hdd problem- locked up system

[mask of life]

hi. i need some help with my computer. i accidentally pressed the HDD button and now everytime i turn the computer on, it won't work at all. the screen keeps saying 'no signal'.
i have windows XP.

thanks :)

[LoafOfBread34]

Hi,

What do you mean the HDD button? There is generally two buttons on a case: A restart and shutdown button. If there is a third button, can you describe it to me?

The "no signal" message generally means your monitor isnt plugged in. Make sure that the VGA connector is properly plugged in to the back of your computer.
[IMG]http://www.sfsu.edu/~avitv/images/vga.jpg[/IMG]
VGA Connector that will come from the back of your monitor.

[IMG]http://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/D-subVGAPort.jpg[/IMG]
This is what you plug the VGA connector into on the back of your computer.

Try unplugging the VGA connector and then plugging it back in. If this dose not solve the problem, then you most likley blew your video card in some way.

Do you see any kind of text on your display when you start up your computer? Does it appear for awhile then disappear? Can you hear the fans running or see lights on the front of your case when you turn on your computer? Do you hear beeping of any kind when you first start up the compuer? Have you tried a different monitor?

Report back after you have tried these things with your results and Ill try to give more details on what could be wrong and how to fix it.

-Brent

[mask of life]

thanks for the advice but it didn't work :( it tried hooking another screen up and still it said 'no signal'. on my computer there is only two buttons power and 'h.d.d' button. i pressed the hdd button thinking it was reset.
but everytime i turn the computer on i hear the fan working and the CD rom starts spinning- everything seems to work- but i hear this click sound shortly after i turn it on. the lights all work at the front too.
but i don't understand wat the hdd button is ? :eek: ever since i pressed it the problem has occurred
i recharged my ipod on the computer and it worked. its just the screen that keeps saying 'no signal' and the screen is in good condition. its a new computer.

[Dortz]

The clicking sound is a telltale sign of a blown Hard drive. the only time i've heard the term 'HDD Button' is with backup hard drives. It is probably a pushbutton backup. the downside is that i think it might have killed your drive. try to boot off of your XP recovery disk. if it boots, see if it will format your drive. if it will not, then it is busted.

If you can't even boot off of the CD, look in your VGA port (it's got 15 little holes on it) and see if there are any pins jammed up in there, and inspect your monitor cords for broken or bent pins. If everything has the right allocation of pins, also check for serious kinks or tears in the insulation of your cords.

If that STILL doesn't fix your problem, check if your computer came with a pre-installed graphics card. the computer might start up, and be checking for the graphics card to handle all monitor functions. if it sends it off to the card, and the card isn't working properly, it might give you 'no signal'. Check to see if it is firmly in place, and if that doesn't work, test the card on a different computer.

That's all I have for you for now. hope it helps!

[mask of life]

thanks for the advice but it aint getting any better :cry:

all the pins and cords are fine. i put the XP home edition cd in and all it did was spin but nothing came up on the screen.

where abouts is the graphic card for me to check? is it in the computer?

[Dortz]

A graphics card is simply a device that the computer uses to handle all the graphics for well, everything. the only thing that i can think of for you just getting a 'no signal' and your monitor does work with another computer, and all the cords and everything are perfectly fine, is that the computer is getting confused when it sends information to be displayed to the graphics card, and the card won't output it to the monitor.

First, do what i like to call the 'Do I have A Graphics Card' test:

look at the back of your machine.
are there two VGA ports?
there, then you have a graphics card.

if you do have a graphics card, and you've been plugging it into one of those ports, then plug your monitor onto your motherboards VGA port if it has one. (i'm hoping it does, cause it'd be really odd if it didn't)

if there is only one VGA port, then it's time to give it up, and send it in to get fixed by somebody else. it could be a faulty port, it could be your entire computer decided it was going to die for no reason at all. either way, i'm totally out of ideas.

[goldeagle2005]

Is the VGA port on the back horizontal or vertical? If its vertical, you need to get your mobo checked as its got an onboard VGA. If thats the case, try getting another VGA card and check, if its horizontal, the VGA card could be bad. Again, get another VGA card to check. Also, check the monitor on another computer.

[Catweazle]

Have you got a make and model for that computer please? The 'HDD button' thing is rather peculiar, as I'm sure you've realised from some of the responses so far, and it'd help to know just what your PC is.