My computer died!!!!!!!!!!

This is unbelievably agonizing and stressful! Couldn't have happened at a worse time since we just spent a ton of money updating the house ( new blinds for all th windows and a new ceiling fan) and the holiday's are around the corner.


Not to mention I have lost all my preset passwords and bookmarks - I feel like vomiting!

Gonna have to bite the bullet and replace it this weekend and would like to know what you guys recommend. I know macs are good but I can't deal with additional stress of learning a new system right now......

Are you sure it is completely dead, sometimes a faulty video card can cause your computer to not start. Did your computer have a separate video card or one integrated into the motherboard?

If your computer has a separate video card, I'd start with that first.

2nd, I would get the power supply tested (People at Altex can do that) and see if it needs to be replaced.

3rd, last resort would be replacing the motherboard

I just saw this thread. My apologies for not responding sooner.
First of all, if you will post specifics about the nature of your computer problem, I might be able to give you some concrete suggestions on how to proceed with troubleshooting.
But if you are already beyond that stage, and you are strictly looking for suggestions on a new computer, here are my thoughts.
I have purchased several computers over the years. My favorite manufacturer is Velocity Micro. When you examine the innards, you see that they are nicely and carefully assembled. All the wires are tucked out of the way and neatly routed in bundles. The operating systems are shipped clean with out all the crap free offers and software that other mfrs. put on their machine. When I get a computer from elsewhere, I have to spend a couple of hours sometimes cleaning stuff up so that I do not have a lot of crap that I don't want running in the background. Website: http://www.velocitymicro.com/.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/guides/2010/09/the-ars-system-guide-september-2010-edition.ars
This website has a guide to all the recommended components for people building their own gaming machines. It shows a Budget Box, Hot Rod, and God Box addressing three different price points in the market. While oriented towards the do it yourselfer, it will give you an idea of what components to look for in a machine.

Well when I came home I had no signal to my monitor so I shut my computer off manually and turned it back on - it started to boot back up just like normal and the windows was even coming on then it made a noise and went out. Tried restarting again and all I get is a dos screen that says no boot file found or something like that. I think my hard drive went out but Im not sure - have previously replaced the power supply and the hard drive. If it were the video card I dont think I would be getting any image at all ...........


Sister had a dell with an i5 processor and 8G - may need to go through best buy b/c I don't have the $$$ to buy a custom unit out of pocket.

Look at getting a Mac Mini.

A lot more reliable than a windows machine, and you can use your old mouse, keyboard, and display.

Seriously, if money is an issue, total cost of ownership is much less in the long run. And you get a teacher's discount!

If you put in the Windows OS cd, can you boot up the computer?
Have you recently installed new software or downloaded any suspicious material? If you are have a corrupted boot file, you might be able to repair it from the Windows cd. On the other hand, if you have a virus on your system, after repairing the corrupt file, you will have to thoroughly purge your system of it. Or you might need to reformat the hard drive and reinstall windows.

You can also try to do a system restore. As you are booting up with the Windows cd, tap the F8 key about once a second. You will get a screen offering you the option of entering safe mode, and with it a chance to return to a former system restore point. Select one which predates your problem.

You can test the video card very simply by removing it. Your MB should have onboard video, and if everything runs well without the video card, then the video card is the culprit.

Well.... I can't find any of my system restore disks and I am nearly certain it is the hard drive - it has been making a winding noise for almost a year now I have just been in denial. Thankfully my boyfriend backed up my entire system on a portable hard drive last summer, so not everything was lost. He has set me up on my own user profile on his pc til we can figure out what to do. I know what I want, but its a tad expensive, so I'm waiting to see if it will go on sale over the next few weeks with the Holidays coming and all.

My sister has a Dell (bought in September) with an i5 processor/8G , but apparently they don't make that model with i5 anymore it only comes with i7 and its a good deal more :(

Well, if you think it is the hard drive, you can test this theory by swapping out your HD for your boyfriend's and see if boots up fine and runs. If it does, then all you need is a new HD which you can buy for less than $100 plus the cost of a new OS (unless you can find your Windows CD). Replacing a HD is really easy to do. There are 4-6 screws and a plug to remove -- then you pull out the old drive and put in the new one. Format it, and you are in business.

that's a good idea.........I just hate spending money on a system with an old processor andOS - it is windows XP.

I found a dell with an i3 processor and 6G which isn't a bad deal for 599.....

I am wondering how much RAM I really need and what speed of processor. I do sometimes work from home and need to be able to run dreamweaver and photoshop concurrently. PLus I would like to be able to do some video editing - plan to learn how. I am leaning to getting the most I can afford b/c I think I will need it later on down the line - plan to keep it a long long time if I can.

Hard drives are cheap. And if gets your computer running, you can always remove it and put it into your next computer, or buy an external HD enclosure and use it for backup. But, you know best.

not a bad idea since I can't really afford what I want now
- if I bought a hard drive at altex could they format it with windows XP for me? I don't have any of the recovery discs no clue what happened to them

I don't know that store. I imagine that if you buy a copy of Windows, they will do it. I doubt that they would have XP for sale though.

Blondie wrote:I found a dell with an i3 processor and 6G which isn't a bad deal for 599.....

I also need a new computer. Mine is too slow! I want an i7 but it's currently out of my price range. I bought a case from Newegg a few months ago, hoping to build a computer myself but haven't done it yet.

My sister got a steal of a deal on her Dell but prices have gone back up since August when everything was discounted for back to school. I am waiting in hopes that prices will drop again, though I am sure George is eager for me to get one and get off of his.

OK so the ordeal is over - ended up getting an ASUS



# Asus - Essentio Desktop / Intel® Core™ i5 Processor / 6GB Memory / 1TB Hard Drive
Model:CM5675-09| SKU:1243294|
# Asus - 20" Widescreen Flat-Panel TFT-LCD Monitor - Black
Model:VE205N| SKU:9704638|
# Lexmark - Lexmark Impact Wireless All-In-One Printer
Model:S301| SKU:1098329|

Maximize your favorite multimedia with this high-powered desktop, monitor and printer package (CM5675-09, VE205N, S301).

Key features: Intel® Core™ i5-650 processor; 6GB memory; 1TB hard drive; Windows 7 Home Premium; HDMI output; 20" widescreen LCD monitor and wireless 3-in-1 printer included
Features

* Desktop also features: Intel® Turbo Boost Technology; double-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW drive; Intel® HD graphics; 16-in-1 media reader
* Monitor features: Ultrafast 5 ms response time; 1000:1 contrast ratio (50,000:1 with Asus Smart Contrast Ratio); 1600 x 900 maximum resolution in 16:9 HD plus format; DVI-D with HDCP and D-Sub connectors
* Printer features: Built-in wireless networking (802.11b/g/n); up to 4800 x 1200 optimized dpi resolution in color; built-in card slots for PC-free photo printing; flatbed design for scans and copies; 100-page input tray