My computer won't start up, even when I insert a bootable XP installation CD. My other computer has a IDE\Hardware Diagnostics tool that I can run from BIOS to detect if my hard drive is bad. I was wondering where I can find the HDD diagnostic tool that you run when your comp starts up, also how to put that program on a flash drive to boot from it. You can also email me at [email protected], if you want to send me the diagnostics file and the file I need for the flash drive to be bootable, so alls I'd have to do is copy the files on my flash drive and insert it in the computer.

What do you mean it does not start up, does anything come on the monitor at all?

Does the computer sound and look like it is booting, just no video?

Can you get into the BIOS at all, if you can, reset BIOS defaults

You can only boot to USB if you have USB enabled as first boot device in BIOS

Have there been lightning or power surges?

Try checking the battery

If you cannot get into BIOS, you would be looking at system board issue

So, does anything come on the screen when you turn on PC?

If the "bad" computer powers on and you can see the Bios, then you car give UBCD a try, just download and burn it to a CD on your other PC.

Then make sure your boot order is set to CD before your hard drive, on the "bad" machine
Once it boot to the CD, go to the hard drive test menu and run the hard drive fitness test, or if you know the brand of your drive, run the test in that list for your drive.