[HKNewBi]

Listfolk

I have come across a strange issue with a friend's PC I was trying to fix. It was running fine for an hour or so, and then the monitor went off. The PC was still running.

Checked all the cables etc - the monitor is switched on but not getting a signal.

Now, if I reboot the machine, the monitor comes on right up until the end of the windows boot sequence where the screen usually goes black and it switches graphics mode and you then see the blue background and the log in box appears. At this point the monitor just goes blank.

If I boot up into Safe mode the monitor works fine.

It is running Windows 2000.

Anyone got any suggestions. My guess is there is some issue with the display driver but a) why would it be fine for an hour and b) how to fix this?

Thanks

[z754103]

Have had similar problems, due to:

1. display driver
2. video card problem
3. monitor problem.

Check each possibility.

[discobay]

Boot up in safe mode, login and set the display driver to vga. Reboot into normal mode and try updating the display driver from the internet or ideally the display card manufacturer's website.

[HKNewBi]

Hi Discobay

Thanks, will give that a go.

Any clue as to why the machine would work fine for an hour and then something triggers to change the resolution?

[discobay]

Would that be the screen saver kicking in?

[KnowItAll]

it might be switching to a refresh frequency that the monitor cannot handle.

[HKNewBi]

Don't think it would be the screensaver as it wouldn't kick in during boot up, would it?

Also thinking back (machine is at my friends house) under safe mode the resolution was set to VGA - isn't that automatic under safe mode? The highest resolution was 800x600 and it was set to 640x 480 16 color mode.

The screen goes black during the boot sequence

ie machine turned on. Boots up the bios. Starts to load windows - black screen with a bar down the bottom. Then the windows 2000 logo comes on with a progress bar showing at the bottom of the screen. That progress bar fills up - at this point it black screens. Don't know if that description helps.

[discobay]

The black screen is normal. This is followed by the Windows resolution you have set for the login screen (if a login screen is displayed). It is at this point that Windows is loading the drivers and it will be at this point that it will fail if they are the wrong drivers. I could be wrong. Yes, safe mode uses the vga drivers. I suggested switching to those on a permanent basis so that you boot into a normal session and get onto the internet to download and install a new driver.
Better still upgrade to XP :-)

[HKNewBi]

The black screen is normal - for a second or two! But in this case it just stays black, but the PC is clearly still on.

How do you set it to permanent VGA mode in safe mode? It is already in safe mode and in VGA - is there a way to tell it to keep in that mode when it reboots? I could just delete the graphics driver I suppose.

Don't think an upgrade to XP would help. It is an old machine and struggles a bit with win2k. Could try it I suppose and downgrade if too slow. My friend's 9 year old daughter was given it to use and I don't think they are in a position to buy her a new machine to play with hence me trying to get this one back onto its feet again. If it was mine I would throw it in the harbour.

[discobay]

I see. I am in a similar position in resurrecting an old computer using a spare Win 2k license. However, unless you are on the nerdy side 2k is not that user-friendly especially for young children. I am going to upgrade it to XP with my spare and save-it-for-a-rainy-day XP license. To be brutally honest your friend might be better off by getting a new off-the-shelf desktop from say, Dell, for $3799 delivered with warranty and XP already loaded.