its def. listed in device manager somewhere, or else it would be working at all :P

video is def. not your issue at this point. you say you tested the ram in another machine, but how did you test it? getting the machine to boot with it, isnt really testing it. at this point i'd say...

yea, u replaced the supply, then its def. mobo. thats too bad. and somewhat ridiculous that you can't find a replacement for a 4200+ :(

goto the control panel. double click system. click the hardware tab, then the device manager button. click the plus by mouse and other pointing devices(something like that) remove and re-install. if...

try making a windows 98 boot disc, you should be able to boot to it. if so, fdisk the drive,delete all partitions, then try and run the windows setup again. bootdisk.com had a nice copy of win 98...

def. disconnect everything from the machine, as per the previous post. i would also unplug the power supply from the board, and hold in the power button for about 10 seconds. plug the supply back in,...

re-install the ide controllers, re-install the burning software. try to burn from within xp, as opposed to nero ( i think thats what your using) most def. try a different brand of disc. i troubleshot...

delete all partitions, and format the machine. sucks, but its what you gota do :( if it still locks at this point, you may be looking at hdd, or motherboard issues. also, as you mentioned the machine...

pull the hard drive, and see if the machine will stay on. if thats the case it could very well be that, especially if the clicking noise is coming from the hdd. if it still turns off, try and go into...

what exactly is your computer doing right now? it turns on and you only get a black screen, or it will not even power on now?

almost sounds motherboard related. approx. how long before the machine turns off? most machines will post without a hdd, so it would be very odd if that were the case.

seen it many many times b4.

no, i ment download it on someone elses computer :P

start--->control panel--->system---->hardware tab
device manager button
click the plus by usb controllers, and remove them all
reboot

right, but the machine is turning on. im assuming with your older dell, such was not the case.

doubtfull the battery has anything to do with your issue, unless of course, your power cord is toast, but generally it should never work if thats the case. there could be a million different things...

its very possible the image you ghosted is bad. you may very well need to install an OEM or retail copy of xp, make sure to delete the partitions you created with ghost. just use the product key on...

make sure you put ample paste between the cpu and sync, i've seen the exact same issue when that happens. also, remove the graphics card,, and try and use the on board. after you've done that, if it...

it would be best to take the laptop apart, (just the bottom) and blow the crap out of the heatsync, and fans. also ensure that all the fans are functioning. i've seen this problem alot, because...

does it beep in the bios? its possible you have a stuck key. otherwise, you may wish to pull the CMOS battery, and leave it out for approx. 5-10 mins. try and boot the machine with the battery out,...

ram is a possibility, get yourself a copy of memtest,(it's free, just google it) and run it to see if thats the case, that ways you wont have to pull the ram. if the memory tests fine, i would say to...

if you were able to go on the net and download things, the c: is obviously there. as far as the usb goes, you can try and remove and re-install the usb root controller via dev. manager.

try the power cord, and possible the socket its plugged into, otherwise, its the motherboard.