My laptop is 2 years old, Windows XP service pack 2, and I never had troubles with it. One day I went to turn it on, and it showed the Dell logo, the Windows logo, then the black screen it has right before it shows the login screen. Well, it got to the black screen, and stayed. I left it for a bit, hoping it was just a momentary glitch, but, 10 minutes later, still the black screen.
I turned it off via power button and restarted; same thing. Again I restarted, but this time began a diagnostics test. It started bleeping when it ran the RTC Timer Functionality test, error code 1000 - 0232, saying that there were no periodic ticks generated. Using a separate computer, I did some research and saw that a possible timer problem could be from the battery beneath the keyboard. Possibly it had died and that was the problem. Got a new battery, fit perfectly, started the computer and ... same thing.
I waited a few days, left it alone, hoping it would work itself out. Of course, wishful thinking, so I called Dell. The guy on the phone told me to start a system restore, no problem, right? Started it, the little bars all filled up, and it said "Please Wait"
So we waited.
And waited.
And waited.
He proceeded to tell me that the computer was completely useless at the moment, and that I could buy a set of disks that would restore the laptop to factory settings, etc. I got the in the mail a few days later, but they lacked directions. Great. I put one in that ran a more thorough diagnostics test, having it freeze at the test for the mouse (since there is none, but it tried to anyway) and still saying that my laptop failed the RTC Timer Functionality test. No new information whatsoever, and none of the 4 disks can go any farther than "Starting Windows, please wait"
Is there anything I can do? I appreciate any help! (And I know it was a lot to read, sorry.)
