Rummy Posted December 19, 2009 Posted December 19, 2009 OK, here's the deal. Recent XP problems etcetc, got XP home on there, activated it too, my key worked fine. When I installed XP, I used the installation to basically partition the drive into two equal halves, simply by halving the amount of bytes it said the drive had and I think setting to the nearest multiple of 8, I didn't really know what I was doing. Then we moved house. Hooked up to some old monitor, literally just hooked it up to a brand new cheapy argos ps/2 keyboard and usb mouse. Try to turn it on. Boot priority is set to CD ROM then HD, but I was quick and took the CD out. It gets to the Windows XP with green bar screen, loads a bit then I hear a tick, and the screen goes black. It keeps ticking. I try to restart through the reset button on the computer, I go into the BIOS, change it back to hard drive priority, and it ticks and black screens before it gets to the green loading bar screen. I try to boot the CD(self burnt XP OEM Home Edition) and it gets to a point where it's launching windows or something? After loading all the drivers and stuff down the bottom, but doesn't progress beyond it. Something is still ticking every now and then inside the computer, it seems to happen as a red light on the front of the comp flashes. OK, my question, is the hard drive fucked? It's all I can think is the problem. I'd got one error message about windows not being able to boot for some reason, I think it asked me to insert a disc or something, didn't pay too much attention just reset it. Second question, is there ANY way I can manage to access the hard drive to get a file off of it? I basically put the key I had into a small text file on the computer, I kind of need that if I'm gonna re-install XP again. Third question. I'm sure there was one. Probably me wondering what else it could be, really, if it wasn't the hard drive? Is there an easy way to determine what it is/isn't etcetc? Also, am I breaking it by trying to do anything to it whilst it ticks like this, or should I look at something inside first? EDIT: Remembered my last point. Can I boot into DOS or Command Prompt to get my file? Will I be unable to because windows can't boot? Is there a free and easy alternative, presuming I can at least access some of the drive? -------------------------------- Man I fucking hate the unpredictability of computers! Gah! I kept trying to load it, no luck, remembered I found a ubuntu cd the other day, so I thought I'd try it as a live cd see if it works, it did get into ubuntu, then eventually(with alot of not really knowing what I was doing but just trying what it told me and being confused for a while) I managed to force mount the drives and get to that file I wanted, it said something about $logfile causing a problem that I couldn't mount it easier. So, that's one problem down. I then tried windows again, got the whole 'windows didn't shut down proper choose safe mode, command, network, or start normally' thingy, went for start normally(mind the computer is still making this weird tick/knocking noise every now and then), but the problem now...when I get into Windows(reminds me, I meant blue loading, not green) it tells me something about there isn't enough power to my nVidia graphics card or something but like what I am so confused right there. Then I went to eat a spoonful of rice, as it said it was building some internet explorer preferences or something? Anyway, I was only out the room for 30sec or so but I return, it's restarted itself, does a little checkdisk, then goes into loading windows, and now it just hangs...I left it for a while(longer than it usually takes) but I got fed up waiting and left it alone for today. It seems to be a different problem every fucking time I get anywhere !
Raining_again Posted December 20, 2009 Posted December 20, 2009 the ticking could be the hard disk trying to start spinning and not being able to. Is everything connected okay internally?
Rummy Posted December 20, 2009 Author Posted December 20, 2009 I presumed so, I'm not really good on the insides of these things, in fact I have little idea how it all connects up inside a tower, I'll get someone to look at it I guess. If there's something wrong with the power maybe that'd explain why it told me the graphics card didn't have enough, and why the drive might struggle to spin?
Raining_again Posted December 20, 2009 Posted December 20, 2009 the drive wouldn't make any noise if it had no power
Rummy Posted December 20, 2009 Author Posted December 20, 2009 Ah yes, but what if it had like, some power, just not enough to spin properly? Though it seems the CD drive was working well enough, but I dunno if they need more or less than HDs, I've decided I don't know what's wrong so my dad's gonna wait on my brother to come open it and have a look, considering he put it all together anyway.
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