Bsob help!!!!!

Hey Guys,
I just got a computer from a friend of mine who is moving and they had it sitting in their attic. (They said it was fine virus wise they got new ones and kept it for spare parts)
I brought it home checked the cables all seemed ok. Plugged it in and it said something quickly (can't read it ). Then it goes to Windows has encountered a problem Start windows noramaly, Safe Mode etc...
I first chose Start normally. It loaded to the windows XP Splash Screen then BSOD 0x0000007b(0xbacc3524,0xc0000034,0x00000000,0x00000000)
(same in safe Mode tho it doesn't even make it to the Splash Screen)
I looked in the BIOS and it didnt recognize my CD Drive so I can't re-install Windows. I can't access my system what so ever!
All I know is that it's a Dell XPS 410 and that it runs XP(no clue what version i think possibly media edition)
please help!
Thanks,
Spock96

 

Check in BIOS and look for SATA Operations see if setting it to Raid Autodetect/ATA will get you any further.

 

Hey Sach,
So I tried that suggestion. But now on restart it says "Floppy Diskette Seek Failure
Strike F1 to continue, F2 to enter setup utility"
F1--Will let it load but it comes up with a window saying to insert DVD Windows reinstallation(or recovery) Windows media edition and click ok but that flashed away now its at an install new hardware wizard(not sure why thats there).

 

Hi Spock,

It would seem the cmos battery failed at some point during the time in the attic. The floppy seek error can be removed by finding Floppy drive in BIOS and setting it to off.

So it sounds like the insert Windows DVD and install new hardware messages are coming from Windows? Is that what it looks like to you?

***I'm not saying do a factory recovery but does ctrl + F11 give you a Dell recovery menu?

 

Hey Sach,
Ok quick update. I left it on lastnight to make sure it stayed at that new Hardware Wizard. But it came up with something I forget what it was(I could see my desktop in the background). I went to move my mouse around but it wasn't responding(that mouse has done that in the past I would either unplug it and plug it back in or just smack it and it would work again) Didn't work and it was on my screensaver so I had to shut down via the front power button (I tryed a different mouse but same result it would come on when the computer started then go off). Went through the whole F1 to continue as stated above and it came to that New hardware wizard. But now there is a big box over top of that that says "Installing applications"(thats at the top and that section is flashing red and orange) underneath that it says"Please wawit 30 minutes for windows to finish installing applications"(I had that come up on one of my older computers I think I fixed it by a reinstall, not sure though). What shall I do now?(oh back to the screensaver gotta reboot).

 

It sounds like it is in the process of doing a factory restore. I don't know how that could happen without specifically starting it. I would let it complete and see where it ends up.

 

I can't see it cause my mouse doesn't work though. It's at my screensaver and I can't make it go away to see it.

 

Let's see.

We changed Sata operation to ATA.
Now it has a strange Windows screen. So my guess is it is trying to start from the recovery partition rather than the Windows partition.

Try setting SATA back to ACHI (I believe that is the default) and then hitting Ctrl + F11 during the DELL screen to see if you get recovery options.

**
Before you do that test if you get boot from CD with SATA set to ATA. So you know if using a disc is a possibility.

 

Alright...What does that mean?

 

I moved it so I could still use my old rig and I need another power chord to make it work(I don't have one atm). And my mouse still doesn't work.

 

Alright update-- I got a power cable from my same friend(it came off a different monitor-- I'm using a CRT to test it with). I got a mouse from her too-- that also now works . That new hardware wizard was for my VGA Controller, ATM I don't have it connected to the inernet to get the stuff for it. But as far as I see it seems to be working fine. No BSOD that weird installing applications thing didn't come back( I had to shut it down cause my mouse didn't work).

 

It turns on still has the Floppy Seek Failure thing but when i hit F1 it loads and goes to that New Hardware Wizard but if i cancel outta all that it takes me to my desktop and I can access everything (I think that it did do the restore to default settings cause there isn't anything really there. I'm gonna take it to Vista when I get the time. But I still don't know if my CD Drive works???

 

Scratch that my BIOS recognizes my CD Drive now. Now one question Since I did the restore defaults my Start bar is white not blue and green like XP should be why is that?