my friend has a older model gateway computer and it has a blinking underscore when you turn it on do I need to replace the har
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notherdude
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we need more info, exactly when does the cursor show up, after you see some BIOS text go by, or before?
notherdude
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To clarify, when you press power a blinking cursor immediately appears, no Gateway logo, no text running by, just immediately a cursor? This is a critical question because if the PC is showing no signs of invoking either the motherboard BIOS or the Video BIOS then a hard drive is not likely the issue. The hard drive isn't even initialized until later. Also, if it is the hard drive the PC will eventually give you and error like 'missing operating system', or 'no boot device'. So if there was no evidence of the BIOS starting up try this: remove the video card and blow out the card's fan and heatsink and dust off the electrical contacts (touch the metal case before handling it) and also blow out the slot the card was in, then re-seat the card firmly into the slot and hook up the monitor and try again.
If there is evidence the PC has started but is just hanging up trying to access the hard drive then we can try something else.
If there is evidence the PC has started but is just hanging up trying to access the hard drive then we can try something else.
notherdude
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I'm not so sure you can rule out the video card just yet. If the video BIOS is hanging I think you might just get something like this. And without a video card he'll get no display at all.
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