On firing up PC Monday, had 'error Windows has detected a problem blah blah check soft/hardware blah blah', the usual, so shut down, tried to restart, and apart from hard drive light and flickering green, nada.

Took it 20 kilometers back to computer guys, who had installed a new hard drive, motherboard and CPU. Called next day 'Everything okay'??? Back to shop, saw screen come up, got home and bloody thing went down again 'error blah' then 'checking disks' nothing.

Called back to shop 'Maybe it's the modem' Okay, go along with this (ADSL and PPP green, just the computer light - third from right on Billion modem - orange.) Disconnected everything, again, then yesterday able to use computer all day on and off, but didn't try to access net.

This morning tried to fire up again, after reconnecting modem, error then black screen. Disconnected modem, let it have a nap for an hour, thenTried F8 to system restore, nothing.

Any ideas?

Thank you

Take it to some computer guys who know what they're doing.

Use an operating system not a game runner.

It sounds like a dodgy RAM card. Had these sort of problems years ago and always trusted the IT shops. They replaced all the parts that cost money but always missed the RAM issues.

Now I'm wiser i always run tests before replacing parts. Never trust IT shops unless they have never ripped you off in the past or reformatted your HD without asking you.

You should try the easy fixes first, unplugging wires ,put back,

re seat your RAM, That IT shop replaced nearly everything,

and its still not working ! Did you check to see if they did replace

what they said they had been done?

regards Worgeordie

Take it to some computer guys who know what they're doing.

After 17 years here I've tried every computer guy on the island. They're crap. Apart from two magnificent specimens who did the Thai thing and upped and went without a forwarding. The local Thais will tell you that they too have many problems with 'hoppers'. These particular guys, after much research, were highly recommended. I do have a bloody life and would prefer not to spend it carting PC from one useless twerp after another.

As it happens, I again attempted to access internet this am, PC having fired up successfully all last evening. And here I am Who knows what happened, but thanks for your patronising advice.

PS Thanks to the other posters and their useful advice. I'll bear it in mind if problem occurs again.

"Called back to shop 'Maybe it's the modem' Okay, go along with this (ADSL and PPP green, just the computer light - third from right on Billion modem - orange.) Disconnected everything, again, then yesterday able to use computer all day on and off, but didn't try to access net.

This morning tried to fire up again, after reconnecting modem, error then black screen. Disconnected modem, let it have a nap for an hour, thenTried F8 to system restore, nothing."

Given that the only variable is the modem one has to point the finger of suspicion at it (or rather at the drivers that are

used to run it).

Then comes the big question: is it a USB modem or an ethernet modem?

I suspect that it will be the former and if so you should bin it and get one of the latter (or a router). If it is the latter then it cant really be causing the problem as external ethernet devices have no Windows drivers, so one would have to look elsewhere.

Use an operating system not a game runner.

There are Linux and Mac specific threads in this forum.....