# [SOLVED] Dollar signs all over screen



## Scoobydoo1 (Feb 5, 2011)

Hi, this is my first post so I hope I’ve put it in the right place. I have read quite a lot on the forum where the problem others have had sound similar to mine, but not quite the same.

I have a Dell Dimension E520 which has become un-useable. The screen is totally covered in white dollar signs on a black background. I don’t recall what I was doing when it happened, but I wasn’t doing anything unusual. Worried about my data on the hard drive, I took the drive out and connected to my net book to copy the content. However, the drive appeared on the netbook but with no files on it. It was showing as completely empty.

Having read several threads on the forum, I think it’s got a virus and has possibly affected the graphics card. I could do with an upgraded graphics card anyway so I brought a new one today. Only trouble is, when I start up, the first screen I see is the one covered in dollar signs and I can’t go any further. After reading another thread on the forum today about Dell keyboards not working, I went and checked mine and found it doesn’t light up/power up, but works on another computer. I tried unplugging a blue lead/plug on mother board that comes from the hard drive (it was the nearest thing to fit the description in the thread that I could find to unplug, but it didn’t sound exactly as described) Consequently, I can’t get into BIOS (never been into BIOS before, but it appears that’s what I need to do). By the way, I fitted the new graphics card and when I turned on, the screen was just black with one dash in top left corner. I still couldn’t get any further so I put the old graphics card back in.

I have also put a new hard drive in as I don’t want to wipe the old one in case I find a way of retrieving the apparently lost files on it. I can’t load the software for the new graphics card and I can’t delete the software/driver for the old graphics card. As no disc for XP came with the PC, I have also purchased an OEM version of XP home SP3. I don’t know what to do next. It would be good to get it going again using the old hard drive if possible. Any help would be much appreciated.


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

*Re: Dollar signs all over screen*

Well first I think we should try to retreive the files from your old hdd before anything as it will be the easiest/most important thing to do first. The pc itself sound lik it has either a fried gpu or motherboard so we'll get o that.

How are you connecing your old drive to your netbook? Usb , e sata? What os was the desktop using and what os is the netbook using?


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## Scoobydoo1 (Feb 5, 2011)

*Re: Dollar signs all over screen*

I connected the HHD to netbook using an Iomax USB 2.0 SATA/IDE adapter with power adapter cable. The OS is Windows XP (presumably a home edition?) that came loaded on the PC direct from Dell about 4 years ago. I tried taking the hard drive from my previous computer, using the same cable and the netbook could see all the files and they copied successfully on to the netbook. The netbook is running XP Home edition 2002 SP3.


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

*Re: Dollar signs all over screen*

Does the drive still spin up and can you copy files onto it just not from it?


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## Scoobydoo1 (Feb 5, 2011)

*Re: Dollar signs all over screen*

Hi, sorry for delay in replying, had a no notice work trip. 

It does power up OK. I have just realised that it's just my folder that I can't get into. It says "access denied" and when I check the properties of the folder, it shows as empty. The 3 other main folders used by the other 3 members of my family seem to be accessible as normal and documents can be opened. However, the most important information is in my folder. All 4 of us use separate logins if that helps.


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

*Re: Dollar signs all over screen*

You can change the properties of a folder so you can view and access it.

You right click it and go to properties , then the security tab , then click the "edit" button to change the permissions of the folder.


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## Scoobydoo1 (Feb 5, 2011)

*Re: Dollar signs all over screen*

When in properties, I don't have a security tab. I have 3 tabs - General, Sharing and Customise. On the Sharing tab, I have options for Local sharing and security at the top and Network sharing and security underneath. In the Local one, it says drag the folder to shared folder if I want other users to view it and there is also a tick box "make folder private", but it is greyed out and does not have a tick in it. It won't let me put a tick into it even if I wanted to. I tried saving a file to my personal folder but it wouldn't save. It said access denied and make sure disk is not full or right protected. However, I can save files into other folders.


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

*Re: Dollar signs all over screen*

You have to do this to the root folders they are in first as those are the ones that may not have access , but you can still view them.


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## grimx133 (Jan 15, 2008)

*Re: Dollar signs all over screen*

Here's the MS kb on taking ownership in xp.
How to take ownership of a file or a folder in Windows XP


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## Scoobydoo1 (Feb 5, 2011)

*Re: Dollar signs all over screen*

Thank you Emosun and Grimx133, that is much appreciated - I will give it a try.


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## Scoobydoo1 (Feb 5, 2011)

*Re: Dollar signs all over screen*

I have managed to get computer going and have accessed all my data! I removed some of the extra RAM that I put in a few months ago and added my new graphics card and it seems to be working fine.

Thank you to Emosun and Grimx133 for responding and helping me. It is much appreciated!


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