Turning on my gateway 510 x PC I get a black screen/white cursor

Hello,

Follow the link below to download your ethernet driver for gateway 510x

http://www.driverstart.com/start541664.html

Type the below link on your web browser to download the driver.

Take care.

Gateway Support, and the main support page for the Gateway 510x R4 desktop computer. (It's a Legacy computer)

http://support.gateway.com/s/PC/510Series/2900456/2900456nv.shtml

Left-click on - Components
Now left-click on -
2521362 - Intel (Midway 2 GV) Motherboard No CPU RO
(Under the Motherboards heading)

Here you will see a photo of the Gateway 510X R4 motherboard.

[You can enlarge this photo for more clarity in viewing.
Right-click on the photo.
Now left-click on - Save Image As

In the File name: box, you will see - 2521362nv
This will be the file name you will look for.
You can add to this file name, so that it is easier to find.

Left-click twice after the v in 2521362nv
Make one space with your space bar.
Type Gateway 510X motherboard.
Now go below to the right, and click on - Save.

This will go to your My Pictures folder. Open My Pictures, (Start>My Pictures), and double-click on the motherboard photo.
Now go below, and left-click on the Zoom In icon.
The Plus ( + ) sign]

In the main menu left-click on Specifications.

Scroll down to the heading - Expansion Capabilities

Here you will see listed -
Three PCI Bus add-in card connectors (SMbus routed to PCI bus connector 2)

This means you have a PCI slot for a graphics card slot.

Looking at the motherboard photo, you will see three white PCI slots.
In the motherboard photo, these are the three white long slots, towards the bottom left.

Use any open, unused PCI slot. Doesn't matter which one you use.

You need a graphics card that fits in a PCI slot.

These are examples of PCI graphics cards,

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Category/guidedSearch.asp?CatId=28&sel=Detail;55_158_2872_2872

My suggestion would be for a graphics card like this,

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5071671&CatId=3670

(You have a 250 Watt power supply in your computer. In the Components list, it is listed under Power Supplies. You have one of those 250 Watt power supply's)

I wouldn't suggest spending more, or going for a better graphics card.
The single core Intel Pentium 4 (3.0GHz) processor, won't handle newer games that require a dual core processor.
No reason to waste your money.

Any questions please state in a Comment.
JCV

please remove your RAM and clean it with a white cloth and reinsert the RAM and check it

sounds like your processor fan shut down and now your processor itself shuts off when it begins to over heat replace fan asap and don't keep trying to turn it on because you'll burn it out

Assuming "memory cards" refers to RAM:
First, make sure you have the right type of memory; the Gateway 510x uses either (DDR333 PC2700, 184p DIMM) or (400MHz DDR400 PC3200, 184p DIMM) 1 gb memory sticks. If the RAM type is correct check that it is properly installed. Firmly press the sticks into the slot until the plastic clips on the side snap into place.

Here you go.

http://support.gateway.com/support/srt/warranty.asp?sn=1099981921

Yes, definitely. You need to change your power supply.

It maybe that you need to redownload your sound drivers to make the sound work again.

I recently upgraded the memory in a Gateway desktop with a similar configuration as your. If you only had two of the four memory slots filled before you attempted to upgrade, those two originally used slots must be filled first before you add memory to either one or both of the other two slots. As far as the maximum amount of memory that can be used in each slot, I would need more specific information on your computer. My suggestion at this point is that you either refer to your manual if you have one, or if you do not have a manual, you can access this information online. I was just on Gateway's web site but for your specific information on memory upgrade I would need either a more accurate model number or, what would be best is the serial number of your machine. You seem to be fairly knowledgeable about computers so the easiest would be for you to access Gateway's web site. Once you are on their site go to "support", then go to "my support". You will be prompted to enter your serial number at this time. This page should give you all the information that you need. Listed there should be the maximum amount of memory for the system and also the maximum amount of memory per slot. For example, if the maximum memory of the system is 4 GB, the maximum per slot would be 1 GB. The easiest for you, and what I did on my recent upgrade, would be to leave the existing two pieces of 256 MB in their original slots and purchase two more, 1 Gigabyte pieces and use those in the previously unused slots. You would be under the maximum that you could use in your system but adding 2 GB will improve the performance a great deal and you would not waste the memory that was originally installed.

This sounds like you have no operating system on your laptop. I bet someway, just as I did before, you have lost your operating system, and it needs to be reinstalled on your computer.