Member Avatar for Can of worms

Please can anyone help me with this one: My PC's had it and needs a format but I can't start it to format it. It does a memory check and says 'press del to enter setup' but then goes black. The fan is still running, nothing beeps and no lights come on on the keyboard. I'm running xp and have tried F8, starting with the disc in to boot up from cd and even trying del to access the bios but it dies every time. Any suggestions?

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Brief expert summary: the brief POST text followed by a black screen while fans spin and the keyboard never shows lights usually points away from a bad XP CD. A faulty install disc will not stop the motherboard from showing BIOS or allowing you to enter setup. was right to question the CD, but the symptom set suggests display, power-rail, or motherboard/graphics problems more than a corrupt installer. was also on the right track about isolation — use a focused, safe checklist below.

First, prove the monitor/keyboard are not the culprits. Power down and unplug the PC, then check the monitor power LED, try a different video cable and another monitor or TV input, and toggle the monitor input (VGA/DVI/HDMI). Try a different keyboard and a different USB port or a PS/2 keyboard if available — some boards do not power or initialize USB the same way during POST.

Next, run a controlled minimal boot. With the power unplugged: remove add-in cards and peripheral drives, leave only motherboard, PSU, CPU+cooler, one known-good RAM stick (try each stick and slot), and either the discrete GPU or onboard video. Clear CMOS (remove the battery for ~60 seconds or use the motherboard jumper per the manual) and reseat RAM and GPU. Inspect the board for bulging caps, scorch marks, or an unseated CPU cooler. Use the motherboard speaker or on-board POST LEDs/post-code display if present to get an error code.

If still dead or keyboard has no power, check PSU rails with a multimeter or PSU tester, or swap in a known-good PSU — fans can run while voltages are out of spec. If uncomfortable with these tests, have a local shop swap the PSU and GPU to isolate the fault. Once a minimal boot is restored, add devices back one at a time to find the failing component.

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Member Avatar for HAcKePeLL

Most probably due to a faulty disc...starting BIOS should not be a problem...Try using a third party bootable format utility if you want to format, but if your XP disc is faulty then you won't be able to reinstall using it..

Member Avatar for gerbil

"My PC's had it"
Does BIOS list your hd? Yes... then BIOS cannot actually access it because if it was doing so but failing, say, to find an OS it would mention it with an error message.
No?... then maybe fool about with the cables WITH POWER OFF, PLUG PULLED. Not so much concerned about your safety here, rather that of the pc.
Still doesn't work? Try the drive in a pc that boots.
Try starting the pc without your hd inside... what does BIOS report?
Unplug all hardware but memory.
Try starting it with a known good hd.

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