iv got a pretty old machine thats supposed to be running windowsxp home edition.
(20gb hdd, pentium3, 256mb)

the problem is i cant access my o/s and i cant even boot into dos.
iv tried reinstalling the o/s but im 'locked out' after the post and given a 'blue screen'. no error messages, no warnings, just a blue screen.

i then decided i am willing to loose any information on the hdd and i just want to wipe the entire thing clean (ie: format it) and il then reinstall xp.
but the bloody machine doesnt give me a chance to access dos, let alone even use the keyboard.

ANY way at all at getting me to a command prompt so i can format the machine, or is there any other way at formatting ur hdd?

http://www.bootdisk.com/

bada bing, bada boom.

cheers.
i tried my bootdisk but that didnt work.
il try one of these.

will nag u in future if it doesnt work

If that doesn't work, you probably fried your CPU.

If that's the case, then the only reason you can even acess the BIOS is because that runs off of a second numerical processor (a safeguard for overclocking).

Best way to check, swap out the HDD with one from another computer. If yours still doesn't boot, or worse - the other one does - you're screwed.

I'd say to give the PC to me, but you're an aussie so I can't pull my usual tricks... lol

HA!
judging from the state of the machine giz, i rekon itd be more profitable if i DONATE the money id use for postal charges to UGN rather than sending the machine.

and shadow, i swapped hdds with a machine that does work and it still doesnt boot to an o/s.
(although, i can now go as far as the startup screen for windows before i get the 'blue screen' again)
*shrug*
il let u know via PM how it goes.
looks like a lost cause.