Dell Demension 8100 256 MB RDRAM 80 GB hard drive Pentium 4 Processor 1.3 GHz History of previous problems: Using the “Restore” system (go back) : errors in NAV unable to detect Virus Scanning Database. Solution: Uninstalled NAV, but will still get error messages. Need to manually delete Common Files/Symantic Shared/Virus Def’s (only those files that appears in a string of numbers. (ie. 200000713.068) Have downloaded the Norton System Works clean up to completely erase all NAV files on complete hard drive.NSW 2002 Professional. Received error as above stated. Computer was “hanging”, would not allow installation of any programs such as all-in-one printer. Would hang on any program. Would have to C+Alt+Del and wait sometimes 5 minutes before end task screen would appear. Started computer in Safe Mode. Removed NSW 2002 and ran NSW clean up. Rebooted computer. Computer was not getting error messages but still hanging on programs. Ran NSW from CD rom drive. Cleaned up and fixed problems. Computer was now running perfect!!!! But no anti virus installed. Tried to reinstall NSW. Message stated that I had to undo any fixes prior to installation. I clicked YES. Computer has now gone into a mode where nothing works. The following messages appear: Alert! Previous attempts at booting this system have failed at checkpoint [Keyb]. For help in resolving this problem, please note this checkpoint and contact Dell Technical Support. Alert! Previous hard drive thermal failure. Alert! Previous voltage failure. Alert! System battery voltage is low. Alert! Previous fan failure. Alert! Previous processor thermal failure. Alert! Previous shutdown due to thermal event. Please connect USB Keyboard/Mouse to USB port 1 on the back of your computer. When restarting and holding down the delete key, I will also receive the following messages (which are all followed by the above Alert! Messages). Alert! Previous attempts at booting this system have failed at checkpoint [VMsg]. For help in resolving this problem, please note this checkpoint and contact Dell Technical Support. Alert! Previous attempts at booting this system have failed at checkpoint [Size]. For help in resolving this problem, please note this checkpoint and contact Dell Technical Support. Alert! Previous attempts at booting this system have failed at checkpoint [EMUN]. For help in resolving this problem, please note this checkpoint and contact Dell Technical Support. Alert! Previous attempts at booting this system have failed at checkpoint [AUX]. For help in resolving this problem, please note this checkpoint and contact Dell Technical Support. I am unable to boot from Windows start up disc, or NSW disc, or my Dell Resource disc, or Windows ME disc, or Norton Rescue disc, or Norton rescue boot disc. I am unable to start in Safe Mode (F8) or Set up Mode (F2). I have talked with Dell Tech Support. They walked me through the same solutions that I already tried. Nothing has worked. I continue to get the above Alert messages. Dell told me that it was not a Dell issue, that it was a Norton Symantics issue.

The hell if that is not a Dell issue. Those are all BIOS error messages indicating hardware failure. Specifically Dell propietary BIOS error messages indicating that something has gone terribly wrong with your PC. Sounds like something has gone wrong with your CMOS chip... or you got some sort of CMOS virus. What happens when you boot up without a bootdisk in? You say that you cannot enter F2 setup... what happens when you try? Call Dell back.

I agree that it is a Dell issue. But I am waiting to hear back from Norton, so they can tell me that it is not a Norton issue. It doesn't matter what boot up disc I have in or which F key (F2, F8, delete+F8, etc), or even if I let it boot up on it's own, I continue to receive the same messages. The screen is black (as if in Dos) and after the messages are displayed, the white cursor (or so it appears) will continue flashing. But there is no C prompt and I am uable to type anything. The last thing Dell Tech Support said was that he didn't want to go into the System Box. He felt that I had some kind of virus and for me to contact Symantics. I don't believe that I have a virus. I have always kept my virus protection up to date and had just updated prior to the incident.

it won't boot from a floppy it won't go into bios/setup list of dell proprietary errors. if under warranty, Dell should replace it! or repair it, at their cost 100% sounds like hardware failure,not a virus.

I agree with newgrl and sympathies with your problems. Just for your information, I use Norton products a lot and I have always found it necessary to completely uninstall prior to a reinstall or a new install of Norton anything. That means using add/remove, then rebooting, then searching the hard drive for any mentions of Norton or Symantec and removing those folders, then searching the registry for same and removing those keys. Only then do I reinstall anything from Norton. And, while using LiveUpdate to bring Systemworks up to date again, I always disable the anti-virus programs in ctrl-alt-del before running Live Update. I have often found it necessary also to download only one update at a time, even to the point of expanding the + sign beside the update listed for a particular application and downloading only one of the sub-updates. It can also be necessary to reboot between each download of the sub-updates and to remember to deactivate anti-virus each time. It takes quite a while but it works and you then get a good install. If, after you download one update, you get a message which says "you chose not to install the 1 update available" ignore it because it is usually wrong. Great software, isn't it? But I still like it and use it. Luckily I don't have to reinstall it very often. :)

Ask Dell if it could be the CMOS battery. It sounds like failure of the system that detects and reports the failures rather than actual failures.

It appears that I am now being sent on a wild goose chase. Dell is sending me links to their Knowledge based info. You would think that they would at least send me to the right links that refer to Windows ME not Windows NT.