Screen blacks out during Boot up

[pipemajor]

Hi all, This a call for help and would be grateful for your advice.

I have an old PC that has been such a reliable machine, but it has developed a serious fault.
Make: Targa
O.S Windows XP

Recently the machine started showing problems by the screen going black without any warning. The computer didn't turn off or re-boot, the screen just went black and would only show images by rebooting.
The problem has got a lot worse since a couple of days ago. Now the screen will not display anything at all in normal mode.

The Problem:
When I switch the PC on it starts to boot up as usual with the screen displaying the Wndows XP logo and the little dots running in the small box. During this process the running dots 'Jolt' and continue but shortly after that the screen goes black. It never reaches the Welcome screen.
I have left it running for a while to see if it will eventually boot up, but it shuts down and reboots.

The machine will start up and is stable in Safe Mode.

The screen is stable in 'Enable VGA Mode' and I can connect to the internet and access all files and areas of the Computer. But when I try to alter the screen settings to a higher resolution the screen goes black.

I have updated the Graphics Driver (NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 460) and followed instructions for removing the old driver, before installing new driver, but that didn't fix it.

I have reseated the Graphics Card and that didn't help either.

The monitor is sound so that can be eliminated.

That's about all I can think of

Thanks to all.

PM

 

[toph]

Hi,


Sounds like your graphics card might be faulty?? The fact it starts windows in safe mode (thats 256 colour I believe) is a good pointer and not in normal mode where I guess you have it set to highest??

Maybe the onboard memory of your graphics card is faulty so when you place less of a demand on it in safe mode it can handle it?

Or maybe its your psu not being able to give enough juice somehow? Though your card doens't need a seperate power connection and is just powered off the motherboard so maybe this isn't it.

Or maybe motherboard is faulty...

Have you tried taking out your ram or moving your ram to a different slot? - could this be a shared memory problem with your graphics card/ system ram?


I'm not really sure but just knocking a few ideas around.

Do you have access to another (borrow one?) graphics card to test out?

 

[pipemajor]

Thanks for your reply, Toph.

I thought of installing a different graphics card but I was told that if it displays in 'Enable VGA mode' the card isn't the fault, though I would try another if only to eliminate the current card.

The only problem is getting hold of the drivers for the trial card.

I'm going to try swapping the RAM to see if that helps.

Cheers

 

[pipemajor]

Update:

Swapped RAM about, but still no joy!

 

[toph]

okeydoke..and your current set up is exactly the same as when everything last worked as it should? No hardware/software/bios changes?

edit: just thought of something (loooong shot) - you dont have an onboard graphics card along with your Geforce one? This hasn't taken priority in the bios?

 

[pipemajor]

Hi Toph,
No! nothing has changed since the fault showed itself. I haven't had a need to update, my needs on the PC aren't so demanding.

I wouldn't know how to identify or disable anything in the BIOS settings.

Thanks again for your help.

PM

 

[pipemajor]

Having a rethink; Re-anything unusual happened that coincided with fault.

I have an 8GB Toshiba Memory stick and that took the knock for no apparent reason. It just stopped me from accessing it and I cannot retrieve anything at all from it. I get the Reformat message.

Notwithstanding the flash pen fault, I don't suspect a virus. But I thought you should know.
PM

 

[toph]

Hi,


When your in safe mode and running windows, can you have a look in the device manager and have a look under display adapters - does it appear to be working normally? It would prob have an exclamation mark next to it if something was wrong...? Does it correctly identify your model of graphics card?

I'm clutching at straws here!

Silly question (!) nothing was changed in terms of resolution of the monitor trying to display a signal too much for it? I guess it wouldn't be that as Windows would have reverted back to a useable screen resolution...

As to the usb stick - don't think that has any relevance...

I guess you could try finding a diagnostic program to run your graphics card on..don't know of any off hand but I can a root around...

I dont know if you can run this in safe mode but you could also try this:

From the start menu, hit run, then type dxdiag in the diaglog box and hit enter...this will start a direct x diagnostic.
select display tab and see if it tells you anything out of the ordinary??

sorry - at a bit of a loss..!

 

[pipemajor]

Tried the DXDIAG, Toph and although there wasn't a Display tab, all come up clean.

Well mate, you've had a go and for that I'm grateful. Let's hope I can help you one day, should you have a problem.
Thanks again.
PM

 

[madder]

I know it's been mentioned already, but when you moved the RAM, did you try to take out any of the RAM sticks?

I had a problem very similar to your on a laptop running XP. I had 2X 512MB sticks of RAM in it at the time. I swapped them around and nothing changed. I took one of them out and nothing changed. Then I replaced that one and took the other out, and the laptop worked again. The RAM stick was faulty, and I simply got a new stick and everything was fine again.

 

[opps]

Try a live lunux cd like ubuntu.

Run it from cd on boot. In live mode it will only write to the ram and will leave the HDD unchanged

It it runs ok then at least you will know if the problem is windows based rather than hardware based

 

[pipemajor]

Madder,
Thanks for your help to sort the problem out.

I tried what you suggested but unfortunately it didn't fix it. But I'm grateful for your input.
PM

 

[pipemajor]

Opps, I'm going to give your suggestion a try. As you say it will eliminate one part of the problem.

I've never used Ubuntu before, do I download onto a USB stick and run it on Windows.

Thanks for your help.
PM

 

[opps]

Eaiser to burn it to cd.

You will be downloading an ISO file. These are exact replicas of cd.s.

I don't know what burning software you have but the excellent free

http://cdburnerxp.se/download

Will take the iso file and convert it back into a bootable cd.

Then you just need to make sure that booting from cd is enabled in the bios.

The ubuntu set up is pretty clear- just remember that you want the live option.

Your ubuntu experience will be slower than a proper install as you are using the ram and cd only but you can play with it and surf etc for long enough to see if the pc behaves.

 

[JohnD]

Is it a Flat screen you are using with an old PC?

Mine does that when the Refresh Rate is wrong.

If you do, I will look up my notes of how to change it in Safe Mode.