Computer help forum: Won't load BIOS settings, getting a crazy screen with a bunc

excuse my lack of knowledge. but wouldn't replacing the motherboard, mean basically having to reconstruct a whole new computer?

could it possibly be a hard drive issue?

how would i find out what type of motherboard my computer currently has?

I will start looking into that now..
thanks for some sort of direction, Ill post what ever happens.

ok so a few things.. first thing (diagnostic lights) And ton of them went off, great right? XP .. I did my best to discern which ones came up (not too difficult) and after writing down exactly what happened every time. i got tired of that and just started following the codes and there corresponding issues. Doing what i could to "reseat" any thing it called for.. Here are the ones i wrote down

First code: Lights 3, 4
(Memory modules are detected but a memory failure has occurred)

Second code: Lights 2, 4
(a possible graphics card failure has occurred)

Third code: Lights 1, 2, 3
(Another failure has occurred) : as listed

-Ensure that all hard drive and CD/DVD cables are properly connected to the system board (see System Board Components).
[[ Checked and all connections are secure and good]]

-If there is an error message on your screen identifying a problem with a device (such as the floppy drive or hard drive), check the device to ensure that it is functioning properly.
[[The Only screen I am getting is the one posted earlier / Photo ]]

-If the operating system is attempting to boot from a device (such as the floppy drive or hard drive), check system setup (see System Setup Program) to ensure the boot sequence is correct for the devices installed on your computer.
[[Cant access the BIOS settings, so cant ensure proper sequencing]]

that's all i recorded.. but a few more played out.. bottom line i did all i could to "reseat" the pieces and connections. All cards looked to my untrained eye, to be fine.(but what do i know)

BUT!! durring one of the inspections i was to carefully remove the processor and re connect it (have not done that yet) but have removed the heat sink off the top. This is an image of it Photo (I know its blurry, but that white stuff around it seems to be glue? maybe corrosion?) In any place I wanted to check to see.. Maybe that is the issue? Before I continue any further with my diagnostics. I do not know how they should look, this is why im asking. maybe from overheating... idk.. haha so again sorry for any information I post that is not very helpful, but bear with me and I'll do my best to give you the information you need to help me fix this:)

That's heat paste. Necessary to cool the processor. There can't be enough of it.

So now we know that either the motherboard or the processor has gone south. I'd go and start looking for the best way to get this computer recycled. Any time and money spent on repairing this 5 year old laptop is wasted.

Kees

I understand where your coming from.. but seeing how a new computers are not very cheap.. and I basically plan to use this to run simple games that my laptop has issues with like, league of legends... firefall... ect. my laptop is a p.o.s and cant handle it.. so I say under 150$ in parts and its better of then a whole new system no?

unless you think the whole deal is going to be much more costly in the end.

is not a good investment.

I refuse to work on these old PC's any longer. Nothing is hardly worth fixing or upgrading anymore when you can buy a PC for 399.00.

Thanks every one for your time and opinions.. Ill try to make due with what info you guys have given me, might take me a few days to post any new updates (have more important things coming up) but after I do all that is recommended ( and if i can keep it under a fairly cheap price range ) I'll give you the results.

much appreciated

Ok so I managed to ( after clearing the passwords and cmos.) As well as, disconnecting almost everything from the mother board then reconnection.. i was able to get to this screen Photo

but i still cannot get into the computer (as in access the accounts) any ideas?

So you can get into the BIOS setup. That's nice and a good starting point.

But since you didn't tell what happens after a normal boot, it's impossible to tell what's wrong. So to exclude all Wndows issues that would lead to a repair or reinstall of Windows, start with booting from an Ubuntu cd/dvd and look around the machine.
If that works OK, even with everything connected to the motherboard again and you can see all filles on the hard disk, it's time to start thinking about Windows.

Kees

Alright well, if I boot it up normally and touch nothing. I get a screen looking like this photo. similar to my original problem, (photo). But not exactly the same.

Now if I push F2 it will run me through a screen that looks similar to the first above pic I posted.. but then takes me to the actual BIOS settings screen. (I have already tried setting the cd drive to play first and put in the installation disk) it took me almost all the way though the process but at the final stages, I get an error box saying there was an error and the installation could not complete. Press ok to restart your computer and continue installation (the only option available btw is to, press ok.) so the computer automatically restarts, and the same error comes up time and time again.

IF, I push F12 I end up with this. (Photo)
What it looks like, is just like a bunch of jumbled up selections.. I'm actually able to scroll over these and pick one. (The whited out bar is one that i can make out to say OSystemOSetup)

If you guys would like i can pick each selection and give a detailed list of what happens.. but ive already gone through them all and they take me to various places. One goes to the Bois settings..Two take me to this crazy looking Diagnostics screen.. and the others take me again to even yet more so testing/Diagnostics screens.
so if it would help i can take more pics so you can see where the selections lead me?

It is looking more and more like a bad motherboard (all the component problems indicated by the lights) or a corrupt BIOS.

Go back to my original post and look through the manual and especially the second link on setup -
http://forums.cnet.com/7723-6122_102-584989/won-t-load-bios-settings-getting-a-crazy-screen-with-a-bunc/#message5421149

Make use of the info on that link to clear any CMOS passwords and if possible try to manually update the BIOS (if you can it would overwrite the possibly corrupt BIOS and quite possibly eliminate the problem).

The links I provided also step you through the BIOS settings so you might want to go through them and set each to its defaults.

Is that the same as the password jumper (CLRPSWD) and the clear CMOS jumper (CLRCMOS)

Because if so.. I've already done that the first time you recommended it. If your saying I should do it again then by all means I will. Just wanted to be clear to let you know It's already been done:)


thanks!

OK to everybody that has helped me with this forum, Thank you a million!! I'm actually starting to build a whole new computer for myself. One day I will most likely end up just replacing the mother board in the xps' system, to save me the head ache. But I did learn allot from all the links you guys provided me with, as well as from you yourself! So again.. Thanks to all.

I will be sure to use this site in the future!

Great help:)