SERIOUS SERIOUS HELP NEEDED

The Germanator · 04-10-2005, 12:57 PM

As my expression being in all-caps may tell you, I'm in serious trouble here with my computer. I have a Dell Dimension 8400 (or something similar I guess) which is only about a year old (I got it in Jan. 2004)

Anyway, I got a really weird error message early this morning (2:30 AM) before I went to sleep. It was like nothing I had ever seen before, and I wish I could be more descriptive about it, but I was so tired that I just kind of ignored it and I shut down my computer.

So I go to turn on my computer this morning and it DOESN'T TURN ON. All the proper power connections are there, and other things plugged into the same surge protector work, but not my computer.

The main problem here is that I have TWO MID-TERM PAPERS either done or partially completed on that computer and these papers are due Monday and Tuesday respectively. If I cannot get this problem fixed before then I am SCREWED. If anyone has any clue about what the hell I can do, do tell.

Major doubloon and rep awards awaiting of course....

I guess I'll call Dell too, but I know you guys have good experience in this too...

Null · 04-10-2005, 01:00 PM

does anything happen when you turn it on? any sounds or any text apear on the screen?

Bond · 04-10-2005, 01:03 PM

Get on aim Germy.

The Germanator · 04-10-2005, 01:05 PM

Nope, it's like there is no reaction whatsoever. The monitor remains on and everything...but there is no reaction on the part of the tower. THe green light that normally turns on on the tower doesn't do anything.

The Germanator · 04-10-2005, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bond

Get on aim Germy.

Well, I'm on a school comp now, I guess I could get on AIM express, what is your AIM name these days?

Null · 04-10-2005, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Germanator

Nope, it's like there is no reaction whatsoever. The monitor remains on and everything...but there is no reaction on the part of the tower. THe green light that normally turns on on the tower doesn't do anything.

and you woudlnt happen to have a spare power supply you can try?

Bond · 04-10-2005, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Germanator

Well, I'm on a school comp now, I guess I could get on AIM express, what is your AIM name these days?

BondNDA

The Germanator · 04-10-2005, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Null

and you woudlnt happen to have a spare power supply you can try?

I actually did try another one. No dice still... My only thought was plugging it into a different outlet, but why would everything else work in the outlet, but not that?

Null · 04-10-2005, 01:15 PM

wouldnt, unless that one outlet is broke.

how many sticks of ram you have in it?

The Germanator · 04-10-2005, 01:19 PM

To be honest, I don't really know as I don't really know what that means. I assume one or two, maybe one because I probably went with whatever cheaper option at the time...

Bond · 04-10-2005, 01:32 PM

Germy... I'm IMing you, but I don't think you can see what I'm saying. So, when you turn on the computer nothing at all happens?

The Germanator · 04-10-2005, 01:34 PM

I'm on insant AIM and it's not working sorry about that.

What I'm saying is that I am pressing the power button to turn on the computer, but absolutely nothing is happening. It doesn't even react for a second...I just push the button and it retracts, but it doesn't turn the computer on...Could it be as simple as the button being broken? I don't know...it's troubling.

Bond · 04-10-2005, 01:39 PM

Do you have any idea what those error messages looked like?

Null · 04-10-2005, 01:40 PM

i'd say either the power supply in the computer, or Ram, possibly motherboard.

theres a way you can test to see if its the button by putting a piece of metal, between 2 of the pins inside, but i dont remember which ones anymore

The Germanator · 04-10-2005, 01:54 PM

So worst case scenario, what am I dealing with here? Do you think there is any way I can get any data off of the computer within two days. Otherwise I'm finished...I'm at a loss for words, I don't really know what to do.

The only thing I remember about the error message was that it turned my screen blue and just had a plethora of white text. I feel like some of the text related to websites I had recently visited, but that doesn't make sense to me...I just know that I hadn't seen it before...