Despair! Switching on PC gets as far as message "initializing USB controllers" then nothing. Options on screen are to press F2 to run set-up - then get message "entering setup" and nothing more. Or press F11 for boot menu - then says it's been selected but nothing happens. Tried pressing F8 on start-up but doesn't get into safe mode - get same screen. I've unplugged everything apart from mouse, monitor, keyboard. It all started when the PC was running fine, a couple of IE windows with broadband, Excel, Winamp and WMP open. Tried to play a song on Winamp, got message sound card unavailable or some such. Then tried WMP with same result. Thought I'd restart to maybe clear the problem. But it got to "Windows is closing down" and stopped. Turned machine off and am now stuck with this problem. Any help would be gratefully received!

Well 17 year old son couldn't find anything to try so he "gave it a good old smack." It's now working fine.... It's only 6 months old.

I suggest before you leave a baseball bat near the unit, sopmeone who knows what they are doing, opens the case and reseats all the cables and plugs, especially the hard drive cables, as it sounds like "the good smack" did that for you, but the problem will most likely recur!!!!