Toshiba tecra will not boot up

This item was designed fro use with Windows NT4 or Win2000 so XP may have driver errors.
If you have upgraded XP to SP3 try updates from Windows for a fix, otherwise re instalation of the original OS may be needed.
Have you run CHKDSK/F to check for hard drive errors? That is most likely to be the problem as if the drive is formatted to anything other than FAT32 you may be getting read errors.
Nice old machine. It will be a shame to have to ditch it.

Hi, try pressing the ESC button during boot up, this will allow you to start in safe mode, from where you can change your passworg, via the control panel. (Sometimes its the Del button on sertain machines)

Insert the OS CD/DVD in the drive and try to repair the OS. It will start working again

try booting it in safe mode if it boots restore your pc to some back date where its working fine

You have to enter bios when computer boots. Not sure on Toshiba it might be F10 or delete or F1 or f12. If all else fails try them all till you get into the bios. Go to advance and go to boot options. You have to set CD rom as first boot option and hard drive 0 as second boot option. That should let you boot from a CD.

in bios put the boot sequence so that cd is first when computer as to boot from cd click enter after installing xp - use drivers downloaded here (if u dont have the cd) - http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/support/jsp/modelContent.jsp?ct=DL&os=&category=&moid=1073769787&rpn=PA1232U&modelFilter=510CDT&selCategory=3&selFamily=1073768664&selModel=1073769787|PA1232U

Generally the hard drive, not the motherboard.

dont repair it do the full system format

is the cd listed as first device, as well?

Just replace the drive - the Teac CD-224E is housed in the SelectBay housing and any Teac CD-224E that came out of Toshiba will do. eBay would be your best bet. If you pay more than $10 then you must be a tourist...