I have a Canon MX860 connected to my Dell Dimension 4600. If I turn my computer on while the printer is on all I get on screen is a blinking curser in the upper left corner. Once I turn printer off, the computer proceeds to boot up. Any ideas???

Change the VGA cable from the monitor, first but sounds like it's the video card that's failed. I would check the monitor with another computer to make sure it's not that.

Plug the monitor into another computer to determine if the monitor is damaged or working properly. You can also plug another monitor into your computer to determine the same thing.

you need to press the

ctrl + F11 as soon as you see the Dell logo screen when you turn on the computer.

the trick is. as soon as you turn on the computer, press and hold on the ctrl key then keep tapping the F11 key.

The two biggest culprits would be:

the power supply and the motherboard.

I'd start with the power supply since it's cheap and easy to install.

Find a local computer shop that sells 'em.

Make sure they've got a 100% return policy.

Swap 'em, if it works problem solved.

If not it's probably the motherboard. You could always have a local tech check it out.

Make sure they provide FREE diagnostics. It shouldn't cost you anything to have ti looked at.

• Blinking Amber/yellow: Initial state of LED at power up.
  Indicates system has power, but the POWER_GOOD signal is not yet active.
  If the hard drive LED is off, it is probable that the power supply needs to be replaced.
  If the hard drive LED is on, it is probable that an onboard regulator or VRM has failed.

Turn the computer's power on.
Immediately put the original Windows XP CD into the drive.
Tell the computer to boot from the CD (not from the hard-drive).
Does it start to boot from the CD?
Do you get as far as the "repair/install" boot-screen?
If so, your basic hardware is OK, and turn your computer off,
rather than choosing "repair" or "install".
Then, it's probably either the hard-drive that is failing,
or the installed copy of Windows XP is fuddle-duddle-ucked up, so that it cannot finish the "Windows startup" processing.

Almost the exact same problem. New 4350d Canon printer trying to connect it with Dell 8300 with XP. The computer says it does not recognize. Tried everything - reinstall drivers, download drivers, tried every USB port, swapped cables, spoke with Canon support and finally took the printer back and got a new one (Canon support person decided the USB board must be bad). New machine - same old problem.

are you getting the DELL logo screen.

try safe mode f8 and go into msconfig and uncheak startup stuff ok

when the screen goes away try to wigle the cable from the computer to the monitor see if it could be that