When i start my desktop up, the tower stays switched on, however the keyboard lights up for a split second and then goes off and the monitor loads up for a few seconds but then says "no signal" and goes into what looks like a standby mode. we cant see anything on the screen so we cant get to the menu to change any settings. we have tried using a different monitor but that also appears to go into a standby mode
Your computer is not in standby mode - it is failing its own POST (Power-On Self Test), OR its passing the POST, and tries to boot from BIOS, but then fails (possibly due to a RAM error). Both of these scenarios will cause a failure of the system to boot. Since the tower stays on, it looks like your power supply is good, but the system motherboard has a problem.
The failure of the system to boot is what puts the monitor (not the computer) into standby mode - it gets a signal for a few seconds of the POST (or while attempting to boot out of BIOS), then when the system fails to boot, the monitor sees no signal from the system, and responds by going into standby mode.
Summary: you have a good monitor, and good tower power supply.
Your problem is isolated to the motherboard - either the motherboard circuitry itself, or the (replaceable) RAM installed on the motherboard.
What to try: If you have 2 memory boards, the one in Bank 0 may have developed a fatal error causing the failure of the system to boot. Remove the Bank 0 memory board and try to boot the system with the other memory board only. Note - Bank 0 must be occupied for the system to boot, so you must remove the memory board in Bank 1 and place it into the Bank 0 memory slot for the test.
Its also possible that the RAM board in Bank 0 has developed a little dust or corrosion on one of its leads, and by simply reseating the RAM board your system might be fixed. Once you remove RAM boards (and while you're still strapped to your systems frame ground by your wrist strap), clean away any dust from the RAM boards, and use a clean pencil eraser to gently shine up the small/delicate contacts on the RAM boards. Using a can of compressed air, also blow out the memory slots on the motherboard.
If your desktop still fails to boot, either (1) both of your RAM boards have simultaneously developed fatal errors (unlikely), or (2) your motherboard has failed (and both of your memory boards are likely still good).
Note also that touching static electricity-sensitive CMOS RAM boards must be done using proper static control techniques - to prevent destroying the RAM with small static charges (which cannot be felt) from your hands. A standard anti-static wrist strap alligator-clipped to the Acer Aspire X3400 chasis frame ground will suffice.
Here's a link to the Acer Aspire X3400 support center:
http://support.acer.com/acerpanam/desktop/2010/acer/Aspire/AspireX3400/AspireX3400nv.shtml
Here you'll find:
1) Software Information
2) Product Views
3) Specifications
4) Guides and Manuals
Make sure you have the cable that plugs into the back of the computer from the monitor screwed in tight. Also make sure the cable on the back of the monitor is screwed in tight and also that the power cord on the back of the monitor is pushed in all the way.
I'm almost certain you're not in standby mode. Does the computer stay on when you get the no signal message? Do you hear the fan blowing, do you hear the disk drive spinning? If not, I think your system has completely shut down. I'm thinking maybe a virus or some hardware/software conflict is stopping it from completing the boot cycle.
Try getting into the Bios or System Setup to see if the LCD Stays on and the computer stays on. Turn the computer off, then hit the power button to turn it back on. Look at the lcd screen and it will tell you what key to hit to go into the Bios or System Setup. Go into it and let the computer sit for 10 minutes or so to see if it shuts itself off.
If you are successful with the computer staying in the Bios or System Setup lets try getting into Safe Mode and see what happens. Turn the computer off and hit the power button to turn it back on and immediately start hitting the F8 key repeatedly until you see the SAFE MODE option. Select the Safe Mode option and let the system boot up. Safe mode will look different to you. The icons will be bigger and the lcd screen darker, but that's normal. If you are able to see the desktop in safe mode just try opening up MS Word and maybe let it sit for a few minutes to see if it shuts off.
If safe mode was successful, then try booting it normally. If it fails, we know we've got an issue.
SOURCE: My monitor won't start
There must be a connection problem from monitor to pc, check the pins to see if any are bent in the plug to the pc. If it is a seperate graphics card, check that it is seated correctly in the agp (brown) slot and not come loose. Try booting in safe mode (F8) on boot and select boot Windows in safe mode(this will run pc with normal vga driver and not the graphics driver), and see if it stays on, if it does it is a graphics card driver fault, so re install.
SOURCE: Monitor will not start up!!
It may be a corrupt backup you are trying to install, but if there is a corrupt file you will need to borrow a genuine XP disc off a friend to repair it. You can use your own license number for the copy so your friend shouldnt be concerned with piracy. You may get the pc running by locating on the motherboard either the 3 pin JBAT1 terminal and put jumper from pins 1-2 to pins 2-3 then back to 1-2, or short both pins if you have a 'CLRCMOS', 'CLRRTC' or 'RTC' 2 pin terminals with a jumper cap. Restart pc and it should make you press F1 to set the cmos time and date and hopefully boot into windows, but if not the first paragraph will be the solution to the problem.
SOURCE: windows xp will not load on my computer....
When you boot the machine in safe mode, it lists a whole load of drivers its loading. What is the last file it gets to before it reboots?
SOURCE: ACER Aspire L100 Desktop is dead?
If the hard drive is OK then you can remove the hard drive from the desktop case, and insert the hard drive into a USB 3 1/2" hard drive adapter case, this should come with a power adapter. These are available at your friendly computer shop.
Boot up the laptop then plug this USB hard drive adapter into the laptop's USB port. The laptop will see this as an external USB hard drive. You can open the various folders and files on this external drive and copy the folders and files to the laptop.
You can delete the Windows folder and Program Folders on this external drive to free up disk space and use this as a back up drive etc.
If you are not sure how to remove the hard drive and install it into an USB hard disk case, then I suggest you get a computer savy friend to help you.
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