Compaq dies after 45 second boot up

[KA5ROW]

My wife's computer( Compaq ) powers up for maybe 45 seconds, Windows XP has the blue line that runs at the bottom and that is far as it goes, and it shuts down. The CPU fan is still running and the P/S fan is running. You just hear a click and it dies. My thought is the hard drive.

Part Two

If that is so. And I install a new drive will the original O/S Cd's let me reinstall? or will it make me buy a like drive from Compaq.

 

[JCB1]

if you are hearing a click noise I guess this is a faulty hard-drive. You can try to clone the hard-drive to another hard drive with this guide ( Clone your hard drive with Ghost ) I think this will be the best course of action to take

 

[lhuser]

Well, to begin with, what happens when you turn it on? Do you see anything on the screen?