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Boots -N- Blank

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by epey_1202

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Hello:

First time here and must say that I'm learning quite alot! Wonderful reading and future reference should I need it later.

I'd like to present my dilemma:

I have an eMachine T2862; working fine with a used HDD, which I formatted due to crosslinking issues (from whom? I may have an idea), I have with Windows XP Pro. Due to "ghost" and "remote login" (e.g.: Access Your PC Anywhere, etc.) programs that are on the market today, I decided to install Linspire (Linux) since I'd formatted and partitioned my HDD.

Although the installation went well, I now have this blank screen (hanging, seems to be) that is there and seems to do nothing other than show the emachine logo on my screen upon booting up. I don't even think it's booting up. However, the power does go on and the logo comes up and does nothing. Complete silence on my machine and HDD.

Can someone please tell me what I may have done wrong? Anyone? Anyone? Your expertise is sincerely appreciated!

Thank you.

By the way... I think you guys are great!

3 replies

by hal 9000

What should be happening is that the E-Machines Logo is hiding the POST Screen and after the system Passes the POST Testing it should show you a screen asking you to boot from one of the installed OS's and if you don't enter a choice within a certain time limit it will default to the first Installed OS which in this case will be windows.

What sounds is happening here is that the unit is failing the POST and terminating at the failure point and because you have the E-Machines Logo turned on you are unable to read the error message. Can you hear any beeps from the Speaker in the case? If so you can tell what's wrong by the beep code but if you don't have the instruction manual you'll need to know the version of BIOS installed so you can look up the error codes for the Beep Codes.

If when you first turn it on you are given the option to press a key to enter BIOS try that and turn off the E-Machines Logo and then save and restart the computer that should tell you where any problems are occurring. If you can not even get that far pull the side cover off the machine and replace the CMOS Battery with a new one as it's possible that the Battery has gone flat and you are getting BIOS errors from something like an incorrect date from the RTC. When you replace the battery you'll still need to enter BIOS and reset the Date & Time at the very least and I would suggest that you turn off the E-Machines Logo till you are sure that the computer is working properly.

If that doesn't give you any joy with the side cover removed disconnect the Optical Drive and HDD and try booting again if you now get a message that there is [b]No Boot Device Found[/b] you can reconnect the HDD and try again after turning off the computer. It's possible that the Power Supply isn't producing enough power to actually start the machine so by removing some of the load you are relieving the load on the PS.

If you get a notice of [b]No Boot Device Available[/b] without the Optical Drive and HDD connected but nothing more that you are currently getting now when you reconnect the HDD I would be looking at swapping out the Power Supply with a different one that fits and is a Good Quality one.

But lets know how you get on before you start to rip anything out.

Col

by epey_1202

Hi Hal:
Thanks for your response.

I did all the things you've already suggested even before suggesting it. I had to rebuild my system. Although the boot now shows, it may be that the hard drive I was working on is just bad, and as much as I want to save it, I think it would be better off purchasing a new one since it was a used one at that: No viruses, trojans, etc. as I scanned it prior to installing it. If that isn't the issue, which it may or may not be (choosing the latter of not being as such), then my only conclusion is that it' due to this "crosslink" Linux found as it was preparing the HDD for installation. You see, when I updated my girl-friend's ethernet on the device manager's driver files, she was missing some files (Windows). I thought to myself, "Hmmm... why would this driver files NOT be updated when she already had WINNT?" She did not upgrade from Win9X to Win2K, so therefore, she need not have both Windows and WINNT in the system files. So, I went ahead and updated her ethernet files anyway, and when she finally got online, I turned on my desktop and I got the same sort of boot processing information she as having before she crashed. Sounds and looks to me as if she was trying to log on with my service and without my consent, or the only conclusion I can think of is that she is using a ghost application to get into my files and copying anything and everything just to see whether I am chatting with her boyfriend online. I'd like to think that that's all she is doing and not stealing any of my client's accounts! This "I can get online when she can't and she can get online when I can't" has to cease somehow. And I am sick and tired of calling my ISP to find remnance of her meddling into my system and have promised her that if I find out that she or any one of her friends are going through my system, I am and will quickly report her to authorities. But without any proof, of course, I cannot. HELP! I've spent so much money already and tried just about anything EXCEPT installing some ghost application as my ISP had recommended to apprehend her/suspect.

Thank you for your response. I know now that I am not making this HDD the reason for all the foul ups my system has undergone but that she is the one actually making it so.

Thank you again! If there's any other way to fight fire with fire so I can STOP this, please let me know. Any and ALL suggestions will most certainly be adhered and appreciated!

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