Dell Optiplex 240 freezes booting

Hello everyone! I've been troubleshooting a Dell Optiplex 240 with windows xp that freezes while booting. Tested the following to no avail: 1. Normal boot freezes on windows logo 2. Safe mode freezes after logging on. 3. Repair install will success but will freeze while booting. 4. check hdd with chkdsk /r in recovery console ok. 5. check RAM with memtest passed. Tried using ubuntu live cd but freezes on logo. What do you think is the problem and what to do next. Advice please. Thanks in advance.

Hi,, I have had a number of these machines in for repair and a lot of them had failed components in the motherboard. The capacitors on some had failed, so check them out, there should be no exudate coming from them and the tops should be flat not convex…if they are convex then they have failed…. Some shops will unsolder the failed capacitors and solder in new ones, however most of us (in the Western world) have stopped doing this as its easier and quicker just to fit a replacement mobo and then of course reinstall Windows. As your Linux live disc wont run the finger is pointing at a hardware problem and failed capicitors is my best guess. Regards paws

thanks Paws! Am also thinking of hardware problem because of Ubuntu not loading on live cd. IDE is another item to isolate. Will check again tomorrow for any bloated capacitors as you said and if nothing found then I'll try changing IDE. Will update this form Thank you very much. Any more good ideas?

Sorry my mistake wrong topic.

update: today i checked the unit. I found out that its capacitors near the CPU are all bloated/busted/leaking. guess its the end of its life and with this situation I dont want to revive it anymore I rather buy new thanks a lot everyone!

Hi, Yes I can understand as sometimes buying new is a good answer. Indidentally, when disposing of the old machine, don't let anyone try and "open up" any of the capacitors just to try and take a look inside……. their job in life is to hold onto a large charge of electricity and they are capable of doing this for a very long time……even after the mains supply has been disconnected for some time they can contain a large amount of charge… sufficient to give a very nasty shock… Regards paws

Thanks again paws, and to your capacitor nasty shocking!