blue screen

that port in the photo is the RS- 232 serial port not the graphics port it should be farther to the right if it has one. it it the one with three rows of pins not two.

Hi ok the one that the moniter was plugged into before is blue and has three rows in it and, the one above that is green with 2 rows. So does that mean it does not have one?

Okay, not to worry. At this point we have two options. One will cost you money ,but is much easier. The other option is a bit harder, but won't cost a penny. 1 - So, option one is to take your computer to a local PC repair shop. They will be able to fully check your hardware for you and then suggest suitable replacements. You will have to be prepared to be without your machine for up to a few weeks as repairs are made. You may also lose all the information on your hard disk in the process. 2 - Option two is slightly more difficult. It involves reinstalling Windows. You will lose all the information on your hard disk and it may take a few hours for the installation to complete. Now because it is so difficult to know your exact machine specifications, it makes diagnosing hardware issues extremely difficult. I'm going to assume that you have not made any changes to your machine since you bought it. This suggests that the problems you are having could either be related to a hardware malfunction, which in your case would result in a pricey repair. The other possibility is that Windows may have some corrupt drivers. This is certainly possible considering your machine only has Windows Vista Service Pack 1 installed. This suggests that it is close to a year out of date and the drivers could be even older. If you feel confident enough for me to talk you through reinstalling Windows Vista step by step, then I suggest we do that. We can try something called a Repair Install first, which should not result in any lost information. But it is likely only a clean install will make a difference. Let me know which option you want to take and I will clearly lay out all the risks.

Hi ok I read over your suggestions and I would like to first do the Repair Install and see if it will help. If that doesnt work then Ill go from there.

Okay. Just to let you know what the risks are. If we do a "Startup Repair" for Vista, which is similar to the Repair Install for XP, you may lose any recently installed applications. If the Startup Repair works, we'll do a System Restore back to when the PC was working properly. You should not lose any files in the process, but please make sure you have a backup of all your information. There is a chance that a Startup Repair may not work. If it doesn't we can try reinstalling Windows Vista completely. In this case you will lose all the information on your hard drive. So to do a Startup Repair you will need the original Microsoft Windows Vista installation DVD that came with your computer. If you look for a holographic sticker on your machine, or on the back of the disk envelope, you should see a 25 digit alphanumeric code. You will need both of these to go any further. Please keep in mind that there is still a chance that you may lose personal files. Have you made a backup of all your important documents?

I have a backup but it was on the hard drive would that count? Also I dont believe there was an installtion cd (Microsoft Windows VisitaDVD) that came with it was already installed on the computer.

The backup you are referring to could possibly be an image of your hard drive when you originally got the machine. Unfortunately this won't really help. If you are completely sure that your machine did not come with a Vista Installation DVD, or a Windows Recovery DVD, then contact Acer for a replacement. You may have to produce proof of purchase. It is vital that you get the DVD, otherwise you will not be able to attempt a Startup Repair or a clean install.

No it did not come with one it was already installed onto the computer. Ok so I will contact Acer and ask for a replacement ok.

HMH22 one of the first that you need to do is to make a new rescue disk when you buy a new computer. it is not a mater of if something will go wrong but when and how bad. I have seen computers go 10 years with out a problem and seen them die the first week. I still have a Toshiba 1200 laptop that still boots and runs fine that I bought used in 1988. runs windows 3.1, dos 6 and Norton utilities. with electric desk. real old school. one of the best investments one can make is to buy a high capacity external hard drive a 1 or 2 terabyte unit. would be great for this. then you install a disk backup program and run backups two or three times a week Runtime Software's DriveImage XML is a good imaging program for this. if you have a crash at least most of your files can be recovered from your last backup off the external drive. and moving to a new computer is a snap I personally believe everyone should make some type of backup at least weekly to DVD/RW, CD/RW, TAPE USB/KEY, External Drive,ETC. Recovery from virus is way easier if you can roll back your system files to before you were infected.

Hey thanks for the advice about backing up I will keep it my files to look back on but I was talking about a replacement cd for Vista IInstallation and the Windows Recovery. Even though really its not a replacement because I never had them to begin with.

Thanks for the advice stuckinarutt. I've also updated the image in post 29 so that it now shows the right image. (My mistake).
In addition to your advice on backups, people are starting to use online backup services such as DropBox as a quick and easy way to keep all important files constantly up to date.

As for your problems HMH22, you will not be able to attempt a Startup Repair without a disk. I've had a closer look at the Acer website and, assuming that you or completely sure that you do not have a Windows disk or an Acer Recovery disk, you can purchase the Acer Recovery Disk. It's not the same as a full legal copy of Microsoft Windows though.

https://secure.tx.acer.com/RCDB/Main.aspx?brand=acer

One of the global moderators on the forums, paws, has suggested you try something called Acer eRecovery. This is essentially the utility you would get if you purchase the CD from the link above, except it's built into your machine.

You should know that if your machine does have Acer eRecovery installed, you can restore your machine back to factory settings. Unfortunately this will mean that all your data will be lost. I urge you to make sure that you have all your important documents on a separate computer or external hard drive. IF you do not, I can talk you through using Puppy Linux to retrieve all your information before trying eRecovery.

If you click on the following link it will take you to the official Acer instructions to using Acer eRecovery. Please keep in mind that you will lose all your information, data and documents if you choose to reset your machine.

http://support.acer.com/acerpanam/desktop/…E360faq40.shtml

There is a chance that your machine may not have Acer eRecovery, in which case your only options are to either buy the recovery disk, ask for a replacement copy of Windows, or to take the machine to a local PC repair shop.

Hey thanks for the info on backups. I contacted Acer and they said they dont make the Acer Recovery Media anymore for my computer. So I am notr sure what to do now she sais I would need to buy an operating system and download the drivers. Also yes I do believe there is an Acer eRocovery that is on my computerf but, i'm still having problems rebooting. What do you think I should do?

Have you got a full backup of all your files from the machine?

No my only backup was on the hard drive.

Okay, Here is what you do :

A.) Download Linux Puppy from here:Puppy Download

Its a download of only about 100MB, so a broadband connection is advisable for the download… Puppy is an alternative operating system….. it does not need Windows to run, and the licence to use it is free of charge and comes included automatically. It is different in its interface from Windows, but sufficiently intuitive for most folks to use it successfully without problem.

B.) Burn the iso (that you have downloaded) to CD ROM as an "image"…it must be as an image, a copy will not work!……..Imgburn is good for this, available from here:

http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download

C.) Switch on your "original" computer and Set Bios to Boot from CD as first priority…on most Dells it's F2 to enter the Bios (set up) otherwise try F12, Esc or Del

NOTE you will need to press the appropriate key (to enter the Bios) immediately after power on.
Your hard drive should be next in priority followed by USB/network if the settings provide these options. Remember to save your altered settings in the Bios before exiting.

D.) With your external back up media plugged in to a USB port I.E. External USB hard drive, flash drive etc and the Linux Puppy CD ROM inserted into the CD drive, close down your machine and:

E.) Boot from the CD, you may get a message to "press any key to continue booting from CD" so allow this, Now follow the on-screen Linux Puppy prompts (remember don't install it) let it run in memory, it will be quite happy doing so, and will allow you access to your Hard drive so you can copy off to your external media anything you need. You will soon get used to Puppy and you'll find that you will be able to use the Internet and do most things that you want to do.

However as you need to back up your files, I suggest you concentrate on copying off your important stuff first.