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pc wont boot up.

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  • 17-04-2013 9:36pm
    #1
    Amprodude
    Registered Users Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭


    Ok i have an old machine hear nearly 10 years old, its was running Windows XP SP2. Its a Fijustu scaleo p with 2.66ghz celeron processor.

    There was a power failure this evening and now the pc wont boot up. It wont boot up normally, or on last configured settings, or on safe mode. I went into the BIOS to boot harddisk there but no luck. I dont have a winxp disc to boot from cd rom drive, Am I goosed? Pc far too old to be getting it repaired but i only use it for downloading and few small things etc, but if there is a simple fix il take it.

    Thanks.


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    #2
    yoyo
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,016 Mod ✭✭✭✭yoyo


    Try testing the hard disk with Vivard or MHDD on the UBCD. Could possibly be the hard disk has failed, if this is the case not worth buying a new one for a machine that age & spec. If you have an old PATA/IDE one lying around (assuming IDE at that age) and XP install media its worth fixing though :)

    Nick

    My Beer Glass collection site 🍺

    My Irish Callcards site



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    #3
    Amprodude
    Registered Users Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭Amprodude


    yoyo wrote: »
    Try testing the hard disk with Vivard or MHDD on the UBCD. Could possibly be the hard disk has failed, if this is the case not worth buying a new one for a machine that age & spec. If you have an old PATA/IDE one lying around (assuming IDE at that age) and XP install media its worth fixing though :)

    Nick

    I unplugged every device connected up to pc and that didnt solve my problem which i was hoping for at first. I had a wireless usb keyboard and mouse and these would not function with the black screen at the start in order for me to select the safe mode option etc. So i had to go up in the attic to get a wired keyboard off an old dell and hook up to PC. Lucky to have one after throwing away the fijustu one.

    The only possible hard disk i have going back to that time is located in an old dell inspirion laptop 2200. The laptop was bought in 2005, and gave up last year with malfunctioning cpu. Harddisk is fine in it but would it work in the Fijustu unit? It will be plan B provided its compatible but I must try the other option you posted tomorrow first. Btw the harddisk in PC is IDE. Not sure about the Dell one, if its IDE i will still have to get a type of an adapter to make it work which may be a nuisance.


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    #4
    yoyo
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,016 Mod ✭✭✭✭yoyo


    Amprodude wrote: »
    I unplugged every device connected up to pc and that didnt solve my problem which i was hoping for at first. I had a wireless usb keyboard and mouse and these would not function with the black screen at the start in order for me to select the safe mode option etc. So i had to go up in the attic to get a wired keyboard off an old dell and hook up to PC. Lucky to have one after throwing away the fijustu one.

    The only possible hard disk i have going back to that time is located in an old dell inspirion laptop 2200. The laptop was bought in 2005, and gave up last year with malfunctioning cpu. Harddisk is fine in it but would it work in the Fijustu unit? It will be plan B provided its compatible but I must try the other option you posted tomorrow first. Btw the harddisk in PC is IDE. Not sure about the Dell one, if its IDE i will still have to get a type of an adapter to make it work which may be a nuisance.
    Laptops and desktop IDE connectors are different, but you can buy adaptors which will convert from one to another. Something like this should do the trick. Check the hard disk in the pc first to make sure it's dodgy before doing this, could be a number of other issues causing it to be unbootable, but the issues do sound hard disk related.
    Do check the Dell laptop hard disk to ensure it is IDE, as for 2005 era, I reckon SATA drives would have been common, although 2004/2005 was when laptops were generally being rolled out with SATA over IDE iirc

    Nick

    My Beer Glass collection site 🍺

    My Irish Callcards site



  • Options
    #5
    Amprodude
    Registered Users Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭Amprodude


    yoyo wrote: »
    Laptops and desktop IDE connectors are different, but you can buy adaptors which will convert from one to another. Something like this should do the trick. Check the hard disk in the pc first to make sure it's dodgy before doing this, could be a number of other issues causing it to be unbootable, but the issues do sound hard disk related.
    Do check the Dell laptop hard disk to ensure it is IDE, as for 2005 era, I reckon SATA drives would have been common, although 2004/2005 was when laptops were generally being rolled out with SATA over IDE iirc

    Nick

    I made a hirens boot cd disc today and booted windows xp from cd rom drive. There i was able to get access to the C hard disc drive of the pc. I saved anything important from there. I then ran the following command chkdsk c:/ f/r in the command prompt and rebooted from the PC harddisk. I managed to get into my desktop with all the icons etc but now there is no start button or taskbar. So i will probably have to do a complete reinstall of windows. I dont have a disk. I located the winnt32.exe file on my hard drive but when i clicked on it it said my service pack isnt the same as the original cd.

    So the computers hard disc is still working but corrupted and must figure out something else. Anyone know how to get the xp start button and taskbar back on desktop?


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    #6
    yoyo
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,016 Mod ✭✭✭✭yoyo


    Amprodude wrote: »
    I made a hirens boot cd disc today and booted windows xp from cd rom drive. There i was able to get access to the C hard disc drive of the pc. I saved anything important from there. I then ran the following command chkdsk c:/ f/r in the command prompt and rebooted from the PC harddisk. I managed to get into my desktop with all the icons etc but now there is no start button or taskbar. So i will probably have to do a complete reinstall of windows. I dont have a disk. I located the winnt32.exe file on my hard drive but when i clicked on it it said my service pack isnt the same as the original cd.

    So the computers hard disc is still working but corrupted and must figure out something else.

    Check the drive using Vivard, if there are any bad sectors detected I wouldn't trust it.

    Nick

    My Beer Glass collection site 🍺

    My Irish Callcards site



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    #7
    Amprodude
    Registered Users Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭Amprodude


    yoyo wrote: »
    Check the drive using Vivard, if there are any bad sectors detected I wouldn't trust it.

    Nick

    Meant to do it, il try it tomorrow


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    #8
    Amprodude
    Registered Users Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭Amprodude


    yoyo wrote: »
    Check the drive using Vivard, if there are any bad sectors detected I wouldn't trust it.

    Nick


    I tried Vivard today but it didnt detect anything for me. The pc was a disaster it wasnt even responding by the end of it.

    So I got all my important files off it, couldnt get everything without the hard-disc freezing.

    Then I made a disc, still have my licence key and wiped the pc. I then installed a fresh install of windows xp. Its now working perfectly and going like a dream for a ten year old pc. Thanks for advice given here.


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