help with fixing my computer...

March 26, 2008 9:41 AM

My monitor's power supply blew out recently, but unfortunately it is built into my PC. The PC still powers on, but the monitor remains black. Is there a way to use my computer despite not being able to turn on the monitor? (plugging in an external monitor did not seem to work)

I made the terrible decision of purchasing this gateway computer where the PC is connected to the monitor. The power supply to the monitor blew out recently and I can still turn on the computer, but the monitor remains black. I've tried hooking up an external monitor to the gateway, but that didn't work. I have an external hard drive, but I can't put any files onto it because the monitor won't turn on. Is there a way to still use the computer now that the monitor is broken or at the very least back up my current files?

I've also tried replacing the power supply for $170, thinking that I had fixed the problem only for the same thing to happen two weeks later...apparently this is a very common problem with this model, and gateway support has been absolutely dismal. If at all possible I'd like to avoid throwing anymore money into this piece of junk computer.

posted by nyu2 to computers & internet (6 comments total)

...I forgot to add that I do have access to an iMac, through my roomate. Might there possibly be a way to hookup my computer his?
posted by nyu2 at 9:43 AM on March 26, 2008

I'm pretty sure you can't hook up to the imac.

My suggestion:

Get new computer.
Take hard drive out of old computer and put into external USB enclosure. ($20-30)
Plug external into new computer and copy files.
Recycle old computer.
posted by sharkfu at 9:55 AM on March 26, 2008

You can use the mac to connect to the pc if you both are on the same network, and the pc was previous configured for sometype of filesharing. Check the web for mac tutorials.

\\computername\c$
will get you to the c:\ drive of the pc from another windows pc, it will require you to put in your username and password. Make sure you type in the computer name first

computername\username

I do not know what the command is in osx. But I expect there is some easy click through way to accomplish it.


Also it looks like that pc has svideo out. Have you tried plugging the pc into a tv?


If you want the best advice... listen to skarkfu. Get a new pc put the hard drive in an enclosure or in the pc itself.
posted by ps6000 at 11:16 AM on March 26, 2008

External USB enclosure. One of many...

Barring fixing the power supply again, I think that's probably the only way of getting data off of the computer without a functioning monitor.
posted by katrielalex at 11:20 AM on March 26, 2008

I think the problem is that the external monitor is not enabled. You may have some luck trying to navigate blindly, by logging in, going to the control panel, and the monitor settings, navigating using the keyboard only.

you may have better luck enabling remote desktop services and connecting with the iMac, or perhaps burning a cdrom with a vnc server installer set to autoplay. That too, would help getting your files off.

The real problem would be if it isn't booting into windows because it's detecting some error - unlikely, but if that is the case I would have to say go with the USB External Enclosure.
posted by mhp at 4:23 PM on March 26, 2008

I forgot to mention that you will definetly want another windows box to see what keyboard commands you need to press to get anywhere.
posted by mhp at 4:24 PM on March 26, 2008