[Macboatmaster]

The first and most urgent task is to install an anti-virus.
If you have a paid subscription I presume you will wish to use that.

If you were using a free edition I recommend this one, there are many others to choose from, but this is the one I use and it is recommended on Geeks
http://www.microsoft...ity_essentials/

If you do not have network connection or sound etc or high quality graphics you will ned to go to the Dell site link. I gave you in the first place,,Drivers and downloads select desktop optiplex, 755 and then your operating system ie XP - make sure you select the XP and not the XP 64 bit. You can then type in your service tag.
Obviously if you cannot connect you will have to go in on the other computer follow the above and select your network driver download and install on this computer.

Deal with just the network first, we can sort the others out later.
Then ASAP get the anti-virus.

NB Re above you have the drivers disc I think, that will do for the time being and then we can go Dell later and get the updated ones.

Edited by Macboatmaster, 17 December 2010 - 10:40 AM.

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just popped in to let you know that i can't be around tonight or indeed tomorrow should be back around sunday late afternoon if thats ok for you, if not at your earliest convenience, family commitments im afraid, will get back to the task in hand then hopefully

regards

shotgun425

[shotgun425]

just popped in to let you know that i can't be around tonight or indeed tomorrow should be back around sunday late afternoon if thats ok for you, if not at your earliest convenience, family commitments im afraid, will get back to the task in hand then hopefully

regards

shotgun425

[Macboatmaster]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654

When you have sorted out the anti-virus please do this - INSTALL the recovery console as a boot option.
This saves having the problem of :-
1. Cannot find the CD
2. The Cd has become scratched or worn
etc.

Follow the advice in the link for install recovery console as boot option.
DO THIS BEFORE you do the updates.

Edited by Macboatmaster, 17 December 2010 - 06:40 PM.

[shotgun425]

i thought we were getting somewhere, loaded drivers from disk then set about loading anti virus i could not for thr life of me get the wireless connection working, the only way i got it going was to use my o2 dongle and its associated software and the it loaded easily, went to the microsoft page to load the anti virus you suggested, started to load but then i got a message saying i needed to load another component to run it somthing to do with the fact that i have service pack 2 and it required service pack 3, computer then asked me to reboot so i did and now what we have is the computer loads up to the blue windows page that shows the names of the users on it that you click to open windows but the cursor is stuck in the middle of the page and won't move also the keyboard locks up can now get into safe mode though so will wait and see what you think im guessing some form of hardware crash that is causing this but thats just a guess.

oh yes numbers on front of the computer all flash when loading up but when it gets to the blue page no numbers showing

Edited by shotgun425, 19 December 2010 - 04:18 AM.

[Macboatmaster]

go on safe mode to start click run type cmd
in the cmd window at the prompt
type "chkdsk c: /r"
agree the message to run on restart
and restart in safe mode.
When safe mode then opens again, it will be sometime
Go Control panel, administrative functions, event viewer click application on the left hand pane. In the main window scroll down to the winlogon heading and double click it.
That will be your chkdsk results.
If there are bad sectors the disk is failing.
If there are file errors, but no bad sectors then other hardware is faulty.
Post back with the results please

[shotgun425]

ok into safe made select operating system, press enter. lots of text lines come up about multi disk partitions, drivers and such, the goes into black screen says safe mode in the corners then goes into blue windows scrren to select user name which also has administrator as well, but same thing keyboard locked and mouse not working

[Macboatmaster]

Just to ack your post details to follow

Edited by Macboatmaster, 20 December 2010 - 11:48 AM.

[Macboatmaster]

http://www.hitachigs.../downloads/#DFT

Se this please and either create the floppy disc for the Drive Fitness Test, if the computer you are going to use AND this one has a floppy OR create the Drive Fitness Test CD.

I think it best to test the hard drive and ensure we have the results. You will remember that after running chkdsk we could not get the results from event viewer, as we had the keyboard problem.
You then installed Windows and it all appeared to work, so it is reasonable to presume that we either have a failing hard drive, to which are installed the mouse and keyboard drivers for windows and the files then become corrupt, as sectors of the drive fail, OR we have another problem.
LETS start please with the hard drive test.
On the download link you will see the user guide - run the Drive Fitness Test pls.

Edited by Macboatmaster, 20 December 2010 - 12:03 PM.

[shotgun425]

sorry to be a pain, im a little cofused as i said a lot of this is way above me but it looks like i need a floppy drive or a cd drive on a different computer to produce this item

i'm using a netbook at present and have no way of producing a disk as it has no drives at all. The computer that is giving us all the problems has both

i think i am right if not my apoligies

Edited by shotgun425, 20 December 2010 - 01:15 PM.

[shotgun425]

thinking about it i could get someone to make it for me and hopefully pick it up tomorrow

[shotgun425]

ok thats sorted should have a disc tomorrow, it's 8.30pm and im off to bed awful day today on the post and tomorrow another 5am start and more of the same, oh happy days

[Macboatmaster]

OK speak when you have run that.
I do not envy you the 0500hrs in this weather.

[shotgun425]

sorry will be another day im afraid,unforseen circumstances.

[shotgun425]

have made disc have loaded and

BOOT:couldn't find NTLDR
please insert another disc

so i have decided to let someoone else have a go, the it guy at work apparentley, like yourself, knows his stuff so he is going to have a look for me. turns out he has sorted quite a few of the guys systems for them and even built a couple, so before i lose the will to live im passing it over to him

i would like to thank you for your help,time and patience in trying to help me with this problem, i am very grateful,

i of course post back on this site to let you and others know the outcome and cause of issue so that it may be of some help to others at some point

once again many thanks

[Macboatmaster]

OK best of luck, sorry I could not sort it.
It is always easier of course when you have the computer in fromt of you and with the avaiability of the test programs ready made and the benefit of other computer parts to test the various one of yours.