Good evening.
The following is a an update to an issue I posted earlier. I am hoping with this additional information someone can be of help...
I have an old computer (Dell Dimension 4100 P3 933 MHz) that my 3-year old uses. My computer recently died as a result of the power supply frying the mobo, so I purchased a new desktop. I wanted to have access to some of the files on the hard drive from my old desktop, so I installed it as a slave in my son's computer.
I installed it, booted it up... no problems.
The cover was still off of my son's computer and I decided to take a look to see if the memory from my old computer was compatible. Bad decision... His computer has 256MB RAM with an open second slot. I pulled out his memory to look at the slot and saw that the memory from my computer wouldn't fit. So I put the memory back in his computer and then powered it on and the fans spun, but the power led didn't illuminate and the hard drive wasn't spinning, though the hard drive led briefly flashed as did the CD-Rom led. The monitor displayed a blank screen. Generally when I boot his computer, the Dell logo appears right away and then Windows 2000 boots up. The Dell logo did not appear.
I have reset the memory three or four times, so I know it is sitting correctly. I have disconnected and re-connected the hard drive in the original configuration. I took out the CMOS battery and reset it.
Here is the UPDATE: On the advice of a member (not just any member, a guru actually), I took everything apart and put pieces in one by one. I could get the power led to stay illuminated with everything connected, but only if I left the RAM out of the slot or put it in the second slot. Even though I could get the power led on, I could never get anything to display on the monitor, because I assume that would require RAM. My thought is that this is an indication that the RAM is now bad or that I broke the primary RAM slot. I am going to try to get some working RAM to put in. If the primary slot is bad and the configuration is such that RAM has to be installed in that slot, I am probably hosed. I like to fiddle around (too much perhaps) and am smart enough to figure most things out, but am in no way a computer expert, so I would appreciate someone to confirm or straighten out my thinking for me.
Note: I bought the computer for $120, so I don't want to put any significant money into it. I will just go onto Craigslist if I have to and get a comparable machine for $100 or so.
Many thanks in advance,
Carlos
The following is a an update to an issue I posted earlier. I am hoping with this additional information someone can be of help...
I have an old computer (Dell Dimension 4100 P3 933 MHz) that my 3-year old uses. My computer recently died as a result of the power supply frying the mobo, so I purchased a new desktop. I wanted to have access to some of the files on the hard drive from my old desktop, so I installed it as a slave in my son's computer.
I installed it, booted it up... no problems.
The cover was still off of my son's computer and I decided to take a look to see if the memory from my old computer was compatible. Bad decision... His computer has 256MB RAM with an open second slot. I pulled out his memory to look at the slot and saw that the memory from my computer wouldn't fit. So I put the memory back in his computer and then powered it on and the fans spun, but the power led didn't illuminate and the hard drive wasn't spinning, though the hard drive led briefly flashed as did the CD-Rom led. The monitor displayed a blank screen. Generally when I boot his computer, the Dell logo appears right away and then Windows 2000 boots up. The Dell logo did not appear.
I have reset the memory three or four times, so I know it is sitting correctly. I have disconnected and re-connected the hard drive in the original configuration. I took out the CMOS battery and reset it.
Here is the UPDATE: On the advice of a member (not just any member, a guru actually), I took everything apart and put pieces in one by one. I could get the power led to stay illuminated with everything connected, but only if I left the RAM out of the slot or put it in the second slot. Even though I could get the power led on, I could never get anything to display on the monitor, because I assume that would require RAM. My thought is that this is an indication that the RAM is now bad or that I broke the primary RAM slot. I am going to try to get some working RAM to put in. If the primary slot is bad and the configuration is such that RAM has to be installed in that slot, I am probably hosed. I like to fiddle around (too much perhaps) and am smart enough to figure most things out, but am in no way a computer expert, so I would appreciate someone to confirm or straighten out my thinking for me.
Note: I bought the computer for $120, so I don't want to put any significant money into it. I will just go onto Craigslist if I have to and get a comparable machine for $100 or so.
Many thanks in advance,
Carlos
