Windows wont boot

Hello ppl, I have a Gateway DX4640 I'm fixing for a co-worker. I installed Win7on it. When I turn on the computer it froze on the POST test. I unplugged it and plugged it back in and it turned on fine. what can be the problem with it? It does happen often. Any help will greatly be appreciated. ty

 

If you want to run Windows 7 on your PC, here's what it takes:

• 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit Processor
• 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
• 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

From the Specifications i got from the gateway site seems you should be able to put or use windows 7 on that model desktop.


There where three models made.
http://cdnsupport.gateway.com/images/btn/yellow_arrow_little.gifGateway DX4640-UB101A Desktop Computer - 1015764R
http://cdnsupport.gateway.com/images/btn/yellow_arrow_little.gifGateway DX4640-UB201A Desktop Computer - 1015797R
http://cdnsupport.gateway.com/images/btn/yellow_arrow_little.gifGateway DX4640-UBC01A Desktop Computer - 2906093R
Do you know which one it is.

Are there any kinda lights in the back of system other then the Cat 5 port.

Are you hearing any kinda Beeps other then the normal one when it boots.

 

Thanks for the response. There are no extra lights in the back. No extra beeps other than the one when it boots. It looks like there's is a lot of dust bunnies in the computer, and also there is no fan other than the one for the CPU. Can that be a possibility for the windows not booting?

 

Oh. and the exact model is GATEWAY DX4640-UB201A

 

As Goldenskull stated, you should have no problem running W7 with that hardware. SO, on to the hardware.

Did the install go smoothly?

Have you tried to boot with the hard drive disconnected?

Have you cleaned the computer so it is free of filth?

 

The install went smooth. when i got the computer it was doing the same thing. freezing at POST. My first thought was the Windows Vista had gone bad. So i installed Win7. Everything went smooth. The computer was starting right up. The next day when i got back from work. It froze again. Im going to clean it out when i get home from work. Hopefully that fixes it.

 

If all else fails, you could flash the latest BIOS from the Gateway Support page. It seems the latest one was released in 2010.

http://support.gateway.com/us/en/product/default.aspx?partNumber=1015797R


The age old rule with BIOS flashing has always been "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", but with the advance of technology updating the BIOS is becoming like updating drivers. Manufacturers upgrade the BIOS to improve system compatibility, and performance these days. But, like I said, last resort.

The PC is at least five years old, and considering the filth you describe the motherboard may be slightly damaged. When you clean it, make sure to visually inspect the motherboard as well. Especially inspect all the capacitors on the board to see if they are bulging.

 

Windows cannot freeze a computer at the post screen,the power on self test only checks hardware is running correctly, only then does it try to load an operating system.

So obviously you have a hardware problem, freezes at the post screen are very often a memory problem so that would be the first thing I'd check.

Go into bios and disable quick post,you should then be able to see as each device is checked, the device the computer freezes on can give you a very good clue. Next disable quick memory test, it will then run a slower more thorough memory test, if it fails during this test you have your problem.

You should also run a software memory test-

http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/memtest86.html

After you've cleaned out your computer disconnect any uneeded hardware such as cd drives,addin cards and peripherals, if it clears up the problem start adding hardware back until it fails again.

I would only recommend a bios update if the problem is listed in the bios readme.

 

Thank you guy very much. As soon as i get home I'm going to clean out the filth and run all tests. I'll keep u guys posted.

 

Ok. I got home from work and cleaned out all the dust bunnies from the computer. I plugged it in and turned it on. And nothing. there was no signal going threw to the monitor. I decided i was going to install a ATI Radeon graphics card i had laying around. Installed it and the computer is working fine now. Had it running for a while, and its doing good. I unplugged it and im letting it sit for about an hour. hopefully when i plug it back in it fixed the problem.

 

What about the visual inspection of the motherboard?

RAM testing?

Also, if you're going to be doing work like this frequently if would behoove you to own a PSU tester:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...E16899109003&gclid=CNjT6LmD0bkCFRGi4AodhHwAIQ

 

The visual looked good after i cleaned out all the filth. I made sure all the capacitors were not burned in any way. Everything looked fine. I turned off Quick boot in BIOS and when it started up. everything checked out fine. Im crossing my fingers when i connect it back up. it starts smoothly. The only thing with the new video card is the aero peek is not working. eeh. About the PSU tester. I've been wanting to get one. thank you for the link.