tried to install xp, now pc dead

mayto

was putting xp onto a dell optiplex gx110 today,when i returned during xp install the pc was just showing a blank screen. rebooted pc and got no bios screen. same thing happened with another gx110 i was trying to upgrade last week, only that one just would not boot up after i turned it off. that one had win98 installed. i am totally lost as to what is going on. the pc is lighting up and drives spin but can get nothing on the monitor. the bios seems fecked but not sure if i can save them. took out the cmos for a few minutes but no luck.

garthv

What XP CD are you using? Is it a legit version?

GreenHell

Unplug everything, then hit the power switch for a while. Replugin and try again. If that doesn't do anything and it probably won't, try taking out the ram chips, if you have more than one, and rebooting.

mayto

was using a dell version just to see for a friend could he install xp on it. i disconnected ram,ide cables but no luck. the hdd seems to spin up only if i disconnected the ide cables from the mobo.the cd-rom will not open if i have it connected up properly. tried to boot off floppy but no luck either.

8T8

Is all XP you were trying to upgrade on it no hardware correct ?

If so I cant think of a reason why & that it happened to two of them most perplexing

Silly question I know but you sure it's not the monitor that's at fault.

I have checked the net and found instances of Optiplex GX110's running XP so it should have been okay unless there is something special about these GX110's you have.

stanley1

have you set boot up No1 preferance on bios for cd rom.

mayto

myself and a few mates got the gx110's for nothing off the local I.T.there is nothing on screen at all, so i cannot see bios at all. tried a different monitor but still the same. i used the same hdd in the two pc's that are now fecked so the hdd could be the problem. the pc's were out in a shed for last year, do you think that could be the problem?

olearydc

Even if the hard drive was gone..you should still see the Bios

Any activity during boot up?

Have you also tried a bootable DVD.. ie http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html
or Floppy http://www.bootdisk.com/

Installing a O/S should only mess up a hard drive at worst, nothing else....Like a post above says, check the cable from the Monitor is fully seated..if going into a port card, check that the Graphic card is also fully seated....is there any noise from the power supply, Fan spinning?...any beebs from the PC?

mayto

the drives spin up only when the ide cables are disconnected from the mobo . i disconnected everything bar the power connectors from the mobo but still get no bios screen. will give pc to someone with a different monitor and see does it make a difference.