Computer Crashed<~~~~Help a n00b

C

cybunny

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 18, 2004
Messages
167
So my computer crashed....

Lovely considering I know NOTHING about computers....well, practically nothing :p

So the worst thing happend after that ; my mom (who knos less that I) messed with it and now that I have a friend (whos elsewhere who would help me over the net possibly phone) Im not sure it would matter becaseu everytime I boot it the screen doesnt even come on...it just goes into that "sleep" mode...I was watching her when she was doing it and she was messing with something that had to do with the monitor(obviously) or video or something like that....I dunno...but The fact is, that even If I do get the XP stuff to reformat the computer I cant see anything to do so becasue the monitor doesnt turn on.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? how can it be fixed
 
Does the system POST? Is there supposed to be an audible beep?
If so, how far till the screen blacks out? or does it never come on?
Did you check the video connection? This is assuming that the system POSTs and everything.

 
FYI, POST = Power On Self Test, its when you start up your computer and all that white on black text flys through the screen :)
 
gwai lo said:
Does the system POST? Is there supposed to be an audible beep?
If so, how far till the screen blacks out? or does it never come on?
Did you check the video connection? This is assuming that the system POSTs and everything.

Click to expand...

The computer makes the "beep" as you say yes...Just like it boots normally....just the monitor never comes on. I turn it on the light goes directly form "green" to that "yellow" color. as if its been left alone for a while...no amount of moving the mouse or pressing keys will ever turn it on. The chord connection to the computer for the monitor is fine, I checked that first.

The problem with the computer before hand was that it would load on the windows XP loading page and then it would flash a blue screen saying some crap like "windows has shut down to prevent furthur damage"

It took me four hours to get the frist line of the message becasue the blue screen would just flash so fast....jsut a blink. So i sat infront of the computer and got the first part of the message and then searched in and read the whole thing....and it told me nothing...but that whole thing has been explained to someone else and Im getting help with that but I cant get help if the screen doesnt come on.
 
CreamySoupUSA said:
FYI, POST = Power On Self Test, its when you start up your computer and all that white on black text flys through the screen :)
Click to expand...

Aaaahhhh thanks. Im gald you caught that, I jsut kind of disregaurded that part of his message :p

and as for that, no the monitor never turns on, but the computer loads as normal(meaning, yes, it beeps lol)
 
The hard drive yes..

And by the windows start up sound (becasue I have to match in my mind actual picture with sound) do you mean when the windows loading page comes up? with the bar and the moviing green thing (thats the best i can explain it)
 
I mean when your desktop comes up and that jingle with chimes comes on, at least that's the default sound.
 
no.

after the blue screen thing pops up it starts over again...If i jsut kept it on it would continuously go through that loop process forever.
 
Try clearing the CMOS:

-Open up your case
-You should see a little battery on the motherboard
-Take it out
-Occupy yourself for 5 minutes;)
-Put it back

See if that does anything.
 
eesh...uh

Im scared to hurt the mother board

1.show me what it looks like...just to be sure
2. why do i have to wait 5 minutes
 
1. Basically... it looks like O <----- that. just a flat circular silver battery
2. To let everything discharge, you need to do it on some, not on others, you might as well just to be safe.
 
CreamySoupUSA said:
1. Basically... it looks like O <----- that. just a flat circular silver battery
2. To let everything discharge, you need to do it on some, not on others, you might as well just to be safe.
Click to expand...

good suggestion

if that doesnt work try booting in safe mode b/c if it wont boot using that, you may be looking at a much more serious problem

I think its possible she's changed the system display into a status where the monitor wont even display, it hangs and reboots.... dunno really, if we had a bit more info on where/what exactly she was playing with it would be more helpful

goooooood luck
 
CreamySoupUSA said:
1. Basically... it looks like O <----- that. just a flat circular silver battery
2. To let everything discharge, you need to do it on some, not on others, you might as well just to be safe.
Click to expand...

yeah, its a silvery battery...around the size of a quarter or so. Typically it has some sort of thin metal clip holding it in place (the metal clip is a bit larger than a pencil tip)
 
Do i just pop it out? Are there screws or what?

And as for the thing on more info about what was being messed with..I really have no clue..I tried to ask mom and she has no recolection..
 
Jester1550 said:
good suggestion

if that doesnt work try booting in safe mode b/c if it wont boot using that, you may be looking at a much more serious problem

I think its possible she's changed the system display into a status where the monitor wont even display, it hangs and reboots.... dunno really, if we had a bit more info on where/what exactly she was playing with it would be more helpful

goooooood luck
Click to expand...

The computer wont go into safe mode...It goes to the windows loading page and then flashes that blue page then restarts...very infuriating
 
press f 8 before the loading page comes up. Easiest way is to just keep hitting it repeatedly until you see alist of boot options. SHould be something along the lines of safe mode, safe mode with networking, safe mnode with command prompt, last known good configuration, yada yada... Try last know good config first. if that doesnt work, reboot and hit f8 again, and choose safe mode.
 
jjohnathan said:
press f 8 before the loading page comes up. Easiest way is to just keep hitting it repeatedly until you see alist of boot options. SHould be something along the lines of safe mode, safe mode with networking, safe mnode with command prompt, last known good configuration, yada yada... Try last know good config first. if that doesnt work, reboot and hit f8 again, and choose safe mode.
Click to expand...


