computer won't start

B

bulb

New Member
Hi guys new to the forum, with a very frustrating problem (i don't know all that much about computers either i'm afraid)

For a while now the pc has been reluctant to start. When i swicth it on it goes to a screen making me chose how to start it, including options such as 'safe mode', 'safe mode with networking', start normally' etc, with a count down timer. When it first started doing this, through trial and error i found that by chosing 'safe mode', letting it load and then restarting it, i was able to turn the thing on and use it normally.

However

Came to it on saturday and it wouldnt start atall. tried all of the options that are on the screen mentioned above to no avail. so i left it. then came back to it in the evening and it started fine straightaway. odd i thought but wasnt complaining.

But the same thing happened yesterday.

And i've tried starting it this evening and it just is refusing to play ball. earlier this eveing i was able to start it in safe mode, and no matter how many times i went through the procedure i mentioned above, it wouldnt start normally.

A friend who knows more than me recomended i remove the memory, clean the contacts and see if that helped but it hasnt.

Since i have done this however, i have had a play with some of the things in msconfig while in safe mode, namely some things to do with the boot.

wish i hadnt now as i am completely unable to start anything atall. switch power on, it will get to the option screen thing, and no matter what option i chose, it wont start.

My frined is able to format it for me, so i know it can be fixed (hopefully), i just can't get to all my documents to save them.

So, appologies for the essay, but if any of you guys can help me in any way, please do!!! I am completely lost. Cheers!
 
Well your friend is slightly right of doing that but it could also be something wrong with the processor. With me my old computer would not start but the fans and the harddrive were seeming to be working properly, my processor was a slot type so i took it out and cleaned all the contacts and it worked!!! (Thats help for if its something wrong with the hardware!)
 
I reiterate what the above post says. And furthermore, ask your friend if he can set up your drive as a slave, connect it to his computer and transfer any of the files that you would need to save to his computer. Then you just format the drive, and then transfer the stuff back again! :) Oh, and don't worry about an OS conflict, if your drive is set to be a slave (on most drives you remove the control pin) then his computer will load his OS and use your drive as a data drive. And if you just slide the pin back into your drive after the transfer is done, then you have a master drive again! Easy ;)
 
:D Cheers Guys! Took it to him last night and he did exactly what you have just described! All now fixed and working again. Still don't understand why it did it in the first place though :confused: just have to hope it doesnt happen again

Thanks again!
 
I believe that the contacts between the processor and the socket on the mobo were a little dirty and were preventing a clean signal to be sent between the two...
 
hi can anyoe tell me how do i boot my computer in safe mode? It is running XP pro SP2. I dont get an option F8 when the windows is booting
 
When you see the manufacturer's logo, press F8... it won't tell you when. If not, try F12, F2 (Although F12 is the device boot menu and F2 is the BIOS screen). It's F8 when you see the manufacturer's logo. As soon as you turn on the computer, repeatidly tap F8 until you see the screen.
 
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