Retrieve files from a no start computer

[WZ7U]

Here's my dilemma. The Dell took a big shit on me and the odds are the extended warranty people will take the machine away AS garbage (oddly placed Star Trek reference). So, any ideas how to fish out the data? Wishful thinking on my part?

The research I've done so far is preliminary but the symptoms are documented out there. What happens is your box won't start so you unplug the A.C. and let it discharge. A few minutes later you put the line cord back into the power supply and without any prompt on my part the machine tries to start up but this only lasts two seconds. Pushing the button by the PS power indicator lamp will run the fans on full but nothing else. Can't get to the BIOS to check for any errors (not like I would know what to do with it anyway) and the error code scheme isn't throwing any codes. Timing really blows chunks too, just started the Spring semester of online college.

I'm throwing this out there to see if anyone else has had a similar experience. Coincidentally, I downloaded a shit ton of software development stuff before I shut it down last night making me wonder if there was a connection here. So, wtf do I consider next? Did I mention I'm frustrated?

System specs - Dell XPS 8900, 32gb ram, 3,1ghz, 1tb memory. What am I missing here?

[PA5COR]

Power supply problem?
Change P.S. and see if it will boot up.

[KC9ECI]

I'd pull the drive, score a cheap usb to whatever connector and power supply off ebay and transfer the data off the drive.

[KD8TUT]

I'd pull the drive, score a cheap usb to whatever connector and power supply off ebay and transfer the data off the drive.

This.

[HUGH]

We're assuming you have another PC to run your (removed) drive of course.

[kb2vxa]

In days of old when DOS was bold and AOL floppies were invented... there was an old joke that ended with "Jesus saves". I had a double redundant backup with a USB drive backing up the 4TB removable HDD. With that in mind, it's not as simple as all that, a docking base for/from an external USB drive compatible with that particular HDD is needed. They're not all compatible, there is no one size fits all.

I wish you luck, you never know until you try. Give it a shot and tell us how it works out, I Am Curious (Yellow). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061834/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

[HUGH]

I did buy a universal drive "box" from Ebay which had it's own power supply and could be connected to almost anything as well. I can't find the listing now but it did come from China.
'Cor suggested trying another power supply, I expect you'll find out if Dell's larger PCs use a standard connector, the Optiplex 780USFF I have is too small for that.

[WZ7U]

Update.
Well, it gets weirder and weirder it seems. Just so we're all on the same page, I am not computer savvy despite very recently starting into a computer science degree, nor do I play a computer savvy noodnik on movies or TV. So, I'm surprised to actually be posting this on said dead box. Here's what I have so far.

After scrounging the web from the Kindle and the phone for details about how others have dealt with this situation, I came across a pdf of a Service Manual for this computer. The power switch has been sketchy for a while and I think that is what finally took a massive shit, locking the box into a perpetual hard stop cycle. At first I thought it was the power supply too, but what made me move off that was the fact that if you pushed that button next to the AC power available led, it would spool up the fans to full speed. They wouldn't run if the supply had issues on the 12v bus. Call it hunch, since I re-purpose Server power supplies for my radio addiction. After fornicating about half the night and sleeping on it, I decided to unplug the power switch module from the motherboard and see what happens. Well sumbitch if it didn't start up and go, then went into a loop complaining of Power Button Cable failure. So I plugged the cable back in hot and haven't shut it off yet. What was weirder and weirder was how it scrambled a bunch of settings in the browser and the monitor settings areas (that I've found so far at least). I'm pretty sure I have that all worked out now but I still need to test all the software I downloaded for this semester before I can fart that sigh of relief. I will get on that tonight and tomorrow. Also, I was ashamed of how dirty it had gotten inside, so I cleaned all that out too. I still need to remove the power supply and disassemble it to super clean the fan and the board, but I have the motherboard and the other two fans spotless.
Now I'm also on to implementing some suitable backup gear so if this machine dies I can easily have access to software and photos/etc. My bro-in-law gave me this unit, 2TB capacity. Now I just have to get it to work. Wish me luck....

[WZ7U]

Nuts. Not quite how I was trying to do this...

