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Question

Help!! Dell XPS M1530 Won't Let Me Access Desktop

Aug 6, 2017 2:29PM PDT

A while ago, I got a Dell XPS M1530 but after a while it wouldn't startup correctly. If i turn it on, the lights flash and the Dell loading screen greets me. I can still press F4 and F12 to view information but after the Dell loading screen completes my screen turns to a blue screen with white text (which resembles the blue screen of death), but black vertical lines cover letters so I cannot read the text. Has system32 been deleted?

I'm not sure if anyone here can help, but i tried posting on the Dell forum but there was no post button.

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
Let's try to avoid the nuclear option.
Aug 6, 2017 2:43PM PDT

What about all the Safe Modes of the OS you are running? (I can guess it's Windows but not which one.) Safe mode and how is on the web.

Hitting the pause button for now.

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Tried safe mode
Aug 7, 2017 11:14AM PDT

I tried safe mode but it came up with a message, I wrote the whole thing down in this post but accidentally reloaded the page, it had an error code or something aswell. Basically, it just told me to check for viruses and terminate hard drives and hard drive controllers. I tried safe mode again, but the same thing happens, now when I press F8 it comes up with the blue screen with white writing and black bars on it. By the way, I'm on Windows 7 but on selecting safe node it says its windows xp

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This sounds like some Frankenstein.
Aug 7, 2017 11:29AM PDT

That is, maybe they had XP, upgraded to 7 and left it as a mess.

If this was at the shop we would give the nod to a new HDD (these are cheap) so the old HDD would be left as-is in a USB case or installed as a second HDD so the owner could fish out their files.

Yes you could try installing Windows 7 over the top to see if it can be cleared up or try Antivirus CDs (many at https://livecdlist.com/purpose/windows-antivirus/ ) but back to why we pop in a new blank HDD or SSD.

Why? Because repairing the installed OS is hit or miss and may cause what files are there to vanish.

Yes, I've fixed too many of these but the owners invariably claim files are missing even when you had to do something like create a new user account. Windows and corrupt profiles are historic so that's why I do that. No, I don't think it's a corrupt profile. It's an example of many situations where you know to preserve the files as best you can.

OK, now that we have covered files and backups, try a few antivirus scans from https://livecdlist.com/purpose/windows-antivirus/

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Bit confused...
Aug 8, 2017 4:55PM PDT

So do I buy a new hard disk drive and replace the current one? Then do I download a antivirus program (from the list you sent me) on another computer and put it on a disk and insert that disk into my machine?

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Not sure which direction you want to go.
Aug 8, 2017 5:07PM PDT

If you want to see if there is a virus on the HDD, the list has bootable CD/USB "Live" Antivirus scanners you can see if they can help.

But the story to me reads like it's time to pull the old drive out for safe keeping, install a new blank drive then install the OS, drivers, etc. and once it's working copy in the files from the old HDD.

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PS. If you don't have restore media, OS discs or such.
Aug 8, 2017 5:25PM PDT
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Thank you :)
Aug 11, 2017 4:58AM PDT

I have a Dell Inspiron 6400 and I took the HDD out of that and put it in my Dell XPS M1530. Now it works!!! Thanks for your help Happy (if you're wondering why I didn't just use the Inspiron, it's because that one had a cracked screen and I didn't think it could be fixed)

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About the Dell screen
Aug 12, 2017 7:25AM PDT
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It's dead again
Aug 20, 2017 8:08AM PDT

Okay so my computer was running fine on w10 so i was playing gmod on it and i had forgotten to put the battery into it. After that, the charger was unplugged so after restarting it came up with the troubleshoot screen so i did a reset that would delete everything exept my personal files but that got stuck on 8% and wouldn't go any further. So i had to restrore the system to the last working point so i left it to do that for about 4 hours and it told me to restart and my computer doesnt restart correctly so i let it restart and turned it on myself and it came up with the troubleshoot screen. I tried starting in safe mode and it made me restart the computer and after i turned it on it just came up with a purple loading screen that just turned to black eventually. Now it just comes up with a black screen and i cant get past that point. I can do On+D but that doesn't do anything but flash colours

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Answer
That's interesting mix
Aug 6, 2017 4:54PM PDT

the vertical lines could indicate a bad video cable that goes through the hinge, but the loading screen that displays DELL appears OK? I wonder if the laptop monitor has a video chip for displaying the logo screen like external monitors do? If so, that would account for the switch in appearance.

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Answer
Laptop
Aug 7, 2017 12:45PM PDT

It looks like that machine came with xp or vista.

Your saying you have w7.

Which would indicate someone upgraded.

Did this machine come with any restore media?

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Restore media
Aug 8, 2017 4:57PM PDT

No, it only came with a charger.

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Answer
unlike others
Aug 12, 2017 2:12PM PDT

Have you checked your pc with cmd?
Like with "attrib"?
If you think your "windows32" has been infected you can check, you can check that out too with that command.
anything your pc have "unusual" will be found!
Not used cmd? No problem... just write "attrib" to youtube and you will find some of magic from cmd.
There is really nothing you cant do with that...