big problem with my desktop

kevthecelt

hi guys
right i like to think i really do know my way around a computer, im always fixing the computer in work blah blah. But this problem has me stumped

basically, when i boot up, it doesnt get into xp at all, it lingers, there are green pink and blue vertical lines all over the screen and i can just make out that its saying 'boot failed' but i cant read the rest of it.
Now of course, first thing you think of is corrupt hard drive but i tried it in my mates computer and you can see all the files grand, so its not that. I was thinking then its a big hardware problem, possibly motherboard or graphics card, but how can i check? any suggestions? or should i just leave it in with someone, anybody recommend a place that actually knows what they are doing??

commited

Is it in dos when it says boot failed?
It sounds to me like the motherboard is the most likely cause, which could have been damaged by a stuffed Power Supply..
Could just be something as simple as a buggered XP install - try a reinstall, then if that doesnt work, start testing each component in oter machines to find the problem.

jaqian

That is a weird one.

Well just because your mate can see the files doesn't mean there isn't a problem. There could be a problem with the boot sector. Have you installed any prorams recently?

Have you got a start disc?

_Kaiser_

kevthecelt wrote:

hi guys
right i like to think i really do know my way around a computer, im always fixing the computer in work blah blah. But this problem has me stumped

basically, when i boot up, it doesnt get into xp at all, it lingers, there are green pink and blue vertical lines all over the screen and i can just make out that its saying 'boot failed' but i cant read the rest of it.
Now of course, first thing you think of is corrupt hard drive but i tried it in my mates computer and you can see all the files grand, so its not that. I was thinking then its a big hardware problem, possibly motherboard or graphics card, but how can i check? any suggestions? or should i just leave it in with someone, anybody recommend a place that actually knows what they are doing??

Few things to check...
- What was the last thing you were doing before the problem began? Have you made any changes (hardware or software) to the machine.
- Can you see the BIOS screen/startup sequence as it checks devices etc (if not, reseat the video card - swap if possible - and change the monitor).
- If it POSTs correctly, can you get to Safe Mode?
- If you are getting this far it may be worth trying a Repair from the XP CD.

Unplug any external devices (USB keys etc) as well before trying this Let us know how you get on..

Khannie

jaqian wrote:

Well just because your mate can see the files doesn't mean there isn't a problem.

This is the key here IMO. Try booting your mates machine off your drive. If it fails, try a thorough scandisk.

_Kaiser_

Khannie wrote:

This is the key here IMO. Try booting your mates machine off your drive. If it fails, try a thorough scandisk.

Do NOT do this.. if it DOES boot to Windows you're running the risk of messing it up further as XP tries to cope with all the new hardware it's found!!

(The only reason to have it connected to your mates machine - at this point anyway - is to backup anything you need to..just in case! )