PC won't boot

Burlesque_Babe

4 year old very basic Packard Bell PC running XP.

9 months ago it keeled over every time I booted up and I got the blue screen of death. Managed to get online long enough to be advised I needed a patch for Windows as apparently my Windows were unstable, which solved it. 2 months ago, it did the same thing, but after doing every update possible, it seemed ok.

This morning it turned itself off and re-booted. Then this afternoon it turned itself off and won't re-boot. When I turn it on, the sound is almost like a CD trying to whirr (or a bit like a car with a flat battery) and then it gets no further and it just sits there with the light 'on' but it doesn't boot.

I'm guessing it's possibly terminal??

Any help very gratefully received, but please be gentle, I'm not overly teccy

aliEnRIK

Sounds like its dead to me

Does NOTHING come up onscreen?

totalsolutions

Overheating noisy fan, needs a strip and a clean out. Clean OS install, try windows 7. Cheap ram update maybe.

Lokolo

A good idea, is when blue screen of death appears, to write down the code.

Google can then tell you why this happened.

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The wurr will be the fan (I imagine the power fan) having too much dust in it.

When the PC is on and making the noise, blow into the fan at the back (be prepared for dust full face)

You can buy proper spray to do this but blowing loads and loads for about 5minutes has always done the trick for me.

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The fan you want to blow into:



Althought the box will be attached to the pc but the display here you will be able to see at the back of the PC

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However it could be numerous problems, the above would just stop the noise.

jackthenipper

Hi, you don't have any dvd's, cd's or usb in the comp by any chance?

Have you tried resetting the cmos? Do you get any beeps from the comp on startup?

Burlesque_Babe

alienrik - no, nothing at all happens, the sound is like it is trying to start up but fails. The noise is more like the DVD 'bit' (sorry, early!) trying to whizz but fails.

Total solutions.......that sounds like a shop repair jobby to me for my limited skills! I did once do a course to take off the lid and have a play with the insides but that was many years ago.


I was able to solve it when I had the blue screen through googling and then taking advice but I can't even get it to boot at all.

Jack - What's a cmo? No, no CD/DCD/usb in at all. It doesn't get as far as the 'beep' stage on the boot up.

I'll plug it back in later and blow into the back to see what happens, but it isn't the same as a noisy fan noise, it is more the sound of the DVD player that is trying and then failing and then it doesn't get any further.

spakkker

To clear cmos is easy and free. Take the side off pc, after turning power off at socket, and remove the silver penny sized battery for a few mins. then put it back.
Sometimes a pc just won't boot until this is done.

aliEnRIK

Id guess you need a new PSU (What Lokolo posted)

Burlesque_Babe

ok - I'll get handy with a screwdriver later I reckon I can do that!

Burlesque_Babe

well, I'm back on my PC

Took the side off and god, was it dusty Gave everything a really good clean, took the battery out and put back in. Re-started it with the side off and everything whirred into action again :T Needed to re-set the time/year etc, but that was simple to do.

Thankyou guys. Really appreciate the help.

totalsolutions

Unfortunately you removed the battery and contaminated it by touching it with, yes greasy fingers! - shorts it out basically- there is a shorting pin near the battery- should have used that.