First a 'problem detected HDD, consult owner's manual' message.
Still powers up but gives same message. I pulled HDD & placed in other PC, it read fine as slave drive. I replaced w/new drive & CD Restore discs, didn't fix. I obtained new Windows xp CD, didn't fix. I did set bios to boot off optical drive. I also tried other CD drive & still no fix.
It still gives same message, will not accept other commands. Emachines.com=no support. Place Restore Cd in drive & boot up, I say doesn't work, they say sorry.
Hi, now the screen is blank[black]with a blinking cursor and will not accept any commands. No words or error messages, only a blinking cursor. I tried different CD's; Window XP, Hiren's, Maxtor MaxBlast, Ultimate Cd, and it stays on the blinking cursor in the upper left hand corner, that's all. I entered the Bios to make sure the new HD was recognized, I set it to boot from the CD drive. So, the new drive is wiped and error tested, changed IDE cable, set jumper, Please advise.
Download the drive test for the hard drive. Put the drive in your other computer and run the test. If it test good on simple test do the long test. IF IT COMES OUT FINE, Run the Zero program and then try to install the O.S. Check your BIOS settings and make sure everything is set right. You are on the right track. You just did not know how to test the drive. If it is a Toshiba you will not find a hard drive test. You might be able to use the Maxtor or Seagate drive test. Use the windows version if you can. If you can't do any of the test, right click on the drive and check for errors.
Rate me if this helped.
Did you run the hard drive test?
You should zero (wipe) the drive with the drive software from Maxtor.
If you need the information off of the drive you will have to put it in
the other machine to get the information off of it. You mentioned a
disk error reading. I had this same thing happen on a drive that I
recently ran test on. The test came back ok, but it was not a real
drive test because Toshiba does not have one. Was your error possible
a smart drive error?
Yes you can put another hard drive in it and reload that drive with
your restore disk or a windows disk. The Windows on the disk (if it
has one) probably will not boot, because it will not have all of the
correct drivers on it.
There is a trick that I have done in the past. This trick might not
work in your case, but it could work. Get another hard drive and start
the Windows load process. When the process tells you that it needs to
restart the first time, - remove it from the other machine and put it
into the E-machine. If it works right it will continue to load and
recognize the motherboard in the E-machine. Good luck. You might want
to check the memory to make sure it has not gone bad. This can do
strange things. Remove everything from the computer and only hook
everything up that is needed for it to boot to the hard drive. Change
the IDE cables if you can. Replace everything one at a time to see if
some hardware is causing the problem. I have had a video card mess up
a computer and the computer that I tested it in. This was very
strange, because it would cause the computers to boot up 1 time out of
4. It took hours and a couple of gays to figure that one out. The
video card corrupted the motherboard on both computers and made them
also do the same thing with another video card installed. Trashed 2
mother boards in the testing.
Keep posting and let me know how it goes. I will keep helping you.
A thanks for trying rating is for when I can not solve your problem. Did you do the test and figure out the problem?
This really is bad. You even tried another Hard Drive and that did not work. I checked the E-machines Website. I would usually do a BIOS flash at this point. They do not even offer the original BIOS for this computer, let alone a new one. Since they do not have this, try something else that I would try. Take the memory out and put them back in one at a time. See if anything changes. Swap the cables around with cables from another working computer. This would be the cables going to the hard drive and CD-Rom. Sometimes the momory and cables can go bad. If you have a sound card or an extra video card in it take them out. Your only choices are to take everything out and only leave the things neede for it to boot. That will consist of leaving these thinge in only. The Mouse, Keyboard and video is all that is needed to boot into the BIOS. Then go from there hoojing things up one at a time. I have spent day's going through these steps, before I have figured out some problems. It is not fun doing this but sometimes it is the only way to find the problem. You can even put another video card in the computer and disable the on board video. I had a video card ruin the computer that I was working on, and the one that I tested it in before. I told you some of these things before, and you seemed not to try those things. Try these things and let me know what you have done.
Yes you need to go into the BIOS and disable the onboard video first. Then you will more than likely have to install the drivers for the new card. If you do not have the disk do the following: Look at the card and write all of the information down that you can see on it. Go to the manufacturers web site and get the drivers so you can install them if needed. Sometimes your O.S. will already have the drivers.
If none of these things that I have told you work to get it going, then the motherboard must be bad. You can buy any motherboard to replace the one that you have in the computer. You do not have to buy an expensive replacement from the company.
If you need a motherboard and want to get one let me know. I will help you find one.
Let me know if you have any trouble.
What is the relationship of the MB to the HD; is there a proprietary
issue here. No you can use any kind of hard drive as long as your system supports it. This computer (as rer the web site) seems to support SATA drives. Is SATA turned on in the Bios?
and what of the flashing, you say that will not be possible? This is because they do not supply the BIOS flash on the Web Site.
