Do you know if there was a power outage during your absence?

Do you even get a blinking cursor? or the HP splash screen?

No beep is ominous assuming you heard the single beep before during the initial start up.

If you keep tapping the Delete key after start up are you able to enter the BIOS? Not suggesting you change anything, we are concerned about the computer reacting at all here.

You checked all the plugs in the back, did you check to see if the plugs into the back of the monitor are secure? The power plug on some is vertical and can fall loose over time.

There are normally 2 LED lights on the tower, one is constant and indicates power. The other flickers as the hard drive works. You note one flickers for a while then gives up is that correct?

There was no bad weather while I was away, but that's not to say we didn't have a power outage..so i'm not sure about that.

I don't have anything at all on the screen, it's totally black, no blinking anything.

owbist, yes i did have the single beep on start up...but no beep at all now.

I tried the delete key tapping on start up that you suggested but there was no response on the black screen at all.

I just checked the plugs on the monitor, everything was ok, the light is on on the front of the monitor.

yes that is right, the yellow light that blinks as the computer is "thinking" flickers for a few seconds then disappeares.

You're probably going to need a Vista installation disk, you can boot from that disk and use the Startup Repair or System Restore from the repair options. If you don't have a Vista disk could you possibility borrow one from a friend or neighbor? If you have your own recovery disks that came with the computer or ones that you made you may need to do a full recovery using those, unfortunately recovery disks don't offer Startup repair or System restore option, and you will lose your data too unless it's backed up..

sounds serious..i do not have a Installation disk but i do have the factory recovery disks.

i just noticed that the yellow "thinking" light is flickering on a pretty steady basis...also the "activity" light on my external modem flicks on every now and then.

if i have to do a system restore I'll take it to a repair shop, I do have an external back up. I think a restore would be over my head.

how will I know when that will be my only option?

i said restore, i mean recovery....i don't think i could tackel a recovery.

As I said I do have the "System Recovery" disks.

Would you have access to another monitor???

What is the computer model number?

Consider seriously before taking it to a repair shop because today you'll likely buy a new computer for close to what you might well pay in repair charges. With the recovery CDs you can do this yourself. It is a simple task requiring very little user input other than agreeing to allow it to wipe the drive so you lose all your data - which the repair guy will do anyway so you may as well curse at yourself as curse at him/her.

In fact it might just be a good idea to insert disk 1 of the Recovery set just to see if there is more action than you have now. You can always click Cancel or hit the power button to end the processs. Gene's idea of using a second monitor is great, that will eliminate one thing from the equation.

With no beep it does sound as though the motherboard has quit. They made some eMachines a few years ago with defective power supplies which quit without warning. In many cases the power supply also took out the motherboard and replacements were not available. Those computer were instant garbage but I thought that was fixed before your machine was made.

Take the left side off your computer and read odd the make and wattage of your power supply

well i thought i would do first things first and go with genes suggestion about the monitor before tackling the bigger chores in trying to get this thing going.

well another "Lo and Behold" moment....soon as i plugged it in .. like magic i had a picture.
The monitor is a Samsung and is not that old, maybe 6 years and is a big one and it was expensive...can they be fixed or is it just a piece of junk?

What a relief!!

So thank you all so much for your assistance

Six years is a long life for a monitor. Go get yourself a nice space saving flat screen. They have really come down in price now.

i have the same problem, a black screen but my curser dont blink or nothing, i was reformating my hard drive so i could rein stall windows 98 so my grandson could play all the older hunting games and the computer did the reformating of the computer and was starting to reload the windows 98 back on the computer when it said it could take 30 to 60 mins. to conpleat it all after 60mins. it still didnt do any thing so i hit the on botton on the tower to turn it off and to restart the computer, it can up with that black screen and no matter what i trid or do it still wont boot up to where i can get to the bioes of the computer, ive tried starting up with cd 98 in it and boot up disk and hitting f8 and still that black screen, does any one have a answer for me, i have this computer iam typing on now, and it hooked to the internet and it has window,xp on it. sure would like someone give me any idea where i can get it to boot atleast to the bioes instead this black screen.

wfessler921 this is a very old thread you pulled up please start your own thread for your problem so there is no confusion here please.

I have been reformatting since my first computer in 1996. It gives instructions as you go along. It takes 2 or 3 hours, that varies and you may have some blue screens. It is not hard to do. Usually there are instructions with the cds. After you get started you can leave it, if it finishs some step along the way it will be waiting when go back to it. You don't have a lot to loose, since you are thinking of taking it to a shop anyway. If it doesn't work, then you can take it in. Reformatting has saved me a lot of money. You need to do a back up of your personal things.