Dell Dimension 2350 won't boot up PLEASE HELP

[avengedjamie]

Earlier this evening I was trying to install Defender on a friends computer. She didn't have XP2 installed so I tried to install it. It completely installed but when I tried to restart the computer there was so much ad-ware popping up that it froze the computer. I tried to manually restart it and now I'm getting a blue dead screen. Can somebody please help? I don't have the money to pay to fix her computer and all I wanted to do was make all the ad ware go away :(

Any replies will be GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Jamie

[Cyber Punk]

Hi, please read through this carefully.
And do the same in your friend's computer.

[avengedjamie]

Thank you so, so much but she doesn't have the cd, though. However, she has another computer. Is there any way that I can download Windows, save it to the computer and back it up to a disk? If I can what type of disk? I'm sorry, I'm a little computer illiterate :(

[Cyber Punk]

Hi, you can download Windows but you'll have to purchase the serial key to use it after the 30-day trial.

Are you getting the Blue Screen of Death after Windows loads or before it does?
(I'm not sure, because I've never had experiences of BSOD's, sorry)

[avengedjamie]

I'm getting the black loading screen and I've tried starting it normally, last known configuration, safe mode (a billion times) and every way I start it I get the BSOD. Windows loads for a second starting normally and with the last known conf. then the blue screen pops up but it just runs what looks like DOS when I try safe mode.

[Cyber Punk]

Allright, so can you still access the command prompt(DOS) in Safe mode with Command prompt?
Try this

type :

sfc /scannow

in command prompt and press enter.

[avengedjamie]

I was wrong it won't let me do anything in that. But, I can get into boot menu by pressing F12 but there's a lot of stuff that I don't understand and I don't want to screw this up anymore than I already have.......Is there some way to restart everything from there without the cd?

[Cyber Punk]

Hi, different models of computers use different short keys to access BIOS and boot order.
Are you talking about the boot order, which helps you choose where to start the boot from, or is it a blue screen (this is called the BIOS page).

Is there some way to restart everything from there without the cd?

I'm sorry, nothing in my knowledge. There may be ways.

Reformatting is the best option.
If you do not know how to do that, you'll have to ask an expert/professional.
Since this is a Dell computer, you can ask them for a service, but you will have to pay, because I think you've run out of the free service period.

The other option is to buy a hard disk enclosure and converting the internal hard drive to an external one and then reformatting it.

Or you can order for a XP CD online from Microsoft here

[avengedjamie]

I'm on the phone with tech support at Dell right now and I swear they're all MORONS.... Or maybe I'm just tired and aggravated. lol
Thanks again for all of your help. You should have a job doing this :)

[avengedjamie]

Are you talking about the boot order, which helps you choose where to start the boot from, or is it a blue screen (this is called the BIOS page).

I was talking about the boot order but I don't think that's going to help me.

[Cyber Punk]

Hi,

You should have a job doing this

Hehe, thank you.

Hope you get it fixed.
If you do end up buying a CD, then please use the link which I gave in the first post to guide you through the repair/restore.

[avengedjamie]

I swear, they only have stupid people working in tech support. Or at least all of the ones that I talked to were....

[Cyber Punk]

How about just buying the CD from Microsoft?
That way, you pay for the CD, and do the fix yourself.

The other option is to give it to a computer repair shop or asking a friend to repair it for you.

[kev66]

will it boot into safe mode? If so, choose safe mode with networking, go to Trend Micro and use their free house call to remove spyware, etc.
What were the specs of this computer, since it did not have XP?

[Cyber Punk]

Hi, I tried getting him in safe mode and enter sfc /scannow.

This was his reply :

I was wrong it won't let me do anything in that. But, I can get into boot menu by pressing F12 but there's a lot of stuff that I don't understand and I don't want to screw this up anymore than I already have.......Is there some way to restart everything from there without the cd?

Seems like the cursor just blinks and does not open up Safe Mode.

[kev66]

Hi, I tried getting him in safe mode and enter sfc /scannow.

This was his reply :

Seems like the cursor just blinks and does not open up Safe Mode.

Oh well, options here are limited! Don't laugh, but he could try to re-seat the memory and cpu. We have or had about 70 of these machines at work and at times it was nothing more than that, since we do not know if he is getting post codes, difficult to say if it is ever reaching the OS stage.
Another option is to get hold of Hirens Boot CD, but it sounds as if it would be more then he could handle here.
Would be good to know if he is getting any post codes.