PC Not starting up

Lo.j

akmodi wrote: »

If you have the tenacity -- use knoppix: http://www.knoppix.org/

Download, burn CD, change Bios setting to load of CD, from there you can see all that is there in your hard drive, save photos to a pendrive /USB drive and the send it back fro repairs.

if you need more info and are willing --post back.

Knoppix -- has saved my bacon on a few occasions.

Hi there, thanks for that suggestion. I am willing to try anything. Any help will be very gratefully received. You need to assume no prior knowledge on my part though.
When you mention change BIOS , could you expand on this further plz? On another PC or laptop do you mean ? Cos my original problem was ( and is) that the pc isn't starting up, the monitor goes from green to orange after about 5 seconds. I will get that fixed under warranty I hope, but I need to try to get my valuable photos off somehow before i risk the tech dept just wiping the whole thing. I looked on the Knoppix website and it looked like you put the CD into the pc drive, but pc isn't working for reason or reasons unknown.

Browntoa

I've got the feeling that won't work, sounds like your motherboard graphics chip has failed in which case even with a knoppix cd you will get no display

Lo.j

Browntoa wrote: »

I've got the feeling that won't work, sounds like your motherboard graphics chip has failed in which case even with a knoppix cd you will get no display

Thanks, I was thinking the same thing. If it is the motherboard graphics chip then is that good news for the hard drive, do you think? And is it something I could replace/fix myself ? Or is my best bet to get the USB caddy thing and get the hard drive data onto another comp and send it away to be repaired professionally ?

Browntoa

looking at the spec for this PC you have

PCI Express x16 x 1
PCI Express x1 x 1
PCI x 2

this sort of graphics card would go in (cost about £20) , just pushes in the PCI slot, not hard to install

http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/product.aspx?code=GC-PR7064&af=50

the hard disk should be ok

Lo.j

Browntoa wrote: »

looking at the spec for this PC you have

PCI Express x16 x 1
PCI Express x1 x 1
PCI x 2

this sort of graphics card would go in (cost about £20) , just pushes in the PCI slot, not hard to install

http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/product.aspx?code=GC-PR7064&af=50

the hard disk should be ok

Thanks so much for that, I will try that first before anything else. I phoned a couple of data recovery places today and the prices range from £100 to £1000 so I'll try to explore other possibilities first. I know I can get it repaired for nothing through the warranty, but it is the pics that I want, so have to try all other things before I risk it getting wiped. I really appreciate all replies and feel more positive (i've stopped crying at least) about getting my family pictures back.

albertross_2

Just get either a usb caddy, or plug it into your daughters PC if it fits. Have you ascertained if it is ide/pata or sata yet?

Lo.j

albertross wrote: »

Just get either a usb caddy, or plug it into your daughters PC if it fits. Have you ascertained if it is ide/pata or sata yet?

We opened up daughter's pc and her cabling and mine aren't the same. She has a wider connector at the hard drive and the cd drive with master and slave written on them. I have a wee black connector that goes into the motherboard and the power one is a bit bigger with the five coloured cables coming out of it. Think that make my daughter's an ide and mine a sata.
Is the usb caddy something that would attach to my hard drive and to my daughter's pc ? It seems the most logical solution, doesn't it? Would it also work with a laptop ?

albertross_2

Yes, you can either get a lead as in post 17, or a caddy:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=usb+sata+caddy&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

it will work with a laptop with usb ports.

Lo.j

albertross wrote: »

Yes, you can either get a lead as in post 17, or a caddy:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=usb+sata+caddy&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

it will work with a laptop with usb ports.

What would be your preference, or are they both similar to use ?
Many thanks again.

Browntoa

I prefer the lead but it come down to personal choice...