Computer help forum: How to start troubleshooting computer issue

on a functioning machine points to hardware problems. Before we get started, how adept are you at opening the case and getting your hands inside? Do you know the components? If yes, holler back. If not, get local professional help.

I'm assuming you have backups of any and all important documents, pictures, etc. Reason being is that sometimes professional repair can cost more than a new machine and the backups can be put on the new machine.

Let us know your expertise.

when you mentioned reboots. Have you done a cleaning of the fans? Overheating will cause what you describe.

Hardware: Disconnect hard drive, optical drive, and remove RAM sticks. Power up. You should get to the BIOS and then a failure of operating system found. If you get there, plug in the hard drive. See if you get to Windows. If so, start plugging everything back in, one at a time. This may find a failed device or RAM stick. If it still fails on the first steps it may be the power supply. May be! It could also be the motherboard. If so, you may be better off replacing the entire machine. And, yes, the HD will move to a new machine and can be used as a slave. I'd put it into an external drive case.

Good luck.

is a good idea but FIRST you should actually access the BIOS and see if your hard drive is showing up because from what you describe the hard drive may have died.

IF the drive shows up the diagnostics should be run. IF it does not show up you might try a UBCD or any of the Linux live cd distros to see if y some chance they can access the drive to recover files.

You ought to also provide the make and model of your computer for better assistance - I, for instance, would be interested to know the make and model of a computer that has a processor light that is usually blinking (all I am familiar with have such a light for the HARD DRIVE and if it stops blinking either the light or the drive is dead).