Solve : Computer worked normally, now won't boot up?

1.	Solve : Computer worked normally, now won't boot up?
Answer» I just came by this board in an hour of need but I desperately need help. My computer, a Dell Inspiron 600 with Windows XP Professional, had its hard drive replaced about 3 months ago because it got scratched. Since then I've had the windows operating system on it's own drive and my own personal documents on another far larger ONE. It's been working fine for the most part, but since I've been back at school it's been behaving wierdly. When I closed the screen or left it idle for a while, the screen would turn black and nothing would GET it back to normal. I'd shut off the computer for a while and turn it back on, and all would be fine. When this happened two days ago, I tried to press crtl+alt+del, nothing happened, and then I shut it down. When it turned back on, it said that there was no bootable device. Three more tries, the same thing. After the fourth, though, it went to Windows and worked fine, aside from shutting down with a "Windows critical process has been INTERRUPTED" screen, where I'd just have it reload Windows, for about a day. Today I noticed that AIM shut down and I couldn't get it back up, even from the start menu. I left the room for about an hour and the entire screen, aside from the background was blank, no start menu bar or anything. Now when I go to restart, I only get the "No bootable devices" screen. Is there anything I can do about this? And what in the heck is the cause?"had its hard drive replaced about 3 months ago because it got scratched." How did a hard drive inside a laptop get "scratched"? :-? Have you tried: booting into the BIOS and seeing if it sees the hard drive / turned off any power controls in the BIOS / booted to Safemode- dbl-click on the hard drive - done "Properties" / Tools / put a check in both boxes and rebooted / tried reinstallin the OS with a real Windows cd? Alan <>< Quote "had its hard drive replaced about 3 months ago because it got scratched." How did a hard drive inside a laptop get "scratched"? Huh I think he MEANS the platters. Quote My computer, a Dell Inspiron 600 with Windows XP Professional, had its hard drive replaced about 3 months ago because it got scratched. Since then I've had the windows operating system on it's own drive and my own personal documents on another far larger one. It's been working fine for the most part, but since I've been back at school it's been behaving wierdly. When I closed the screen or left it idle for a while, the screen would turn black and nothing would get it back to normal. I'd shut off the computer for a while and turn it back on, and all would be fine. I think your Laptop is going into sleep or standby mode. Try disabling this by going to Desktop -> Right click -> Properties -> Screensaver tab -> Energy once you get it back to work. Shutting it down while its in this state might damage the OS because it loses everything that is loaded into the RAM.. Which could EXPLAIN your situation. Have you been given a repair or recovery CD with your Dell laptop?Quote "had its hard drive replaced about 3 months ago because it got scratched." How did a hard drive inside a laptop get "scratched"? :-? I shut it when it was downloading something. I'm really not sure if this is the case, but this is what my friends who are computer whizzes tell me. Quote Have you tried: booting into the BIOS and seeing if it sees the hard drive / turned off any power controls in the BIOS / booted to Safemode- dbl-click on the hard drive - done "Properties" / Tools / put a check in both boxes and rebooted / tried reinstallin the OS with a real Windows cd? Alan <>< Would any of this help if the problems start when I'm looking at saved files on My Computer? The minute I have them up, I get a "Vital process has been interrupted" screen.

Answer»

I just came by this board in an hour of need but I desperately need help.

My computer, a Dell Inspiron 600 with Windows XP Professional, had its hard drive replaced about 3 months ago because it got scratched. Since then I've had the windows operating system on it's own drive and my own personal documents on another far larger ONE. It's been working fine for the most part, but since I've been back at school it's been behaving wierdly. When I closed the screen or left it idle for a while, the screen would turn black and nothing would GET it back to normal. I'd shut off the computer for a while and turn it back on, and all would be fine.

When this happened two days ago, I tried to press crtl+alt+del, nothing happened, and then I shut it down. When it turned back on, it said that there was no bootable device. Three more tries, the same thing. After the fourth, though, it went to Windows and worked fine, aside from shutting down with a "Windows critical process has been INTERRUPTED" screen, where I'd just have it reload Windows, for about a day. Today I noticed that AIM shut down and I couldn't get it back up, even from the start menu. I left the room for about an hour and the entire screen, aside from the background was blank, no start menu bar or anything. Now when I go to restart, I only get the "No bootable devices" screen.

Is there anything I can do about this? And what in the heck is the cause?"had its hard drive replaced about 3 months ago because it got scratched." How did a hard drive inside a laptop get "scratched"? :-?

Have you tried:
booting into the BIOS and seeing if it sees the hard drive / turned off any power controls in the BIOS / booted to Safemode- dbl-click on the hard drive - done "Properties" / Tools / put a check in both boxes and rebooted / tried reinstallin the OS with a real Windows cd?

Alan <><

Quote

"had its hard drive replaced about 3 months ago because it got scratched." How did a hard drive inside a laptop get "scratched"? Huh

I think he MEANS the platters.

Quote

My computer, a Dell Inspiron 600 with Windows XP Professional, had its hard drive replaced about 3 months ago because it got scratched. Since then I've had the windows operating system on it's own drive and my own personal documents on another far larger one. It's been working fine for the most part, but since I've been back at school it's been behaving wierdly. When I closed the screen or left it idle for a while, the screen would turn black and nothing would get it back to normal. I'd shut off the computer for a while and turn it back on, and all would be fine.

I think your Laptop is going into sleep or standby mode. Try disabling this by going to Desktop -> Right click -> Properties -> Screensaver tab -> Energy once you get it back to work. Shutting it down while its in this state might damage the OS because it loses everything that is loaded into the RAM.. Which could EXPLAIN your situation.

Have you been given a repair or recovery CD with your Dell laptop?Quote

"had its hard drive replaced about 3 months ago because it got scratched." How did a hard drive inside a laptop get "scratched"? :-?

I shut it when it was downloading something. I'm really not sure if this is the case, but this is what my friends who are computer whizzes tell me.

Quote

Have you tried:
booting into the BIOS and seeing if it sees the hard drive / turned off any power controls in the BIOS / booted to Safemode- dbl-click on the hard drive - done "Properties" / Tools / put a check in both boxes and rebooted / tried reinstallin the OS with a real Windows cd?

Alan <><

Would any of this help if the problems start when I'm looking at saved files on My Computer? The minute I have them up, I get a "Vital process has been interrupted" screen.

Solve : Computer worked normally, now won't boot up?

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