My Dell desktop with XP keeps rebooting/restarting to the Dell logo page over & over & over. Help Please

[jatripko]

I have a Dell desktop with XP and I need help. About a year and a half numerous and numerous error/boxes keep popping up. Every time I click the X box to clear it other continues to pop up. We tried every then just unplugged the power and now only the Dell logo reboot/restart showes then a black/blank page shows. Im able to press and open the F2 & F12 Boot Device Menu. I do not have or can not find the starter disk. Please HELP what can I do. Thanks

 

[dalethepcman]

If your Dell has a Windows XP operating system, you should think about buying a new computer.

• 
  In April windows XP will no longer be supported so its almost time to replace the system anyways.
  The cost of diagnostics and repair of your current system will be close to the cost of replacement.
  For $300 you can get a much more powerful system than you currently own that comes with a warranty.

If replacement isn't an option then there are a few easy things we can try to see if we can diagnose it for you.

I am going to assume your using a desktop, if you have a laptop your probably SOL 🙁

1.) Unplug the system and remove the cover. Remove as much dust as you can either with compressed air or by manually blowing the dust out. Do not use a vacuum!!! Make sure to get inside the power supply and any/all fan and heatsinks. Replace the cover, reconnect the cables and power the system on. See if results are better.

2.) Unplug the power and remove the cover. Place on a flat surface where you have a good view of the insides. Locate all the fans within the system. Reconnect power and turn the system on, visually inspecting each fan for rotation. If any of them fail to spin they will need replaced.

Without the included resource CD and operating system disk this is as far as you should take the repair process. If you have a friend that has the disks you may be in luck but if not then the economy of fixing the system is no longer viable. Purchasing a replacement disk is anywhere from $100 to $300 if you can find them. At this point if the system is not functioning its time to save for a new one.

Good luck!

 

[hang-the-9]

Exactly what did those error boxes say? Your system could have a hardware issue or you may just need to reinstall Windows.
You probably won't be able to do anything without a Windows disk, so either find one or order a restore set from Dell for your model.

If you have a hardware issue you'll have to take care of that first, but that really depends on the errors you got and exactly how far the system boots.

 

[dalethepcman]

Exactly what did those error boxes say? Your system could have a hardware issue or you may just need to reinstall Windows.
You probably won't be able to do anything without a Windows disk, so either find one or order a restore set from Dell for your model.

If you have a hardware issue you'll have to take care of that first, but that really depends on the errors you got and exactly how far the system boots.

From the description there is a hardware issue of some kind. While I agree it would be nice to know what was in the error boxes, since the system is no longer completing POST it's become less important

I would recommend against purchasing a restore disc set form Dell. They will run you $50 and only manage to give you back a near worthless functioning computer.

 

[jatripko]

First thanks to all for answering my post. Im not sure what the errors said. My kids did use the pc before tablets and cell phones were popu and not expensive. Im in no way a computer person and the main thing we do not want to lose or not able to get to are photos etc that were stored on this desktop. Im about to unplug it and see if the dust is the issue. Any other advice is very much appreciated. Thanks

 

[jatripko]

FYI I can not in any way put the pc into safe mode. The only key that will pull up is the F2 & F12. Does that make sense.?????? I would like to understand why its doing this????

 

[dalethepcman]

Not being able to get to safe mode makes perfect sense.

Your system is unable to get passed the bios due to some unknown hardware failure. It is failing POST (Power On Self Test) which is why you can only access the BIOS and nothing else. This is part good news and part bad news.

The good news is that this generally means your motherboard, power supply, CPU, memory and video card are at least partially functional.

The bad news is that this symptom is most commonly caused by overheating (hence removing the dust) or failing/failed hard drive. 🙁

If what you are most concerned about is your photos, I recommend you find a local repair shop and pay them to pull the photo's of your dead computer. As long as the problem isn't a catastrophic hard drive failure your data should be fine.

Good luck.

 

[hang-the-9]

FYI I can not in any way put the pc into safe mode. The only key that will pull up is the F2 & F12. Does that make sense.?????? I would like to understand why its doing this????

If it does not see the hard drive, or there is an issue with the RAM or motherboard, it will just give you the BIOS and boot options.

If you don't care if the system is working, just remove the hard drive from it and place into an external enclosure so you can get the files out using another computer. If the issue is with the hard-drive this may not work for you and whatever is on the drive would be lost unless you have backups somewhere. Which is probably the #1 thing that people don't do until it's too late. #2 would be going to the bathroom before you drive out during a snow storm, if you don't do either one, eventually you'll wish you did.