Dell Dimension 3000 will not boot off dvd

Ok I've been running into a wall. My other computer the dell, recently had a virus. I thought I had gotten it cleaned off. When I went to restart the computer
all I would get after the dell splash screen was a blinking "_". After some reading it sounded like the MBR was messed up. So I attempted ti boot off of my windows xp disc to get to the recovery console and attempt to fix it. I proceeded to set the bios to boot from the dvd-rom first and then the floppy disk and then the hard drive. I managed to get the recovery console up and running. I then proceed to use the command fixboot at the command prompt. After letting it do its thing I restarted the computer. And still no luck with the hard drive booting up. So I figured I would try fixmbr in the recovery console next. So I put my xp disc back into the dvd-rom and did the same thing as before and set the dvd to boot then the floppy then the hard drive. Only this time no luck.

Here is what I have tried since:

Made sure all the cables were good and snug.

I've tried a different boot disk ultimate boot disc.

I've even tried playing with the jumpers on the dvd rom and setting it from cable select to master. As well as having the bios auto detect the IDE settings with the key combo (num, scroll, caps lock on, alt + e and then alt + f)

I've also pushed f12 to choose the boot device. It shows all the devices both dvd roms and the hard drive. When I select the dvd rom nothing happens. I maybe wrong but hardware should be ok. I did the IDE diagnostic under the same boot menu and it came back with all the devices.

What I may try is to see if I can hook up the hard drive with a IDE to usb cable to my other computer and see if I can repair it that way. (Any suggestions or comments?)

I would try and use a floppy disk but I haven't seen one of those since I was back in school.

 

partition magic has a dos program called ptedit you can set the boot drive partition with windows on it to 80 and that should fix the mbr at least to boot to the correct partition. doesnt mean the mbr is not ferther crupt and the sector size is in error.

you would need to get the ptedit software and a bootable dos disk.

are you trying to salvage the data on the drive?

It also sounds like you have a dvdrom problem does it try and read from the dvd?

 

The dvd-rom should be fine. Like I said it worked fine and now it doesn't. I know that things happen at the most inopportune times and could be dying. But I tend to doubt it. It shows up in the bios and during a ide diagnostic. As far as the data goes I could care less at this point. The issue at hand is that I have no way to even format the drive. I can not boot from the hard drive or the dvd rom.

 

well can you boot from usb if you had a bootable usb
newer pcs come with a boot to usb setting in the bios

here is a link to how to boot from usb flash drive.

http://www.bootdisk.com/pendrive.htm

Boot to win98 dos and f disk delete the partitions and format the drive restarting after deleting and again after formating.
format to fat 32. then try to reload win xp fropm the dvd again. (if you can refromat again to ntfs when windows installation asks.)double check your power able to make sure your not having PSU troubles.
My Dell PSU 350w is going I had to disconect the cd dvd drives so i can play the graphics card at full resolution.
they too act up alot on me.
I think it might be a PSU power problem to the devices which is causing a short in turn shuting down my pc for taxing too much power from the supply amber blinking power light.

 

First even though you haven't used one in years make sure there is no floppy in the floppy drive. A non system floppy in the drive can cause a blinking cursor.

Then:
You have 1 HD on the Primary cable and two DVDROMS on the second cable.

Try disconnecting the HD. And also disconnect the second DVDROM from the Secondary cable. Put the XP disc in the only DVDROM still connected (Master on the Secondary cable) does it boot to the XP disc?

If it boots try again with the HD reconnected on the Primary cable. Do you get the blinking cursor?

 

Ok I just figured I'd give it one last try. I went ahead and disconnected the second dvd-rom and the floppy. Now it boots up like nothing was wrong. From the dvd anyway.

I'm hoping somebody has a reason it would do that. I've never had that happen and would like to know why.

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

I know if i move a card then windows will look for the drivers and need to reinstall to that spot. if you had the cables switch might it do the same thing?
between the dvd?

 

So your XP desktop loads with the CD in the drive?

Does it load from the HD without the CD loaded? If not is it just a blinking cursor?