sooooo frustrating

[susandennis]

My new computer is dead or at least dead to me.

I fire it up and get the beginning stuff (hardware list) then the Intel screen where I can access BIOS and then instead of getting Vista, I get a black screen with a white hyphen in the top right hand corner.  I can CLT-ALT-DEL and get it the same thing.  I can turn it off and turn it off with the hardware switch and get the same thing.  I can reset and get the same thing.  I can get the same thing using DVI adapter with the monitor cable and the same thing with the DVI cable.  

I tried sticking the Vista CD in the drawer and starting it up.  I got white letters on black background telling me to hit a key if I wanted to boot from CD or DVD.  But hitting a key got me nothing.  After repeated key hitting, I get a beep from the mother board.  But no action. 

I'm so frustrated.  I don't have a clue what to do.  

Fuck.

Comments

[davmoo.livejournal.com]

The first thing you do is open the case and make sure all video cards, memory cards, processor and heatsink, and connectors are fully seated and secure. Its amazing how things can shake loose in shipping. I'm not big on gambling, but I'd be willing to bet its something shook loose in shipping.

Then if that got me nowhere, I'd swap in a known-good keyboard and try again. And keep in mind that when you tell it you want to boot from that Vista DVD or CD it can take it a god-awful length of time to look like its doing anything.

If you're still zonked, its time to call bro.

Do you get a beep for power-on-self-test?

[susandennis]

I did do some reseating and finally was able to get into safe mode (my bro on the phone helping).... I picked the first restore point (there are several thankfully) and tried that. It's now been 'shutting down' after restoration for the past 5 mins. I'm going to try another restore point, I think.

I have a known good keyboard and known good mouse that I am using now. But I'm guessing that you nailed the DVD CD problem. I did not wait long enough. I'll betcha that's exactly that problem.

Thanks!

I don't know about the power on self test beep. I'll listen for it next time.

[pinkrose70.livejournal.com]

Damn, you're good!

Securing, a screw driver and checking power supply would have been my feeble guesses as well. But, after that..I'd be lost.