[rshaffer61]

Try looking at this Tutorial it was written by one of our own Techs and has pretty good step by step instructions on how to build a system. It will show you the interior of the system and hopefully help you out a lot.

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Hello rschaffer61,
Thank you for the link,most useful.I also got abook with diagrams and lots of big clear photos. Then I looked on U-TUBE where I found lots of videos showing how to clean out the inside of a computer.Watched a few.Got a can of compressed air this morning.Took off side panel of compuer and touched a bare metal part of the frame and then blew out as much dust as Icould holding vacuum hose under one arm to suck that which was released.The can has soft drinking straw like tube and by bending it I was able to get just about everywhere.
I gently pushed home every cable with a connector on it's end.Put back side panel, plugged back power supply.

[puzzledb]

Hello rschaffer61,
Thank you for the link,most useful.I also got abook with diagrams and lots of big clear photos. Then I looked on U-TUBE where I found lots of videos showing how to clean out the inside of a computer.Watched a few.Got a can of compressed air this morning.Took off side panel of compuer and touched a bare metal part of the frame and then blew out as much dust as Icould holding vacuum hose under one arm to suck that which was released.The can has soft drinking straw like tube and by bending it I was able to get just about everywhere.
I gently pushed home every cable with a connector on it's end.Put back side panel, plugged back power supply.

[rshaffer61]

Did it help speed everything up and is the issue still happening?

[puzzledb]

Hello rschaffer61,
Thank you for the link,most useful.I also got abook with diagrams and lots of big clear photos. Then I looked on U-TUBE where I found lots of videos showing how to clean out the inside of a computer.Watched a few.Got a can of compressed air this morning.Took off side panel of compuer and touched a bare metal part of the frame and then blew out as much dust as Icould holding vacuum hose under one arm to suck that which was released.The can has soft drinking straw like tube and by bending it I was able to get just about everywhere.
I gently pushed home every cable with a connector on it's end.Put back side panel, plugged back power supply.
Started up and got to and got to desktop but mouse cursor still stuck at screen centre.Whilst machine was starting got the usual black screen with lots of numbers on it and when I see the flashing cursor I have to press escape and then Windows loads in the normal way.However on the black screen I am still seeing the message saying "Media test failure-check cable".I am sure I pushed home all the connectors but not knowing what I am doing I might have missed something.For the moment I am trying many restarts as experience has shown that this does sometimes work.I don't have to power off as I can press the Windows logo and by using the direction arrow keys select turn off.Do you think that there is intermitent contact taking place?

With best regards,

Dave

[rshaffer61]

"Media test failure-check cable"

It seems you may have a faulty ribbon going to your hard drive.
We can check to see if the bis identifies the hd correctly by doing the following.
Turn the system on and then normally click DEL to enter the Bioe or Setup area.
In here please DO NOT change any setting without being instructed to do so. Failure to do this could result in your system being completely tendered unusable
Now depending on the bios you should be seeing the page that shows the hd's. Is the hd being shown as the first device?
If you have the two column type bios on the right one is there a line that says Auto Detect hard Drives or something like that?

[puzzledb]

Hello rschaffer61,
No, mouse still stuck at screen centre.On starting I always get black screen with lots of lines of numbers.Amongst this I see this "Media test failure-check cable".Whenever I see that I know that the mouse will be stuck.This problem comes and goes and when it is working I do not get that message.From experience I know that after many restarts it works and all is OK for a few hours.When frozen I click on the Windows logo and select turn off computer using the arrow keys and enter key. This all semms to be some kind of intermittent connection problem or so I guess.

With best regards,

Dave.

[rshaffer61]

Not sure what your last post is suggesting as my last post starts as soon as you turn the system on. The mouse is not in use in the Bios area.
Also are you using a USB mouse on a USB connection or with a PS2 adapter?
Are you using a PS2 mouse with the round connector connected tot he PS2 connection?
Have you tried a different USB connection?
Other then the mouse is everything working correctly?

On starting I always get black screen with lots of lines of numbers

This is very vague to what you are explaining. In normal boot up you will see POST screens with lot of information on them. On a Safe Mode boot you will see a lot of lines that seem to repeat about loading drivers but only the last few words in each line will be different.; Which are you seeing?

[puzzledb]

Hello rschaffer61,
Thank you for swift replies.I will do as you suggest and report result.Can't do it right now as I have an appointment in the city at 2pm GMT.I will be back about 3:30pm.

With best regards,

Dave.

[rshaffer61]

OK thank you and no problem as I am here for the day. I am in Central time so it's early here.

[puzzledb]

Hello rschaffer61
Just got back from the city.
Before I begin to carry out your last instructions there is something I need to tell you in case it has some bearing on what to do.
I start by switching on the monitor then the computer.After about 5 seconds the screen goes grey with Packard Bell logo in white.At the bottom I see,
PRESS[ESC]SWITCH SCREEN [F2]BIOS SETUP [F8]BOOT DEVICE
I just wait and screen goes black with lots of lines flashing by and it is near the end that I see "Media test failure-check cable", followed by a blinking cursor.Then I press escape key and Windows begins to load.
You say look at the BIOS.Could I do this by pressing F2 instead of pressing delete on starting up?
I am sorry if I'm causing confusion,perhaps I can clarify things a bit.At present with mouse stuck at the screen center I am using a USB laser type mouse but it does not light up when tried in any of the USB ports.I have tried another mouse of the same type also in all of the ports.Also tried each of the mouse devices with a USB to PS2 adaptor but no result using this method either.USB ports all seem to be receiving power because when I plug in a removable memory stick it lights up in each.
I think I may have sent a part message before as I accidentally hit the wrong keys.

With best regards,

Dave.

[rshaffer61]

You say look at the BIOS.Could I do this by pressing F2 instead of pressing delete on starting up?

Yes you can
Try a true PS2 mouse and let me know

[puzzledb]

Hello rschaffer61,
OK I pressed the F2 key and now have in front of me a screen headed BIOS SETUP UTILITY.
Underneath it says going across the screen MAIN ADVANCED POWER BOOT EXIT.I wanted to exit this and so I went across using the arrow keys until it got to EXIT.On the left is a column saying reading down from the top Exit & Save Changes (this highlighted in white)
Exit & Discard Changes (this is in deep blue)
Discard Changes (this is in deep blue)

Load SETUP defaults (also in deep blue)

Using the arrow keys I can move up and down this list.Which should I pick?
As I said the top one is highlighed.
On the right is a column saying, Exit system setup after saving changes.
F10 key can be used for this operation.
Can you please tell me what to do as I do not want to mess things up.
I have copied down every thing that I saw when the BIOS screen first came on.It was on main at that time & I will let you have this next time I post after I have got out of the BIOS screen.

With best regards,

Dave.

[rshaffer61]

Ok try going into the Main section. Does it show your HD in it?
If not then try the Boot area.
When done as long as you have not changed any settings then you can click on the F10 to save and exit. If you need something changed I will let you know.

[puzzledb]

Hello rschaffer61
OK I pressed F10 and now there is a box saying "Save configuration changes and exit now?" Underneath it says that I can choose OK or Cancell.The OK is highlighted and commnsense says press on enter for that.But I have not made any configuration changes and so I'm a bit puzled to get this message.
Should I accept the OK option?

With best regards,

Dave.

[rshaffer61]

Yes accept