KenB

Do you get any beeps after switching on? If you do - post the sequence here ( 1 long - 2 short for example ) No beeps is often indicating PSU / motherboard problems.

Glad it worked out for you :)

Can't edit previous post - time limit reached ! You should find it listed under "Communications" if it is found.

You could try running Belarc to see if it can pickup the Wireless Adapter. click here

Click on the arrow next to XP - Drivers and Utilities I see 4 Wireless options. This is why I asked if there was anything listed in Device Manager. I have an Acer and mine is Intel. On this basis alone - try the Wireless_Intel_3945 driver. If it is not the right one we can delete it and try another.

There is a Wireless drivers here against XP: Acer Europe - Service & Support, Drivers & Utilities, Downloads, Notebook, Extensa 5220 Does Device Manager give you a clue to the driver ?

Let us know the model number of your Acer.

Start > Run ..type in...devmgmt.msc ...ENTER Click the + next to Network Adapters Are there any yellow exclamation marks or red Xs ? If your wireless adapter is shown it should say something like WiFi Link 5100 AGN - is it ? Let us know your Operating System.

Hi, Try accessing the net - maximising the page and immediately closing using the red X whilst holding down CTRL. When you access the net again it should be full screen.

Switch off at the wall - leave the plug in to maintain earth (ground) connection. Disconnect all major connections ( power to hard drive / dvd / data cables from motherboard to hard drive and dvd drive) Take out all cards ( RAM / Video / Ethernet etc ) Unplug printer and any other external connections. leave only the 20(4) pin connection from the PSU connected. Switch on. Do you get POST beeps? If not you have a problem with either the PSU or motherboard. If you do get POST beeps then put the cards / connections back one at a time ( testing after each)

Hi, Check the boot order in the BIOS. Switch on and tap the DEL key. You should get a message on screen that says " Press **** to enter Setup" if DEL doesn't get you there. ( could be f2 or other ) Look for BOOT or BOOT ORDER or similar ( use the arrow keys ). All BIOS systems are different. Check the boot order. It should be 1.CDROM 2.Hard-drive then possibly other options. If it isn't then change the order ( select the hard-drive for instance and use the + key ) There is usually a pane on the right that gives you instructions how to alter the order. Try making the Hard drive first in the boot order if you are still having problems. You will need to Save ( usually f10 - it should say on screen ) and Exit.

As PseFrank says - don't overlook the obvious. Most laptops have a switch to turn on / off the wireless connectivity. This is sometimes positioned on the front and is easily turned off by accident.

Hi, If the motherboard is not exactly the same as the original Windows will recognise the major change of hardware and refuse to boot. The solution is to do a Repair Installation of XP. This will effectively correct the problem and allow you to keep your files / data intact. Do you have the original installation CD ( not recovery disks ) ? b-t-w ....we are neighbours ....I live near to Heswall :)

Happy Easter. The Egg Run is an annual event where I live. Over 2000 bikers deliver Easter Eggs to children in hospital. http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/11218331.jpg

Hi, There is another option: hard drive to USB adapter. see here This particular one fits 2.5" and 3.5" drives SATA and IDE. There are cheaper ones on the market. You would need to take a look at you drive to determine if it is SATA or IDE. SATA has just 4 cables where IDE has a big broad grey cable. If you have a desktop you have a 3.5" hard drive - laptop 2.5". You can use your son's external drive but it does mean that you have to take it apart ( not too difficult with most ) and your hard drive would need to be compatible with the enclosure - i.e. the same connections and size as the enclosed drive.

Glad to hear that you are up-and-running again :)

Sorry for the confusion - it should have read ...."....does the system restart". Take the video card out. Switch on. You will no doubt get POST beeps telling you there is something amiss. Let the system sit there ...... Does it restart? If not ....It sounds to me that your video card is the problem. A simple test would be to put your card in another system and see if that replicates the rebooting problem. Video Card repair: This wouldn't be cheap and may well be more expensive than a new card. The manufacturers may supply this service or suggest a recommended list of agents. Be very careful using unknown/un-recommended repairers.

You don't seem to be approaching this logically. Re. heatsink compound (just to confirm) Was this applied to the video card or the CPU heatsink on the motherboard? With ALL cards and connections off the motherboard does the system reboot ? If "no" then put the video card back in. Does it reboot now? If it does it looks as if the video card is the problem. You mentioned the hard drive ...... How did you come to this conclusion?

Hi, You have done exactly what I would so far :) Have you tried each RAM module in each slot individually ? Next step: Disconnect all external devices - monitor; printer etc. Switch off at tthe wall - leave the plug in to maintain the earth (ground) connection to the motherboard. Take the panel off and touch the bare metal chassis to discharge any static in you. Remove all cards ( Sound; video; ethernet; RAM etc ) from the motherboard. Remove all major connections ( DVD; Hard Drive ) from the motherboard. Leave ONLY the 20(4) way connector from the PSU connected. Switch on. You should get POST beeps - and it should not re-boot. Switch off and put the video card in (assuming it is not onboard video) Try again. It should not re-boot. Keep adding one item at a time until the re-boot problem is replicated. This identifies the hardware causing the problem. It could be the motherboard ( RAM slots ) - but post back with the results of the above.

Good to hear you are up and running again :)

Hi, Check that you have the slave drive jumper set in the "Slave" position. If you are using the same cable to connect both drives ( are you ? ) then ensure that the Master Drive is connected to the end and the slave drive to the centre connection. Are you using an 80 way cable? If you have a spare cable try swapping them over.

Hi, Let me be the first to welcome you to FPCH :)

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Hi, To fully answer your question you will need to post the motherboard make and number. If you don't know then post your computer make and exact model number. Basically PCIe 2.0 is about 3 years old. If your machine is much older than that then it is unlikely to be PCIe 2.0 compatible. The cards that are PCIe 2.0 are actually backwards compatible with PCIe. You would be able to use them but they would only run at PCIe speed and not at their full capability.

3 beeps is often linked to a problem with the RAM. Try taking the modules out and trying them one at a time - attempt to boot on each change. Try the modules in both slots. You didn't say if this is a desktop or laptop. If desktop : switch off at the wall but leave the plug in to maintain the earth (ground) connection. Take the panel off and touch the bare metal chassis to discharge any static in you. Release the locking clamps ( often while levers ) from the ends of the modules. Take them out and clean the contacts with a pencil eraser. Try them one at a time. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/DDR_on_DDR2_motherboard.jpg laptop: The modules are usually positioned under a removable panel underneath the machine.