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4627
May 18th, 2009 12:00
Help with Dimension 3100/E310
A couple of weeks ago my computer crashed. At first it just wouldn't go online with Firefox or IE, but it would download my email to Outlook Express. Someone suggested a Dr.Web Cureit program, so I ran that...and now it runs chkdsk as soon as it starts and ends in a blue screen with the error "session5_initialization_failed". The stop numbers are 0x00000071 (0x0000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000000). There are no other things listed after the stop. I went to the dell support website and got to the point where it said to run the diagnostics from the bios page, which I can get to, but there are no *boot* or *diagnostics* options there. I can download something from my laptop to a flashdrive and try to load it onto the desktop (which is how I did the Dr.Web Cureit) if I could find it on the web somewhere. The computer is 3 years old, and I cannot find the original disk that came with it anywhere.
Please tell me someone can help me. We homeschool and desperately need the computer in working order. My husband needs the laptop on occasion for work, and we would be in a dip pit on those days without the laptop. We can't afford to take it to someone to fix it, as my husband was out of work for 10 weeks at the beginning of the year.
Thanks...
jackshack
6.4K Posts
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May 18th, 2009 16:00
Is there data on the drive that you don't want to lose? If so, I suggest you post your question in the Malware Removal Forum. Please read the announcements at the top of the page before you post anything, and be patient as they are frequently very busy.
If you don't have data you wish to save from the drive, you can take the short-cut of simply replacing all the present information on the drive with the Dell back-up image. One way to tell if this feature is active on your computer is to watch the monitor during boot-up; you should see the Dell logo during self test, a blue bar at the top of the screen when self test is finished, followed by the message "Loading Descriptor for PBR-2...Done". If you see this you can start the computer, press CTRL and F11 during the self-test, release both keys simultaneously before you see the message about loading the descriptor for PBR-2. You should get a menu asking if you would like to restore your computer to factory settings. You should use this procedure only if there is nothing on the drive that you need to save because it wipes out all the data you saved to the hard drive. When it is done, the computer will be in the exact condition as the day you took it out of the carton.
dnkfreed89
3 Posts
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May 19th, 2009 05:00
Thank you for your help!
Apparently I don't have that option on my desktop. I can't remove anything from my computer because I can't get into it. It just automatically starts the chkdsk then gives me the blue error screen. I tried to go into the setup utility...which I can do....but I didn't see anything there that can help me. The computer won't boot up in safe mode any more either.
Is there a diagnostic program or something that I can download onto a disk and run on the desktop? Or do I need to get an XP disk?
jackshack
6.4K Posts
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May 19th, 2009 08:00
Again, assuming that you are using the original hard drive, if you could get the F12 menu to work you should be able to select Diagnostics from the menu. This works from its own partition on the hard drive and should not be affected by the troubles with your operating system.
You can also download an ISO version of the diagnostics here: Dell Diagnostics. Follow the first set of directions to burn this file to a CD. Once you have it you will need to boot from it.
I don't believe that you have a hardware problem, however. Everything seems to be working, but you don't have a bootable operating system. The ultimate solution may be to purchase a new hard drive, use the CDs that should have accompanied your computer to perform a new installation on that drive, and then connect your old drive as a second drive to see if you can transfer any of your old data to the new drive.
Edit: For most alternatives you must have the Windows installation CD. For example, if you have that CD you can try a repair installation that attempts to fix the operating system without deleting your data files. If you don't have one you should ask Dell to send you the CD. If you live in the U.S., you can try this form: Dell Replacement CD. If you live outside the U.S., you will need to contact Dell Tech Support for your region and ask.
dnkfreed89
3 Posts
0
May 19th, 2009 11:00
Thank you for your help.
I downloaded the ISO version of the diagnostics and burned it to a CD as you suggested. I tried to boot from the cd and got the error message that the selected boot device is not available. How do I fix that? Or is there a fix for it?
I also applied for a Dell Replacement CD...so if I don't figure it out before that arrives, that will be my next step.
Thank you.
jackshack
6.4K Posts
0
May 19th, 2009 14:00
How many DVD/CD drives do you have? If more than one, try the second drive. The optical drives are normally IDE for this computer and only the master drive will support booting. You should be able to use the F12 menu; once you have selected CD ROM drive as the boot device you should get a message to press any key to boot from CD. You must press a key or the computer will attempt to boot from the hard drive.
You can also press F2 during self test and use the system setup menu to make the optical drive the first device in the boot order. You should get the same message to press any key to boot from CD after starting the computer with the CD in the optical drive.