PCTech Forums

First let's see if it will boot into safe mode:

Restart the system after you see the BIOS screen and before Windows starts to load.
Start tapping the F8 key. The Windows Advanced Options Menu appears.
Use the Arrow key to ensure that the Safe Mode option is selected.
Press Enter. The computer then begins to start in Safe mode.

If it boots into safe mode then it's most likely a driver issue or a corrupted file.

If not the click that you say you hear could be the hard drive it's called "the click of death"

Do you know the make of the hard drive?

I guess you could pray that its the power supply sometimes they will issue a click and shut off.

I had a capacitor on a power supply explode on me one night after falling asleep in my chair. I about had to peel myself off of the ceiling If the power supply is going bad, it should start smelling burned a bit.

Usually if the hard drive is clicking, its repetitive, more than one click.

O.K. couple of things
wont start in safe mode
matrox drive

let me say more about the problem, the computer gets to the screen
where you see the logo and the little blue bar starts moving, but even before
it gets across one time, the screen goes blank so near but so far
I have since installed a different drive and it boots noramally, so problem has to
be with the drive. I just need to get data off the failed drive.