Yah, I know..I know how to do that :p Im a n00b, but not that much

but yah...I tried everything. I even tried last known good configuration, cut NOTHING works. It just goes to the loading page and then goes back to the beginning after flashing that blue screen
 
cybunny said:
Yah, I know..I know how to do that :p Im a n00b, but not that much

but yah...I tried everything. I even tried last known good configuration, cut NOTHING works. It just goes to the loading page and then goes back to the beginning after flashing that blue screen
Click to expand...

alright... at this point even I'd be pretty frustrated. suggest removing HD from that comp and plugging it into another comp as a slave. this way you can grab and backup any data u need. Then, if you have a spare HD, plug that into the broken comp and try installing OS. This will help u determine if its a software or hardware thing... im pretty certain its a software thing, but since nothing seems to be working... at this point im not certain what in heck happened.

as for the CMOS battery, no screws, its soooo simple ur going to kick yourself when you find out how easy it is. literally as simple as pulling a flat, quarter size battery out of your digital camera. (just thought of something, if your having trouble locating it, it MAY say the word LITHIUM on the back) you not going to hurt ur mobo if u pull it out.

future point... NOBODY in ur house gets to &^%$ around with settings except you or someone that knows more than u do about computers. and if ur mom cant handle that, next time she needs to go hire a tech support guy to do it.
 
Jester1550 said:
alright... at this point even I'd be pretty frustrated. suggest removing HD from that comp and plugging it into another comp as a slave. this way you can grab and backup any data u need. Then, if you have a spare HD, plug that into the broken comp and try installing OS. This will help u determine if its a software or hardware thing... im pretty certain its a software thing, but since nothing seems to be working... at this point im not certain what in heck happened.

as for the CMOS battery, no screws, its soooo simple ur going to kick yourself when you find out how easy it is. literally as simple as pulling a flat, quarter size battery out of your digital camera. (just thought of something, if your having trouble locating it, it MAY say the word LITHIUM on the back) you not going to hurt ur mobo if u pull it out.

future point... NOBODY in ur house gets to &^%$ around with settings except you or someone that knows more than u do about computers. and if ur mom cant handle that, next time she needs to go hire a tech support guy to do it.
Click to expand...

Ive been shown how to dismantle a computer once before but it been....7 months since then.... Im really afraid to fry something. And the ability to use another HD isnt available..becasue well...I dont have another HD :p This computer was also given to me and Ive never taken it aprat...I actually tried once to open it but I sincerely do not know how the DAMNED thing opens...its a pain in the arse

As for the last comment...holy crap, no one NO ONE will EVER touch my ANYTHING ever again, lol

Butthe problem with turning the monitor on....that still hasnt ben fixed.
I want to try the battery thing, but then Again I still dont know how to open thixs MOFO
 
cybunny said:
Ive been shown how to dismantle a computer once before but it been....7 months since then.... Im really afraid to fry something. And the ability to use another HD isnt available..becasue well...I dont have another HD :p This computer was also given to me and Ive never taken it aprat...I actually tried once to open it but I sincerely do not know how the DAMNED thing opens...its a pain in the arse

As for the last comment...holy crap, no one NO ONE will EVER touch my ANYTHING ever again, lol

Butthe problem with turning the monitor on....that still hasnt ben fixed.
I want to try the battery thing, but then Again I still dont know how to open thixs MOFO
Click to expand...

is it a name brand mfr like emachines/compaq? if so, you may be able to google it and find a how-to on opening up the comp. even if not a name brand, you may be able to inspect it and find out who manufactured the case then you can google that company.

one more thing... the point of the CMOS battery is to keep backup power to save any changes made assuming a power loss. Thus, if you were to completely unplug that computer for quite a while (on the order of days)... you would drain eventually drain the battery. dont know how many days it would take, but it is a battery and eventually it will run out of power.

oh yeah, have you tried plugging in another 'working' monitor into this pc? additionally, try plugging in the monitor from the 'broken' pc to a 'working' one. dont think it will do much, but it will help to rule out monitor malfunction... in truth, i actually doubt anything is wrong with the monitor. im pretty damned certain its a software issue, but like i said, it will rule out an issue with the monitor

you could possibly post digicam pix of the case on this forum... then somebody may be able to help, be certain to give us some detailed pix on the screw locations etc. often there are trick screws/tabs located on the underside or at the front panel.

would love to be more help, but dunno what else to do. :(

try checking back more frequently to keep bumpin this thread, maybe you can solicit some other help
 
Jester1550 said:
is it a name brand mfr like emachines/compaq? if so, you may be able to google it and find a how-to on opening up the comp. even if not a name brand, you may be able to inspect it and find out who manufactured the case then you can google that company.

one more thing... the point of the CMOS battery is to keep backup power to save any changes made assuming a power loss. Thus, if you were to completely unplug that computer for quite a while (on the order of days)... you would drain eventually drain the battery. dont know how many days it would take, but it is a battery and eventually it will run out of power.

oh yeah, have you tried plugging in another 'working' monitor into this pc? additionally, try plugging in the monitor from the 'broken' pc to a 'working' one. dont think it will do much, but it will help to rule out monitor malfunction... in truth, i actually doubt anything is wrong with the monitor. im pretty damned certain its a software issue, but like i said, it will rule out an issue with the monitor

you could possibly post digicam pix of the case on this forum... then somebody may be able to help, be certain to give us some detailed pix on the screw locations etc. often there are trick screws/tabs located on the underside or at the front panel.

would love to be more help, but dunno what else to do. :(

try checking back more frequently to keep bumpin this thread, maybe you can solicit some other help
Click to expand...

thanks for everything :)

Ill talk to my friend who gave me the computer...he knows all about it and about damn near everything else about computers so.....yah....but havnt talked to him for a while and Im not sure the next time we will talk.....so i just have to wait
 
cybunny said:
thanks for everything :)

Ill talk to my friend who gave me the computer...he knows all about it and about damn near everything else about computers so.....yah....but havnt talked to him for a while and Im not sure the next time we will talk.....so i just have to wait
Click to expand...

np and good luck, post again if it aint workin
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top