# Computer stuck on startup, won't boot



## Michaelson (Oct 13, 2008)

I posted this in a forum I visit regularly, but with no help. My OP:

_So I just picked up a new SATA hard drive and installed it in my computer. To do so I shut down my machine, unplugged everything, plugged the 2nd HDD into the power supply and motherboard leaving the original HDD as is, replugged everything, and switched on my machine. Then at startup it became unresponsive. The screen just has the big Dell logo, "Dell DXP051 Series", and down the bottom a status bar paused at 'BIOS Revision A07'. I can't enter BIOS settings or anything like that.

So after nothing happened for a few minutes I switched the computer off, opened it up, and unplugged the new HDD from the motherboard, power up again, and the machine just goes straight to the same page. Repeat the process plugging the new HDD in place of the old one and the exact same thing happens.

FWIW, I'm 90% sure the startup process usually has a screen or two before the one I'm stuck at, but when I switch on my machine it just goes straight to it, so there's no option to enter BIOS settings or anything like that. Also, on the front panel of my computer there are two backlit lights on '1' and '4'. I have no idea what they are, I'd never noticed them before. '2' and '3' light up and alternate when I first power on, but then switch off.

I am worried that I have seriously ****ed up, anyone have any suggestions?_

The full thread is here to see what I've done so far, but the long and short of it is: I've unplugged all HDDs from the motherboard, as well as all other peripheral devices with no luck. I've also removed the RAM and tried to start up, which led to my machine beeping and nothing coming up on screen (I am told this is a good thing). I have also tried to reset cmos, both by removing the lithium battery for 20 minutes or so, and also via the cmos jumper. This didn't change anything either.

Any ideas for things I might try would be appreciated. I can't really afford an IT help guy at the moment, and I need my computer pretty badly for uni..

Cheers in advance.


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## 13082012 (Oct 13, 2008)

First make sure your BIOS is not damaged or your motherboard. Then make sure also the cpu works and ram, try intalling it to other computers. If they work then your bios might be damaged. Therefore you need a new motherboard.:1angel:


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## Michaelson (Oct 13, 2008)

Devolish Daniel said:


> First make sure your BIOS is not damaged or your motherboard. Then make sure also the cpu works and ram, try intalling it to other computers. If they work then your bios might be damaged. Therefore you need a new motherboard.


How do I make sure my bios and motherboard are not damaged? By using the ram in a different computer, or is that a separate thing?


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

What are you trying to do? For example, are you trying to load an OS on this disk, use it as a spare disk, etc. We need more information.


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## Michaelson (Oct 13, 2008)

I was just going to use the disk for data storage, music and video files mainly, and keep running the OS off the original one. But that doesn't seem to be part of the problem anymore, as I can't boot up whether one HDD is plugged into the motherboard, both of them are, or neither...


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Put your original disk back in (don't put the other disk in yet) if it already has a working OS on it. Then, enter the bios setup menu and migrate to the Boot area. Find something down that list that is either Hard Drive Priority (or resembles those words). Then, change that area to make sure the hard disk you want to boot from is listed first. That should help, but post back if you have further problems.


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## Michaelson (Oct 13, 2008)

Thankyou for your response.

The problem is that I can't enter a bios screen. When I restart my computer it doesn't seem to start from the beginning anymore, it just starts straight up at the screen it's stuck on. I have tried to flush cmos in order to rectify this, but with no luck. The computer is just complately unresponsive...


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Tell me how you "flushed" (your term) the cmos. What procedure did you use?


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## Michaelson (Oct 13, 2008)

I'm not good with the terminology obviously. I tried both removing the lithium battery from the motherboard for 30 mins, and I also removed the plastic thing from the cmos jumper (I think it's called), put it on the other two pins, then replaced it.


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