4 things to look for in all these cases
Hard drive
power supply
motherboard
processor
first clean it - properly
replace the heat paste
a tiny drop of machine oil on the fan bearings will...

cheers but no worries now I worked it out and sorted it. i just prefer to get a manual if i can for those little pecadilloes that go with some of the more proprietary kit

Before you try anything else, is power getting thru, are the fans spinning/lights on. is the HDD spinning up, you should hear it.
if all seems ok,clear the cmos.
disconnect power lead, hit the...

how big is your PSU. may just need more power

check out the ground wire on the fan. these sometimes go. it can be sorted by removing the ground wire from the block and grounding it onto the metal casing beneath the keyboard with a bit of solder...

it's dead. when you flashed the bios it didn't work properly for some reason. it's not the ram. you only get one chance with bios. if it goes wrong it's dead. end of story.
the main rule with bios...

some laptops the fan has to reach a certain speed or tunr on to boot, but this sounds more like a hdd issue, will it boot off a floppy or a cd?

the easiest way to check the capacitors is to look at them, when they have overheated the top will "dome" and split, you will see where they have leaked. by the way a capacitor can take a major...

could be anything. suggest you check all the connections, are they properly connected, are the cards in firmly.
Then move round the board cheching each component as you go.
What make/model...

first got to control panel - administration tools - event logs does it give any error codes that could point to a problem.
also if you right click on my computer, select properties - advanced...

if your trying to clear the bios password the standard cmos clear using jumpers or the proceedure i explained above should work for any pc. just removing the cmos battery wont work you have to short...

if you mean the BIOS password. you need to clear the cmos, this is fairly straightforward. you just need to find the cmos jumpers or battery, the steps are pretty much the same as described above. To...

any luck with it yet? :)

wierd, especially the turning itself on again thing. a lookkin your error logs may reveal something.
I may be missing by a mile but try checking your power options. go to display...

if it happened just after you moved it it's most likely something come loose, as you've checked most things and the beep codes point to the proscessor. i would suggest removing the heatsink/fan...

need a bit more info for this. has it always been like this or has it just started. was it moved just before it started. anything about strange behaviour in the few days before the problem, however...

no other way i know of. but you can get to the cmos battery via the removable panel on the bottom right front of the case (other side from the battery). first remove the main battery. next remove the...

you could try going past the repair console option, continue as if you as if you were going to install, (do not reformat) it will check the existing windows installation, if it detects damage it will...

you can still clear the cmos by disconnecting the cmos battery and then shorting the contacts on the battery connector this will have the same effect as jumpers would, however you must remove the...

are you trying to boot up with the old battery in the machine or out. i know that sometimes if the battery is dead it won't work as the power has to pass thru it to get to the pc, but this is not...

right click on my computer go to properties, advanced, start up and shut down and see if it's set to reboot on failure. if it is untick it. this may stop the reboot but won't resolve the reason as to...

chalky is on target with the bios but before trying to do this i would suggest clearing the cmos(bios) and re setting the bios, a lot less risky. you can do this by disconnecting power and either...

you can also take the service tag number off the bottom of the pc and download all the original spec drivers and some applications directly off the dell support website for your specific machine

is it getting very hot? does the same happen if you try to go into the bios? could be a cooling prob causing the processor to cut out. the fans on laptops tend fail more often than desktops. and...

i'd reconnect the drive then go onto the bios and check that it's set to see the drive on primary master. i don't see how the dell guy can tell if the drive is dead without running a good diagnostic...

panic not my feet are full of holes!

take out one hard drive until the machine is set up. also check your ram by trying one stick at a time and starting up to see if it gets a good POST one beep, use that stick or both if it POST's ok...

see if it will boot using an xp boot disk(floppy). you can make one from any xp machine. just unhide any hidden folders or protected operating system files go to the root of C. then copy NTLDR,...

you will need to get a new hdd for the laptop and re install all the software, windows etc.
to recover the data from the old drive your best option would be to get an adapter (about $2) so you can...

yes you do need a 90w adapter. you need to ensure the voltage, wattage, and amperage are the same. also watch out for the appropriate pin arrangement on the connector, some have a positive centre pin...

sorry to say that by not restarting you may well have killed your board. it might be recoverable if you have a backup bios as suggested by Beastoverlord. I'm afraid the only other options are a bios...

if you bought the pc with xp pre installed the product key on the tower or case will work to run reinstalls or repairs with almost any xp or installation disk. i'd just borrow or get a backup copy...

dual channel will accept ddr(double data rate). it just works better with two identical sticks. check the mobo manual to see what it supports. also might try swapping the ram about, try one at a time...

bbigger heatsink+fan, and a case fan or two. replace the thermal paste on the proscessor as well, and double check the thermal cuttout settings in the bios too.

re Imdabs, if the earthing wire from the fan has become disconnected it could have this effect. unusual but i have seen it on several laptops, you just reground it to the case, the metal plate under...

probably not but i have done it successfully on machines that wont get to post, but not if the screen is down too. may be worth checking the thermal paste if it's very gone this can cause the chip to...

sounds like something isn't set right. suggest going back and checking all your jumper settings in the mobo manual and all connectors are correct, make sure your FSB and multiplier are correct for...

what did you replace the old cpu with? if it's different the jumper settings may need to be changed to accomodate the new cpu. also try clearing the cmos to reset the bios.

does this happen only when using word or an other application or does it happen anytime? try checking windows controll panel, accessability settings for disabled users. this may be a function for...

sos bout the ground wire getting, my laptop/desktops mixed up. less likely on a desktop. if it's not getting to the post(beep) it could be a corrupt bios. flashing the bios could sort it but be very...