black screen at startup?

[Will Hay]

I'm getting a black screen at startup; only happened as of today.
No bleeps, nothing, I get a WinXP page load and then a black screen with just a white mouse cursor on the screen (which I can move with the mouse).
The computer won't respond to ctr+alt+del and will only restart with the reset button (and again the black screen with moveable mouse).
Any positive advice appreciated
Will

[BJ_M]

did you try to boot into safe mode ?

[Will Hay]

I can't remember the key, I was gonna add that in but...

I tried at lunch-time (I'm at work now) and just kept hitting F9, 10, 11 & 12 , no, wait, forget that emoticon...

Will

[Will Hay]

I have just (last week) installed AVG and ZoneAlarm, but I'm sure this problem has occured before.
Will

[BJ_M]

The Microsoft KBE can be found here:


http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/reskit/prmb_tol_hyec.asp


If pressing F8 doesn't do anything for you, there are a couple of reasons you may not be able to get to the menu. The boot process may be moving to fast for you to catch it at the right moment, or you could have a setting preventing access to the menu.


Place a non-bootable (blank) floppy disk in the floppy drive. Shutdown the system and restart. When you see the error message 'non-system disk or disk error', remove the floppy disk and press the F8 key twice (quickly). This should present the boot menu. Note: This will only work if the system BIOS is set to boot from the floppy drive.


restore to the nearist Restore point - if that doesnt work .. restore to a previous retore point before that one (and so forth)..

XP restore off?

you will need to use console repair or XP boot cd and choose repair (kinda a last resort).

or using safe boot -set to boot to vga only on next boot (to remove display drives using console and/or safe mode - best to read up on the procedure first as you couldreally hose a system) ..


if booting to safe mode - you get the same thing -- at least you can see which system device loading point it stops at to give you a clue///

good luck

[Will Hay]

Many thanks, I'll give it a try and report back.
Will

[Piccoro]

I've had a similar problem before but I don't quite remember what I did to fix it. It was a simple fix though.
It could have been that I just reseated my graphics card. I would try simple things first before making any changes to OS/software. Maybe reseat your IDE/power connectors.
GL though.

[Will Hay]

Out last night so couldn't test all the suggestions (thanks), but booting in safe mode gives the same result.
I'll try all options tonight, thanks again.
Will

...for safe mode: F8 wouldn't work, that takes me to my boot options for my controller card. I just had to press reset just as the WinXP page loads but this works like one in ten times.
Very frustrating not being able to boot in safe mode at the first attempt.

[holistic]

Will, I have seen this before on my XP machine and on my 98se machine.

Two different senerios but with a possible commonality.

XP machine black screen was due to excessive FSB from overclocking.
98se black screen was from a shitty RAM slot on the mobo.

With that AND your issues a while ago with RAM try swapping RAM positions and substitue with known good RAM.

await feedback..

][

[gmatov]

Will,
I'd have to find it, but I do believe I have read that every version of Windows but, I think, W2k, will start in safe mode with the "Control" key.

I don't think it is your video card, as I put DDR RAM in one of my machines a couple weeks ago, it locked, I rebooted, nothing on the screen, re-changed the RAM, no screen, pulled everything out, as I have suggested numerous times for various problems, finally unplugged from the Vid card, plugged into on board Video and am fine now.

Well, fine except my Vid card doesn't seem to work. I don't even know that for sure, too lazy to reconfigure.

You do have the flashing cursor, so the Vid card is putting out.

I would hate to suggest you have a RAM problem, as you just got that fixed a short while ago.

Good luck,

George

[Will Hay]

Yeah, only put the new RAM in last week although all been fine other than Monday.
I'll try the 128 DDR tonight.
Bastard thing!
Oh, by the way George, the scan (Mon) was a girl
23 weeks, due end March 2004.
One of each now
Will

[holistic]

A challenge .... i like a challenge

http://www.ocworkbench.com/2002/ecs/k7s5aguide/TROUBLESHOOTING.htm

[Will Hay]

Hmm, odd one this.
Went home at lunch and swapped the 512mb SDRam for a stick of 128mb DDR.
Same problem, blank screen.
Fiddled with cables, PSU leads, graphics card etc., still same problem.
Took off the CDRW (slaved to the primary HDD) and the PC booted first time, but then reported a serious (graphics card - "unable to draw the...something"!) error and I shut it down
I plugged the CDRW back in and rebooted (with the original, new 512mb SDRam by the way) and the PC rebooted fine.
Three subsequent resets all booted fine.
I would check again tonight but as I fiddled around with my wife laid in bed next to me (she's ill ), I think again tonight whilst she's trying to rest may be pushing it a little too far.
Certainly a strange one.
Will

[gmatov]

Will,

Great on the new one. You certainly don't come across as disappointed. Hope the wife starts feeling better.

Good on the computer, too. But, what the hell,you're not supposed to have to disassemble and reassemble at random intervals.

I seem to, but shouldn't have to.

Cheers,

George

[Will Hay]

You certainly don't come across as disappointed.

Nope, great news, although I would have loved two boys one of each is my preference
Off to make my wife her tea.
Will