Some help please. Today my 10 moths to a year old Windows XP Home edition PC didn’t start up. The CD-RW light come on as usual but the CD-ROM light that usually follows by a beep doesn’t happen so it doesn’t continue with the start up. There is no warranty with this PC. I would appreciate any help

Try these . 1 . Try going back to a good restore point . http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306084 http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/itpro/managing/restore.asp http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q306084 http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6268-1040596.html http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6268-1040596-2.html http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6268-1040596-3.html Start the computer and then press the F8 key when Windows begins to start. The Windows Advanced Options menu appears. Use the ARROW keys to select Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked), and then press ENTER. If a boot menu appears, use the ARROW keys to select Microsoft Windows XP, and then press ENTER. Windows XP restores the computer to the most recent restore point. 2 . Repair if above fails . http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Could use a little more information. In your previous post you stated this is a self built computer. Can you give specifics about it? In the meantime remove every thing except the video card. Are the fans turning? Check seating of memory sticks (if you have more than one just leave the one in slot one installed. If you get the beep re-install hardware one at a time until you don't hear the beep and that should be your defective unit. Knowing the type motherboard, memory, power supply, video card would be helpful.

Thank you for your responses. In addition to my post. My video card is a Nuvidea 64MB, 400W ATX power supply. Two 512MB DDR memory PC266 and there is only one fan, the CPU fan which is running at normal speed.

how to use recovery consol in xp http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q307654 good for when xp dont start.

I can't use the F8 or use the recovery consol because the beep thatstarts the start up process doesn't happen so the computer doesn't boot, bios screen doesn't come up to start the proceses. Part of the normal start up order is you can hear the fan going, the CD-RW led comes on, (IDE 2) and the CD-ROM led flashes and then the beep comes up. It doesn't get to the CD flash and beep mode. From practice I know that if there is a memory problem there is a continues beep, when you can make the beep come up which I can't. It has worked normally for a few months and now has crashed? Is it possible the CD_ROM is playing up?

After numerous attempts I managed to get the computer partly started and then started, a day later ! There is another user who left a disc in the IDE2 drive (CD-RW) It isn't a start up disc which they could have put in the IDE1 CD-ROM drive. Would that cause it not to get to the start up beep as those items are part of the check it does to begin with before the beep?