don't know how to get access to Dell's BIOS drivers and related software in case there are updates and whatnot. If anyone has any ideas on things I can try or where I might find drivers and such, please let me know. I'm getting desperate here: I just want a stable computer! Oh, please don't throw some Switch to Mac/Linux/abacus balloney at me. Aside from the fact that I can't afford anything new, I actually like Windows and don't think the OS is the issue here. Thanks, John -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: Computer help!
Scrap Vista, find a copy of WinXP or better yet win2k. Live with the limitations, experience Zen. [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: My computer is fracked up again, though this time I've been able to at least recover my data with relative ease. I really need help: my computer won't boot. It's a Dell Precision 650 (I think) dual-Xeon workstation, running Windows Vista Ultimate for about a week now. It's a few years old, but it's more powerful than anything new I've tried lately. I bought it used from my old boss last December. It never had problems while I was using it at work for two years, nor after I brought it home, until I started playing games on it (specifically GTA San Andreas and Star Wars Battlefront II). A little over two weeks ago, my hard drive became inaccessible and I didn't have the original Windows XP disk, so I had to scrap everything and buy a new OS and hard drive. Vista has been a dream until two days ago. At the point in the boot cycle where the BIOS is done and Windows is supposed to start, nothing happens. The screen is blank and a cursor smugly blinks away in the upper left corner. I've tried using the restore options on the Windows Vista disk, but to no avail (it says there's nothing wrong with my install of Vista, and restoring the system to a previous date doesn't fix anything either). I used an old Norton SystemWorks disk to run their equivalent of Disk Check, where it found some sort of security descriptors problem and fixed it, but the system still won't boot. I'm beginning to think this is a hardware issue unrelated to the hard drive, but I don't know how to find and solve the problem. Also, since this is a used computer, I don't know how to get access to Dell's BIOS drivers and related software in case there are updates and whatnot. If anyone has any ideas on things I can try or where I might find drivers and such, please let me know. I'm getting desperate here: I just want a stable computer! Oh, please don't throw some Switch to Mac/Linux/abacus balloney at me. Aside from the fact that I can't afford anything new, I actually like Windows and don't think the OS is the issue here. Thanks, John -- All dogs have four legs; my cat has four legs. Therefore, my cat is a dog. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: Computer help!
In a message dated 6/7/2007 2:27:59 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Oh, please don't throw some Switch to Mac/Linux/abacus balloney at me. Aside from the fact that I can't afford anything new, I actually like Windows and don't think the OS is the issue here. Thanks, John No idea, of course, what the problem is, but once I once plugged up an old scanner and installed the software and Windows would not boot. Make sure you have not added a peripheral lately. Sometimes starting up in safe mode can fix it. Then you can go in and restore an early restore point. If it is the HD it should not show it loading in your Dos bootup. Actually, without the HD the boot up doesn't go very far. Marnie - Warning: I am now filtering my email, so you may be censored. ** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
RE: Computer help!
You might try booting another operating system to see if the hardware is the issue. The other operating should also fail to boot. Possibly. -- Bob -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 07 June 2007 22:26 To: PDML@pdml.net Subject: Computer help! My computer is fracked up again, though this time I've been able to at least recover my data with relative ease. I really need help: my computer won't boot. It's a Dell Precision 650 (I think) dual-Xeon workstation, running Windows Vista Ultimate for about a week now. It's a few years old, but it's more powerful than anything new I've tried lately. I bought it used from my old boss last December. It never had problems while I was using it at work for two years, nor after I brought it home, until I started playing games on it (specifically GTA San Andreas and Star Wars Battlefront II). A little over two weeks ago, my hard drive became inaccessible and I didn't have the original Windows XP disk, so I had to scrap everything and buy a new OS and hard drive. Vista has been a dream until two days ago. At the point in the boot cycle where the BIOS is done and Windows is supposed to start, nothing happens. The screen is blank and a cursor smugly blinks away in the upper left corner. I've tried using the restore options on the Windows Vista disk, but to no avail (it says there's nothing wrong with my install of Vista, and restoring the system to a previous date doesn't fix anything either). I used an old Norton SystemWorks disk to run their equivalent of Disk Check, where it found some sort of security descriptors problem and fixed it, but the system still won't boot. I'm beginning to think this is a hardware issue unrelated to the hard drive, but I don't know how to find and solve the problem. Also, since this is a used computer, I don't know how to get access to Dell's BIOS drivers and related software in case there are updates and whatnot. If anyone has any ideas on things I can try or where I might find drivers and such, please let me know. I'm getting desperate here: I just want a stable computer! Oh, please don't throw some Switch to Mac/Linux/abacus balloney at me. Aside from the fact that I can't afford anything new, I actually like Windows and don't think the OS is the issue here. Thanks, John -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: Computer help!
On Jun 7, 2007, at 2:25 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: ... Oh, please don't throw some Switch to Mac/Linux/abacus balloney at me. ... Would you prefer a creme pie? ]'-) Sorry, can't help with Windows issues. Never touch the stuff. Godfrey -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: Computer help!
Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] If anyone has any ideas on things I can try or where I might find drivers and such, please let me know. I'm getting desperate here: I just want a stable computer! It could be something like bad RAM or messed up BIOS settings. But your description of having no problems until you started playing games on it makes me wonder if your installation of DirectX has a compatibility issue with your laptop. If you could get the silly thing to boot, you could try looking in 'Add/Remove Programs' in the control panel and see if it will let you uninstall whatever ever version of DirectX you have now. It could also be a video or audio driver problem. I'm wondering if one of those games installed something (like a driver or an upgrade to DirectX) that's not (wholly) compatible with your laptop. -- Thanks, DougF (KG4LMZ) -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
RE: Computer help!
Hi, It may be hard drive hardware problem. I have had quite a few new drives dying after a few weeks and the computers then acting strangely. Maybe you could try booting a Linux-on-cd or some other OS to see if the hardware works? You might also want to connect the hard drive to another computer as a second drive (maybe one running Windows XP) and test it there. One thing about Vista: my 3 year old HP Business laptop does the same at some boots, but works fine about 95% of the other boots. The computer reads the hard drive for some time at boot, but then only a blinking cursor (display in text mode) in the top left corner. This also happens sometimes after resume from hibernation. All what I need to do to fix this is a reboot. I have heard of similar problems from others, so this kind of behaviour is normal for Vista in some cases, not necessarily a hardware problem after all. My version is Vista Business. I would update the bios first to see if there is a problem with it. A lot of computers need bios updates to successfully run Vista. I think it is a problem with Vista unsuccessfully initializing the display card for some reason and then hang. Maybe a display driver compatibility problem. Hope this helps, Antti-Pekka Antti-Pekka Virjonen Computec Oy RD Turku www.computec.fi -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 12:26 AM To: PDML@pdml.net Subject: Computer help! My computer is fracked up again, though this time I've been able to at least recover my data with relative ease. I really need help: my computer won't boot. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
