XP Pro powers up but won't boot

Hi, I am new. Please let me know if I'm doing this wrong.

My Dell GX 270 became totally unresponsive, so I had to reboot by pulling the power cord. Now it won't even post, let alone boot. I hear the fans and the hard drives spining, but the screen remains black. The monitor works on another computer and I slaved the boot drive into another computer and it looks like all of the files are there. I tried booting to an Ultimate Boot CD, as well as the XP Pro installation CD, with no luck. I've got a fairly recent registry backup and driver backups. System info is below. Any thoughts?

Thank you, very much.

Computer Model OptiPlex GX270
BIOS Vendor Dell Computer Corporation
BIOS Version A07
BIOS Date 06-26-06
Windows Version Microsoft Windows XP Professional


Processor
Manufacturer Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.80GHz
Clock Speed 2.8GHz
Manufacturer Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.80GHz
Clock Speed 2.8GHz


Memory
Available Memory 75.96 %
Page File Size -511.1Mb
Available Page File -1232 %
Virtual Memory 2047.8Mb
Available Virtual Memory 97.94 %
Memory Slot 1 [DIMM_1] 256Mb
Memory Slot 2 [DIMM_2] 256Mb
Memory Slot 3 [DIMM_3] 1024Mb
Memory Slot 4 [DIMM_4] 1024Mb


Network Card
Adapters Intel(R) PRO/1000 MT Network Connection
Storage
Drive Type Drive Size Total Available Space Used Space
C: NTFS 74.49Gb 45.27Gb 29.21Gb
E: NTFS 372.6Gb 288.9Gb 83.63Gb
Storage
Hardware
Type Description
DVD/CD-ROM Drives _NEC DVD+RW ND-2100AD
Disk Drives ST3400620AS 372.6Gb
WDC WD800BB-75FJA1 74.50Gb
Display Adapters NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 440 with AGP8X 64Mb
Floppy Disk Drives (Standard floppy disk drives) Floppy disk drive
IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers - 24DB
Primary IDE Channel
Secondary IDE Channel
Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers - 24D1
Primary IDE Channel
Keyboards Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
Mice and Other Pointing Devices PS/2 Compatible Mouse
Monitors Plug and Play Monitor - (Standard monitor types)
Sound Devices SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio
USB Controllers Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller - 24D2
Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller - 24D4
Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller - 24D7
Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller - 24DE
Intel(R) 82801EB USB2 Enhanced Host Controller - 24DD
Brother MFC-8820D USB
Software
Name Version
Adobe Bridge 1.0 001.000.003
WebFldrs XP 9.50.7523
MSXML 4.0 SP2 (KB936181) 4.20.9848.0
Norton AntiVirus 2005 11.0.1
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 Service Pack 1 3.1.21022
OpenOffice.org Installer 1.0 1.0.9221
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 1 2.1.21022
SymNet 5.4.0
Crash Analysis Tool 1.00.0001
iTunes 8.0.1.11
PaperPort 8.0 SE 1.0.0.0000
Sonic MyDVD SlideShow 6.1.2
Adobe Photoshop CS2 9.0
Java(TM) 6 Update 11 6.0.110
QuickTime 7.55.90.70
MSXML 6.0 Parser (KB933579) 6.10.1200.0
Norton WMI Update 2005.1.0.111
Norton AntiVirus Help 11.00.00
Windows Presentation Foundation 3.0.6920.0
Symantec 11.0.1
Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Professional 7.1.0
Adobe Reader 8.1.2 8.1.2
Roxio Easy Media Creator 7 7.5.0.47
Adobe Stock Photos 1.0 001.000.000
Sonic CinePlayer 2.0.0
Norton AntiVirus SYMLT MSI 11.0.1
ccCommon 103.0.1.26
SPBBC 1.00.0000
Adobe Help Center 1.0 001.000.000
Java 2 Runtime Environment, SE v1.4.2_03 1.4.2_03
Java(TM) 6 Update 3 1.6.0.30
Java(TM) 6 Update 5 1.6.0.50
Java(TM) 6 Update 7 1.6.0.70
Microsoft Office 2000 SR-1 Premium 9.00.3821
Microsoft Office 2003 Web Components 11.0.8173.0
Norton AntiVirus Parent MSI 11.0.1
Symantec Script Blocking Installer 11.0.1
Apple Mobile Device Support 2.1.1.13
Internet Worm Protection 11.0.1
Sonic Backup MyPC Deluxe 6.0.0
Norton WMI Update 2005.1.2.20
Suite Specific 2.0.0
Bonjour 1.0.105
Adobe Common File Installer 1.00.0000
Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 1.1.4322
Adobe Version Cue CS2 2.0
Apple Software Update 2.1.1.116
Software

 

Hi VK,

If you are saying that it will not power up by the start button and the only way to get it going was to pull the AC power then the Power Supply had shut down. PSUs have safety circuits for over, under voltage and over current. They shut down and will not reset util the AC is removed for a couple of minutes. Usually indicates that you are overloaded or have a device that is drawing more current than it should. Also safety circuits are bad about going bad themselves so it could also be a bad PSU. Maybe?

Good Luck, Jim

 

jlphlp:

Thanks for responding. I described the problem incorrectly in my Title. It won't post. While I hear the fans come on and the hard drives spinning, the screen remains black. I know the monitor works because I tried it on another computer and I know the boot drive's not bad because I slaved it into another computer and can see & access everything on it. Since it won't even post to the XP Pro installation CD or to an Ultimate Boot CD, I wonder if my video card might not be bad. This may sound really dumb, but if I want to try replacing the video card, do I have to get a specific kind? Are there compatability issues with video cards, or can I just run out to Micro Center, with a copy of my specs and ask them what I need? I assume it's no more difficult to install than a SATA controller card?

Again, thank you.

 

Try unplugging and removing the quarter-coin sized battery for 5 minutes. Then put battery back and plug back in. See if you get any boot screen.

 

sach2

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried that last night, with no luck. I just tried reseating my video card again (for the 3rd time...) and got a sucessful reboot!

 

Good job!

 

Thanks! Where do I go to find out how to replace the fan in my old Dell 8100? It's running hot now and then....