Inspiron mini 1012 will not start-up

Question

Hi This is my first post and I'm hoping some kind knowledgeable person will be able to help solve my problem. My brothers girlfriends Inspiron mini 1012 will not start-up. It will power on but only go as far as the black screen with different options to start-up in e.g. safe mode, previous configuration, normal. None of these options work and just brings me back to the same black screen with options after briefly showing the Windows XP start screen and than a very quick flash of blue screen. I have run diagnostics an everything passes, no errors found. Before someone suggests F8 this does nothing except make the laptop sound a loud ringing noise. The same happens if Ctrl F11 are pressed. The only Fn options are F2 & F12 and neither has the option of restoring the laptop back to previous or factory options. Can anyone help?

DELL-Nikhil D1 · Answer

Hi Pensham,

Please refer this link to restore the system to factory settings for Windows XP operating system: http://dell.to/13MzsYe

If the steps do not help, the only option to set the computer to factory settings is to reinstall the operating system.

As Inspiron Mini 1012 does not have an optical drive, you need to connect external USB optical drive to install the Operating system from CD.

Please post the results.

Pensham · Answer

Thank you for replying. I re-tried the Crtl + F11 way but with no success. I do not have an external USB optical drive. What should I do? And can you explain why this may have happened to the laptop.

ejn63 · Answer

Could be a bad hard drive - press f12 at powerup, boot to the Dell diagnostics and run an extended hard drive test.

Pensham · Answer

Hi

From F12 Boot Menu I have the following options:

CD/DVD/BD-ROM

Removable Devices

Network Boot

Diagnostics

Enter Set-up

I have selected Diagnostics and let it run including the extended test and the Pre-boot System Assessment diagnostic test has identified no problems.

DELL-Nikhil D1 · Answer

Hi Pensham, Please connect an external monitor to the VGA port on the laptop and check if there is any display after the Dell logo on the external monitor. Please post the results.

Pensham · Answer

Hi Hooked up a monitor and there is only black screen after the Windows XP screen (after choosing one of the options mentioned above)

DELL-Nikhil D1 · Answer

Hi Pensham,

As I mentioned in my previous post, you need to reinstall the Operating system in the computer. As you do not have an external optical drive, please follow the steps suggested in this link to install Windows XP from a USB drive: http://dell.to/145NdBo

Please let me know how it goes.

Pensham · Answer

Thank you for all your help. That link just takes my to Dell.com

I don't have an external optical drive so I think I'm just going to tell the laptops owner that its a corrupt hard drive and she would be better of investing in something else. She was only using the laptop to browse the internet so nothing important was on it.

Again thank you for all your help!

DELL-Nikhil D1 · Answer

Hi Pensham, Apologies for the inconvenience. Please refer this link: http://bit.ly/bJUPj8 You may try the steps suggested in the above link and check.

Locked Topics – Laptops General

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