Did your PC just fail to boot up completely ? This is one of the common problems which Windows users face time and again. Whenever this happens, you are almost always accompanied by a text error message (this error message is known as Boot Time Error Message). If you get a Boot Time Error Message, this indicates that the output from the graphics card and that the motherboard is probably OK.
Next you have to observe what message is on the screen when the boot procedure stops. In most cases they are self-explanatory, such as Invalid System Disk or Disk Error when you boot up with a floppy disk inserted in the floppy disk drive. Sometimes though, they can be more cryptic but will often give some indication of where the problem lies.
An error message can be produced by different parts of the system, depending on how far into the boot process the system gets before the problem occurs. Usually error messages are produced by the BIOS, as it is responsible for most of the boot procedure functions. However, other error messages are specific to the operating system and are known as Run Time error Messages.
There are many thousands of individual error messages – some more common than others. However, bear in mind that since the exact wording of an error message can be changed by the manufacturer of each system, there are a lot of variations on the same theme. If you are not sure that you can handle the system alone, it is advicable to take your PC to a professional.