Is it the vidio card?

Major problem!!!! Diagonal colored lines came across the screen and the computer locked up. Tried th hard shut it down ( holding in the on/of button) then had to unplug it. Plugged it back in, all lights came on (should not have), hard shut it down, did go off that time, waited a few minuets and tried turning it back on. The fan and lights came on, nothing on the screen, black, and it did not sound like it was trying to boot up, just the fans running.

Is it the video card, or something else? Should I not hear the hard drive loading if it is the card, or would that keep it from trying to load?

Win XP

Thanks

 

Any POST beeps? If not remove the video card and boot up again. If you now hear beeps it is the video card that has failed.

 

Are you hearing any beeps at all? Are you comfortable with removing the left side panel and just having a peek?

 

no beeps. I will remove the video card. be right back

 

OK Removed the video card and still no beep. the only thing different is when I push the on/off button it shuts down right away, before I would have to hold it in. I still don't hear the drives trying to load. should I?

Crystal

 

Well you'll need to do a bit of detective work. Carefully remove the RAM chips (ground yourself first by touching something metal near to the PC) and try another boot. It should (in theory) beep a few times. If it does beep then put back the video card and re-boot. Still beeping? If so put the RAM chips back one at a time, booting as you put each one in. Hopefully it may boot at this point if somewhat slowly If it then stops beeping after you've put a chip back in then you have found the problem.

Let us know how you get on.