When I tried other HD's I got a full screen of picks, from Start in
Safe Mode, With command prompt, etc....but neither of the selections
work, it just keeps rebooting. Did you format these drives and reload them with XP while they were in the E-Machine? Were these SATA drives or the old type IDE (wide) cable type?
This is the tool that I wanted you to download and test the hard drive with. Seagate bought out Maxtor so they provide the tool to test the drive. You can run this in Windows with the Maxtor drive installed as a slave. You can start with the first test and then go to the second test if the first test comes back good. You can then compltely wipe the drive and start all over with the XP install.
Did you use this tool to test the Maxtor Hard Drive.
It does make any sense that the computer ran fine with Vista and not XP. That computer (as per the web site) came with XP loaded on it. This drive is acting very strange.
I wish that you would not have done the rating until we were completely finished. I will keep helping you, until we get this problem fixed. Sometimes it takes time to figure out these things. It is especially hard when you are doing the work, and I do not know exactly what you are doing.
I have not been able to find a website that explains the MB-HD relationship, that would help I presume in my case.
It's like I said earlier. There is no problem with the hard drive that you are trying to use. You can use an IDE Drive or a SATA Drive. You just have to make sure everything is turned on in the BIOS and that the BIOS recognizes it.
You have been done wrong by this professor, if you have been dealing with issues with this machine for a year. You nare correct about the power supplies. Most of the small power supplies in thos will not even show 5 volts of power. I have tested several of them. I do not know everything electrical but I do know that every power supply that I have ever bought would show the 5 volts. I could be talking out of my but. I do know that they do not show the 5 volts of power though. They seem to use the cheapest parts that they can find in those.
As far as Gateway goes, they had to close all of their stores, in most places because they could not make sells. The only place that I know of buying a Gateway around here for a long time was online. I live in Georgia on the East coast. I can not speak for your area. There are a couple of other companies that have built cheap computers having a hard time. Look at HP and Compaq. They merged a long time ago.
I wish that I lived closer so I could personally help you. The thanks for trying rating fit this thread. There are some things that can't be polished. That is a quote that I have about some computers but I cleaned that up.
I wish that I could have helped you more. If you need any help in the future at all, you can go my website and look on there for answers. As long as I am on here you can reach me here.
Have a nice day..................
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I scanned for errors and replaced then got "a disk read error occurred"
Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart. The HD is Maxtor 160gb
Yes, I ran the tests and also formatted, there is some stuff still on it , do you think I should run some eraser software?
I am unsure if I should wipe the HD??? I mean before I continue.
Also, is it possible to take a different HD out of another working PC with Windows XP and install in the Emachines to get it running or does it have to be a new HDD and install the OS, which is my original prob?
I posted in the wrong area.
To add a video card what steps should I follow, just install and power on or do I need to enter the BIOS and uninstall the on-board video that came from the factory that is part of the MB? I already had done most of what you said except the card since I did not have one, the only other PC is also an onboard video card, so I can not use that. I placed all the CD's in the working PC and they all tested fine. I will reply after I try the different Video Card. Thanx.
I did get the HD running with a Window-Vista Upgrade CD but only for 30 days since it asked for an upgrade to a full install version that I decided not to purchase, so I believe the MB is still operational, and the Video Card from antoher unit had the same results. What is the relationship of the MB to the HD; is there a proprietary issue here and what of the flashing, you say that will not be possible? When I tried other HD's I got a full screen of picks, from Start in Safe Mode, With command prompt, etc....but neither of the selections work, it jjust keeps rebooting. If I had the funds I would but parts and build my own, I just wish I could understand what the MB-HD relationship is and why it worked well with the Vista upgrade CD, go figure!?
The only reason I rated 'thanks for trying' was because I really wanted to thank you and not being familiar with this web site[noob]I just wanted to say thanks' for assisting but I did not know that would 'lock-in' nor affect your ranking. As for the Emachines POS, I follow all your advice, even stuff I had already tried before you mentioned it. I have been trying to repair this PC for almost a year, I now understand why so many persons are unloading them on us innocent buyers, and this guy is a professor @ SDSU, go figure. The power supplies were a factor and there should of been a class action lawsuit against Emachines then and now! Their Gateway people are useless as a far as troubleshooting, I recommend no one purchase their brands. I have not been able to find a website that explains the MB-HD relationship, that would help I presume in my case.
Hi,
I have a emachine t2082. It runs fine with the onboard video, but, when i install a ati radeon 256mb video card, it wont boot up, pull the card out and she boots right up again, Ok so i tried a little trick, right when i boot up i plugged the card, (in the agp slot) and it works fine, but if i turn off its back to the same thing,I dont want to pull out the video card and reinsert everytime i boot up, i tried the card on another pc, and it boots fine, so the video card isnt at fault here, I went into the bios to see if I could disengage the video in the bios, i cant find it on this bios....help
Need restore cds for T3882
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