need some help with my media PC

[Warfarer]

Well in Alabama last week tornadoes and lightning storms were everywhere and apparantly my media PC got hit by lightning.

Symptoms: It was turned off when I got home and now when I try to boot, it sometimes goes to the Windows XP load screen and resets itself to the bios screen and continues looping. I tried to reinstall XP on it adn it locks up trying to use the dvd burner now. I have no idea what the deal is with it.

Any ideas?

[thelord68]

Did you try booting from the Windows CD or try booting into Safe Mode (F8)?

If either of those works, then the hard drive could be screwed. If it still does the same thing, then a component (motherboard, RAM, video card, etc.) is screwed.

Disconnect everything from the motherboard execpt for hard drive and try booting. If this works, then it is one of those components (DVD drive, etc).

Also, try blowing out the CMOS via JP1 or by removing the battery and reinstalling. Sometimes the settings get scrambled after a power surge/blackout.

[coolyellowbus]

Any ideas?


sounds like you let all the magic smoke out.