Help with salvage op and new pc advice please

[drgagx]

I am puzzling over a major problem with my pc. The screen goes black when I boot up.
I cannot logon as administrator but I can as an ordinary use by double clicking when the pointer turns to a hand!
The screen then appears and the pc is usable in that mode. If I then switch users the screen again disappears.

I have re-installed my graphic card software - that hasn`t fixed it.
I have used F12 on startup and the process said I had a dirty C drive, and identified issues with dir 110877.
It then made some changes to dir 11087 including removing zip files and making other changes. These mean nothing to me.
The upshot is the problem is still there.

My pc sits behind a Netgear router but I wonder if it has been taken over.
Alternatively the C drive could well be corrupted by dirt. We had builders in earlier this year and that caused lots of dust.

Meantime I am saving what files I can by transferring them to an external back up drive.
But without admin privileges I am unable to add or delete programmes, read my e-mail or make a system restore.
Any thoughts or practical advice on possible recovery actions will be welcome before my pc fails completely.

I have been able to save my 4.54 update file for future use on a new pc which I obviously now need.
I intend to use an use off the shelf model and would appreciate advice on what is suitable from Dell or HP.
I have yet to make up my mind whether to continue with the Storm card. What I would really like from GV/Canopus is
a card with HDMI inputs and outputs for my yet to be purchased AVCHD camera. Meantime I might settle just for Firewire in/out.

[pjsssss]

This may sound stupid, but what monitor do you have?

[drgagx]

A Dell 24" (on DVI) and 19" (analogue). I have tried with the 19" only and currently with the 24" only. Same problem with both monitors.

Edit update: I`ve tried a few other steps as follows:
1 If I have both screens open I can no longer move the cursor from one screen to the other. Thus I can no longer use Edius in a dual screen mode.
2 After opening Edius and importing a folder, I can no longer play clips in either recorder or player windows. The timeline cursors move but only a still image appears in the windows.
3 Starting up in safe mode (F8) makes no difference.
4 I cannot run chkdsk because I do not have admin rights. This also means I can no longer add or delete programmes.
5 Changing BIOS setting from AGP to Auto (PCI) makes no difference.
6 Switching user from my second ID to guest also causes a blank screen like attemting to logon on as sysadmin user.

It seems to me that the disc must be corrupted at a critical point in the boot sequence.

[pjsssss]

I thought you might have a big monitor and sometimes there is not enough power to drive them during boot up but your problem sounds much more involved.

[STORMDAVE]

It's a corrupt Windows install for sure. Have you tried reinstalling Windows?

If not, it's worth a try to run chkdsk.

Boot from the Windows XP disc, go into recovery mode, login with your admin prvilage, then type:

chkdsk /f c:

It should repair your c: drive.

Also it is nearly impossible for dust to go into the drive, because it's tightly sealed, unless the drive has holes on it.

[drgagx]

Thanks for the suggestion which I will try later.

I have also been advised to remove the Storm card to see if that solves the problem. That also is on my "to do" list.