[KG4CGC]

Those constant power cycles will, for "reasons" scramble settings. Thinking back, I wonder if that's what happened to a machine in 2005 when I thought the power was about to go out but someone (not I) was "cycling" the circuit breaker in the laundry room! THAT, one fried the registry. Got it so mixed up I had to reformat the HD.
The lights kept going off. I thought it was somewhere down the grid. The xyl was flipping the main breaker on and off on and off and I was like WTF? I yelled "STOP!" Pointed at the half cocked breaker that was causing her issue. Came back 15 minutes later to let her know she fried my machine.

[kb2vxa]

The XYL didn't fry your machine, you did. A common mistake is overlooking the power settings, I have mine set to when the power goes off the computer stays off until I start it manually. That came in handy recently when the maintenance guys decided to test the genset over and over and over ad infinitum for days on end. When the power went off that was it for the computer, then when they stopped firkin around I had to run chkdsk /r on both drives to clean up the mess they made.

Now to Lord Of The Flies, a bath will fix that. (;->) Seriously, Seagate is an excellent HDD, I have 2 in here, a 1TB primary (a bit of a mistake, that's WAY overkill) and a 4TB secondary data drive (good choice). Unfortunately even USB 3 runs at a snail's pace for backup, if you're backing a lot of data you're looking at a whole day devoted to it. There's a much faster way, first you need to install a bay for a removable HDD (pictured)16042 and select a drive with sufficient capacity to go in it. Next you need a suitable software suite, if you're running Windblows Active @ Disk Image is just the ticket, if you're a Linux man you'll have to find the equivalent to compress and store entire drives, AND create a boot stick (a small USB thumb drive will do). This most effective sort of backup calls for running outside the OS and any AV/AM scans that hang a mill stone around the neck of transferring data.

[KG4CGC]

Let me come to your house and slam your breakers in rapid fire succession in 2005.

[WZ7U]

Oh holee sheep shit. Power fluctuations are of the devil indeed. This Seagate I think runs on USB2, so it ought to take a week to input 200GB. Oh boy, but at least it's on the way. Free is a very good price and better than nothing, well, except for a startup disc I have for the OS. Once I get my house in order (on too many facets) I really should do the dock thing since I have the room in the box, and I need to come up with a way to keep the dirt and critter fuzz out of the box. The computer is on the table top as it is, but living behind the mill and having several canine shitbubbles has the propensity to cover everything with shitty dust even with all the windows closed and bathed regularly like. I considered using some sort of paper towel conflagration over the vents but with my luck I will forget and the clogged paper towels will find their way into the box and viola, more problems. Hey, at least these are the problems and not trying to figure out who to rob to finance a new machine midway into the semester, so there is that. I'm just glad the initial panic has subsided. I appreciate your feedback fellas, I read it all and take it to heart. Hell, sometimes (most times) I even learn something, for which I am also grateful. Thanks!

[WZ7U]

A common mistake is overlooking the power settings, I have mine set to when the power goes off the computer stays off until I start it manually.

I went through the windblows ten power menus and can't find that particular option. As usual, I'm probably missing something. But I thought that was a given.....

[kb2vxa]

"I went through the windblows ten power menus and can't find that particular option."
Because it's not in Windblows.
"As usual, I'm probably missing something."
You're missing the BIOS, there's lots of stuff in there you really shouldn't mess with, and a few you really should. Pressing F8 in that split second between the boot screen and the Windblows start screen works with this mobo, with Dell I haven't a clue. Then you have to ask the right questions to get the right answers, maybe someone here or someone out there on the cloud knows Dell.

I tried to tell you about that gauze filter in front of the intake fan that cools the drives in the above picture and all other unused fan mounts sealed with tape so air goes in the front and out the back twice, and got THIS mess twice. That's clue enough, I'm not about having it screw up thrice. No pictures, no screenshots, no more cockups.

[WZ7U]

"I went through the windblows ten power menus and can't find that particular option."
Because it's not in Windblows.
"As usual, I'm probably missing something."
You're missing the BIOS, there's lots of stuff in there you really shouldn't mess with, and a few you really should. Pressing F8 in that split second between the boot screen and the Windblows start screen works with this mobo, with Dell I haven't a clue. Then you have to ask the right questions to get the right answers, maybe someone here or someone out there on the cloud knows Dell.

