won't boot...long and drawn out!

I could really use everybody's help on this one. I can usually take care of everything by myself, but this is one big mess. I have Windows 2000, 1 dvd drive, 1 dvd writer, 1 sata hard drive, 2 regular hard drives among other things.

To start off my cd writer wasn't burning cds so I went out and bought a crappy dvd writer. I got that installed with no issues everything worked great. I installed some software for ripping records to my computer. Couldn't keep that running, the software crashes each time I start it, but the computer stays running fine. I listen to mp3's when I sleep. The next few nights I wake up to my computer at the logon screen because my computer has crashed and restarted. Then found some other software to rip my records that worked great. My computer was running like a champ. Then my computer won't even turn on. I try a differant power supply, it works fine. So I order a new power supply to replace the broken one. Before I get the new power supply, I am dealing with the blue screen of death (if this is the first time you have seen this screen....screen) giving the hardware/software installation reasoning. I can't even start it in safe mode. I try all sorts of combinations and nothing will let it start. I get the new power supply. Hook that up. Still nothing. and now it won't even recognize the cd/dvd drives or the floppy, which had no problems before.

So basically there is a long drawn out mess. Any thoughts? I am wondering if it could be my motherboard? I can't even get the cd/dvd drives to open. I should at least be able to open the drives when they are properly powered and the computer is on right? I know the power supply works. I was fine with just a fresh install, but now it won't even find the cd/dvd drives to do a new install.

Any ideas/help would be appreciated.

Thanks-
RYan

 

my next try on that computer

reset cmos using the pin on the motherboard.

disconnect all but ram and video, see if it lites. if so,
then add one componet at a time.

 

Thanks for your help. I reset the CMOS, and that didn't help. I went through everything and I got the cd/dvd drives to be recognized. But at this point I can't get anything to boot from them. It just gets to "press a key to reboot," and that is it. I have tried 4 differant 2000 boot disks. I got one to work and started checking for stuff, and then it just got a disc I/O error and that line repeated for a while then the whole process halted. If I leave 2000 to boot alone it gets about 3/4 through the final boot screen for 2000 before the hardware/software error. It says it has something to do with the "ntdll.dll."

 

maybe it is time for me to move this discussion to the software forum!