Dell Inspiron won't boot after fan quit...

[celtfire]

Ok so I took my Inspiron 8600 to the Geek Squad to see if I could get it fixed. The cooling fan quit and now the computer will boot only up to the OS (XP). The guy told me that it looked like my hard drive was fried and that it would cost more to fix it than to buy a new one. (Hello!... that unit cost me 2k). So inevitably I'm trying to fix it myself. I bought a new fan and my next step is to use the recovery disk. I would like to know if my efforts will be fruitless. Is it likely that I won't be able to recover my hard drive?

[dcc]

Was this fan a case fan or the one on the CPU heat sink?

When the fan died did the computer shut down?

Does the fan in the PSU run? Does the fan on the CPU heat sink run? Are the LEDs on the motherboard or case on?

You wrote that the computer boots up to the operating system, is this the XP logo that you are referring to? What happens after that?

[celtfire]

Sorry...It was the case fan. My husband pulled a wad of dog hair and dust from it and put it back in the case. Yes it shut down (this happened while it was hibernating in the middle of the night). PSU? Forgive me I don't know what that is...I can't hear the CPU fan (I haven't checked it)...All the LED's on the case light up as normal.
-The boot process is fine until it is supposed to go to the Windows XP screen. But instead it flashes "NTDETECT failed" and starts the boot process over and over.
- I received my new fan in the mail today, put it in, ran a diagnostic from the boot menu, got an error that said "DST Short test failed" but everything else passed.
- I also was able to get ahold of a Dell tech on the phone. He's sending me a copy of XP and calling me this next weekend to walk me through the set up process. He's says if that doesn't work I will need to replace my hard drive. I just hope there is a way I can recover my programs because I don't have any hard copies of any of them. I'd really hate to have to purchase them all over again.

[dcc]

It sounds like you have a missing or corrupted file. There are a couple of things that you can do, the first would be to try a last know good configuration, and if that fails you can use the CD to try and repair the operating system (XP).

From what you have written is doesn't sound like a hard drive problem, at least from what I've seen so far. If it is you still have options for retrieving the information on it. One of these options would be to install it as a slave drive in another computer and transfer the information to the master drive. After that you can transfer the information to CDs or DVDs.

btw...a PSU is the power supply.

Edit: It occurred to me that you may be new enough to this not to recognize that the print in the blue is a link that will take you to instructions for the last known good configuration, just click on it.

[celtfire]

Thank you very much for your insight. I already tried the last know good configuration option. I'd love to learn about how to install the HD as a slave in one of my other computers. Do I need any special equipment?
PSU- ha thanks...
I don't know much about the innerworkings of a computer...just how to use it...everything I do know is self taught...by playing around with 'em. Crashed a few...ha.
Thank you again, Stacey

[dcc]

To connect the hdd as a slave drive you will need to change the jumper on the rear of the hdd from either cable select or master to slave. The flat ribbon cable that the master hdd is connected to is called an IDE calbe. You will want to connect the slave drive to the middle connector of the IDE cable that the master is connected to. The master hdd should have its jumper set to master.

If you would like to read about transferring information from one hdd to another read this.

[celtfire]

:cheesy: Thank you so much. You Rock! I'll let you know how it goes.

[celtfire]

Holy Frak! It's Back. And just as I left it. thank you so much. All I did was run the XP reinstall, it detected the XP that was already there, I hit repair and "Viola".
You don't mind me asking another quick question?....
I have Microsoft office basic 2003...all I need to do is buy an upgrade to Pro 2003 if all I want is Powerpoint and Publisher, right?
Thanks again...Stacey

[dcc]

HI Stacey, this is an area that I don't have a great deal of experience in. You would be better off posting a new thread in the Microsoft Windows 2000/XP forum addressing this question. That forum is the appropriate one, and you should get more responses on a new thread opposed to tacking onto this one.

Congratulations on getting you system back to normal!

[vajra7s]

HI Stacey, this is an area that I don't have a great deal of experience in. You would be better off posting a new thread in the Microsoft Windows 2000/XP forum addressing this question. That forum is the appropriate one, and you should get more responses on a new thread opposed to tacking onto this one.

Congratulations on getting you system back to normal!

Hi,

I am a new member joined today looking at the very helpfull posts. I have Inspiron 5100 laptop and had problems with fan which is not cooling the processor enough. I read some forums regarding Inspiron 5100 fan problems, so I decided open up and clean the fan. Everything wen fine (cleaning) but when I tryied to switch (boot) the laptop, nothing is showing up i.e., blank screen, no sound. But when I push the power button on, the power light (one of the 3 lights in front) goes on, CD/DVD drive goes on, fan starts and then nothing happens on the screen. Please if anyone can give/provide solution, help much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.:pretty:

[jbennet]

Holy Frak! It's Back. And just as I left it. thank you so much. All I did was run the XP reinstall, it detected the XP that was already there, I hit repair and "Viola".
You don't mind me asking another quick question?....
I have Microsoft office basic 2003...all I need to do is buy an upgrade to Pro 2003 if all I want is Powerpoint and Publisher, right?
Thanks again...Stacey

Im not sure if you get publisher. If you need powerpoint save some money and use openoffice.

[rmrd]

Hi,

I am a new member joined today looking at the very helpfull posts. I have Inspiron 5100 laptop and had problems with fan which is not cooling the processor enough. I read some forums regarding Inspiron 5100 fan problems, so I decided open up and clean the fan. Everything wen fine (cleaning) but when I tryied to switch (boot) the laptop, nothing is showing up i.e., blank screen, no sound. But when I push the power button on, the power light (one of the 3 lights in front) goes on, CD/DVD drive goes on, fan starts and then nothing happens on the screen. Please if anyone can give/provide solution, help much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.:pretty:

The first step is to make sure that you reseated the video cable properly.