I tried to tell you about that gauze filter in front of the intake fan that cools the drives in the above picture and all other unused fan mounts sealed with tape so air goes in the front and out the back twice, and got THIS mess twice. That's clue enough, I'm not about having it screw up thrice. No pictures, no screenshots, no more cockups.
Shit man, not sure what exactly you're referring to, maybe you have me confused with someone else here because I clearly don't remember having that conversation with you. Concerning your picture its kinda hard to pick out details like gauze in the intake, but thanks for the great idea.

Anything else you want to get off your chest?

[PA5COR]

Since my early start in computers i regularly cleaned up the insides, cleaned fan's or replaced them if needed, keep the dust out of your stuff including transceivers PSU's and P.A.'s , they will reward you with longer faultfree life.
Even this lappy gets a clean out every 4 to 5 months including taking the fan out and clean the heatsink heatpipe and fan.
My lappy is on a plate with 2 extra fans keeping the underside cool as well, so the inside keeps cool as well.
My last laptop survived 8 years 12 hours a day on that way without a hickup.

My son's game computer has 6 fans that need regularly cleaning including cleaning the heat sinks, and the rest of the innards.
I run a backup on my spare USB H.D. every month, not much gets added but that way i'm always good for a relative recent install.

I now, as long it works we mostly don't care, only when you need it the misssing back up kills you...:shocked:

[WZ7U]

:wtf:
I hooked up this Seagate drive and while the OS sees it, the drive won't execute Setup. It cries about not playing nice with GUID Partition Tables. :confused: Won't play nice with discs using GPT. :sick: I bet this is because this unit is almost ten years old NOS and things have (obviously) come a ways since. I have a support ticket in, it will be interesting to see if there is a fix. :wtf:

:irked: :hahano:

Fly Terrabytes, be free... 16045

[WZ7U]

Since my early start in computers i regularly cleaned up the insides, cleaned fan's or replaced them if needed, keep the dust out of your stuff including transceivers PSU's and P.A.'s , they will reward you with longer faultfree life.
Even this lappy gets a clean out every 4 to 5 months including taking the fan out and clean the heatsink heatpipe and fan.
My lappy is on a plate with 2 extra fans keeping the underside cool as well, so the inside keeps cool as well.
My last laptop survived 8 years 12 hours a day on that way without a hickup.

My son's game computer has 6 fans that need regularly cleaning including cleaning the heat sinks, and the rest of the innards.
I run a backup on my spare USB H.D. every month, not much gets added but that way i'm always good for a relative recent install.

I now, as long it works we mostly don't care, only when you need it the misssing back up kills you...:shocked:
I usually keep up on it pretty good, just that this last year I was preoccupied with recovering from this effin zipper they put in my chest and quite frankly forgot all about the computer. Never again.

[n6hcm]

:wtf:
I hooked up this Seagate drive and while the OS sees it, the drive won't execute Setup. It cries about not playing nice with GUID Partition Tables. :confused: 16045

reformat it. there's nothing on the disk, and it will be formatted to defaults that will work on your system. you may have to open Disk Manager or Device Manager to reformat it ... or you can just open a cmd window and use FORMAT.

[WZ7U]

Well, I considered that. In fact, the Seagate rep put that out there with the caveat that if I screwed it up there would be a charge to restore it. Which makes no sense anyway because how its formatted now is useless to me. I guess I just needed to hear it from people I have more invested in than just some random tech support guy. So OK, I guess that's the next step. Reformatting here we go.... thanks for the nudge forward!

Edit - OK, seems like I was successful reformatting that drive. Now I just have to find the magic formula to put this entire system on it as a backup/mirror/aw shit fall back position. Because it's really just a matter of time, considering my track record with computers in general.

[kb2vxa]

"Shit man, not sure what exactly you're referring to, maybe you have me confused with someone else here because I clearly don't remember having that conversation with you."
It's all in order on page 2.
"Concerning your picture its kinda hard to pick out details like gauze in the intake, but thanks for the great idea."
It's at the very bottom of the picture at the top of page 2, but for the sake of clarity here's a better picture of it. This is a picture of the inside of the front cover showing the screen holding it. If you can't read this the jinx is in for sure, trying to add that picture blew away my post... TWICE.

"Anything else you want to get off your chest?"
Only that bloody 800lb gorilla........................................... ....... <gasp>

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