Err got a bit of a problem here, windows xp no longer outputting screen signal

dlthorpe

dlthorpe

dlthorpe

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8 Jun 2004
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So yeh, this is weird, and in the many years i have worked in tech support ive never seen this.

So today i decide to unplug a 200GB hdd and put in a 80gb one. This was only a spare drive and nothing to do with the system boot.

So i turn on the pc and i can see dos, i can see the windows logo, but then when i should see the login my screen goes black, the monitor searches for analogue and digital signal - but no one is home. I know the system has loaded to that point because its audibly active, and if i try to login it works. i just cant see it.

So the weird thing is it works fine in safe mode, i can see the monitor outputting via a digital and analogue signal at various resolutions. i just get nothing no matter what i try on a normal boot.

So i test things, another monitor does the exact same thing on my system. MY monitor on another system works fine. Cables are fine. I've tried plugging in the HDDs back to their original configuration, just the system one on its own - but to no avail. Its really all good except for the damn normal windows boot!!!

Any one ever heard of this? What can it be!!! Please help if you have any ideas as im totally clueless. But im guessing something in my OS install is fubar.

Thanks!
D.
 
Last edited:
dlthorpe said:
So yeh, this is weird, and in the many years i have worked in tech support ive never seen this.

So today i decide to unplug a 200GB hdd and put in a 80gb one. This was only a spare drive and nothing to do with the system boot.

So i turn on the pc and i can see dos, i can see the windows logo, but then when i should see the login my screen goes black, the monitor searches for analogue and digital signal - but no one is home. I know the system has loaded to that point because its audibly active, and if i try to login it works. i just cant see it.

So the weird thing is it works fine in safe mode, i can see the monitor outputting via a digital and analogue signal at various resolutions. i just get nothing no matter what i try on a normal boot.

So i test things, another monitor does the exact same thing on my system. MY monitor on another system works fine. Cables are fine. I've tried plugging in the HDDs back to their original configuration, just the system one on its own - but to no avail. Its really all good except for the damn normal windows boot!!!

Any one ever heard of this? What can it be!!! Please help if you have any ideas as im totally clueless. But im guessing something in my OS install is fubar.

Thanks!
D.
Click to expand...

Well, you have ruled out the monitor. Is this using the graphics card, if so try the on-board?

Any overclocks in place?
 
Have you tried booting in to safe mode (hitting the F5 key as your PC is basically posting and keep a hammering it is the easiest method).

It could be your display drivers are messed up... happened to me once or twice.
 
i had similar thing a while back and the same pc booted fine and started fine but no monitor signal.
after messing around for ages i found it was the display settings, somehow it had changed to second monitor but it wouldnt show anything as i had screens in wrong dvi slots
was so annoying to sort out !!!
 
Thanks for replying all...

swinnie said:
Well, you have ruled out the monitor. Is this using the graphics card, if so try the on-board? Any overclocks in place?
Click to expand...

I dont have on board but i believe the GFX card is fine because it does display the picture both digital and analogue for safe mode in various resolutions. My mobo doesnt have onboard either. The gfx card is only overclocked when running games via WinFox - its an Nvidia GTX 7800.

RE - the other two posts, F8 is the key for me for Safe mode and yes ive been in here fine. The drivers could be screwed i suppose so ill try uninstalling it and letting windows detect again.

I did also try having two monitors plugged into the gfx card so that if it was a dual monitor issue that might pick it up. No luck tho.

Thanks for the replies again, ill try some driver stuff and let you know.

Ta.
D.
 
Maybe they removed F5 in vista (not used Vista safe mode yet). But generally F8 brings up a menu, where you can chose between repairing, Safe mode, Sade mode with networking, Start windows normally and so on.

F5 gives no options, and just goes for basic safe mode, with no networking.

The only other thing it could be, if you eliminate the software is the Graphics Card really - but I would be surprised if it was because you can see Post.
 
Well i fixed it in the end based on your suggetions guys. Basically it was the gfx card driver which i thought was pretty damn weird. But im thinking as i took out a hdd and put another in, that somehow the interrupts or something got mixed up and the new drive conflicted with the gfx card.

As soon as i uninstalled in safe mode, and then booted in normal mode it detected the gfx card and a new driver install worked.

Never seen anything like it before tho lol.

Thanks again all,
D.
 
Excellent news :)

Yeah, GPU problems can be highly annoying :)

Until recently my 24" monitor when I booted was showing as a res of 1920x1080 (which, I had to force to 1920x1200) despite the fact that it had been fine before at the native 19x12. Its fixed now though. Also had the black screen issue happen a few times.

SOmetimes windows becomes one confused little fellow :)
 
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