Computer starts up fine, but welcome screen distorted

computerjunky13

Honorable
Oct 26, 2013
2
0
10,510
I have a desktop computer (Windows XP, Dell) that i let someone borrow over the summer. The person who i let borrow, commented to me that the computer stopped funcioning right and that it might be because a water leek in the roof. So im not sure if this is the problem but here are the computer's symptoms:
Turning on the computer everything runs fine, no beeps, the green power light is steady, the windows xp loading screen is fine. Then the black code (command) screen pops up and says "Drive (1 or 2 i forgot) not found". I press the "start windows normally" option, and the control panel pops up. Click escape, and when the welcome screen comes up the screen looks all dull (can bearly see the welcome screen) and the screen is compressed or squished vertically. So i open the computer's cpu, and try to start it again, and i notice a green light on the motherboard light up. I'm not sure if that's normal. What can be wrong?
 
Solution
Usually green lights are good. Probably either the power or network LED.

Reset the BIOS to defaults, then go in the boot order in the BIOS and set the hard drive to be the first boot device.

After Windows starts, make sure the video resolution is correct for your monitor. If you only let them use the computer and not the monitor, they could have changed display settings that don't work properly for your monitor.
Usually green lights are good. Probably either the power or network LED.

Reset the BIOS to defaults, then go in the boot order in the BIOS and set the hard drive to be the first boot device.

After Windows starts, make sure the video resolution is correct for your monitor. If you only let them use the computer and not the monitor, they could have changed display settings that don't work properly for your monitor.
 
Solution

computerjunky13

Honorable
Oct 26, 2013
2
0
10,510


will try it out, and THANKS for the info.