Computer prob, ruining my life!

[darren_rallye]

I'm fixing an old desktop PC for my mum so that she can browse the internet.

It's pretty rubbish, 750mhz Pentium III, or something...

Anyway, I finally got it up and running, and the internet up and running via wifi, and decided to swap her old crappy monitor...

I plugged the new one in and nothing happened - it just flicked to powersave. I put the old monitor back on, and the same thing happened.
I discovered that the was another VGA out on the back, so plugged into that. It worked, but in a very low res...

I installed the new hardware and selected the appropriate driver, following which I was prompted to restart.
When the computer came back on the screen was blank again

Now bascially I can't see anything on either monitor from either output.
I suspect I need to change a driver or something, but this is tough without being able to see !

Any ideas????



TTTHHHHHAAANNNKKKSSS in advance, and sorry for long post :quiet:

 

[Clart]

safe mode?

 

[darren_rallye]

Yep, tried safe mode, although i'm not sure if I got into it, as I can't actually see.I just held F8 and after a while pressed 3 and then enter, which I remember being the options??

 

[Master_Shabz]

i had this problem once was a rigth pain couldent see anything so i took the hardrive out Pluged it as a slave drive in another computer and then i installed the setup again on it using my computer..then pluged it back in seemed to be ok after that..

 

[JonnyK]

does the computer beep more than once when you turn it on?

 

[Andy A]

^^ as above, if its not posting then its most probaly a RAM or CPU problem, if the POSTing beep occurs then problems with your graphics card, if thats the case then try rebedding it in a giving it a clean.

 

[darren_rallye]

Thanks,

I think it does beep, so is switching on as normal, so will try unplugging and replugging the graphics card.

 

[darren_rallye]

Well it definitely does the 1 beep, so is booting up.

The monitor is constantly in powersave though.

I've removed a graphics card.
As there are two 15 pin VGA outputs on the back of the PC, does that mean there are two in there?

Thanks for any more help

 

[meady100]

I'd say there's a very high chance that you have a loose connection either between the graphics card and the motherboard, or between your graphics card and cable. Try unplugging everything then making sure you have no bent pins and that everything is completely secure when you do it all back up. I've had this sort of thing loads of times....

S.

 

[Gray]

I would rebuild the computer, clean all parts, and check all you connections, and try again...

If not take your hard drive out, and use this on another computer to try an find the problem from there?

 

[darren_rallye]

Thanks,

I'm checking the connections now as the case is open, but am more inclined to thinking it is a software, rather than a hardware prob...

This is because when I restarted the computer after installing the driver it stopped working; not when I made any physical changes :dead:

 

[meady100]

I don't think so; drivers will not come into play *at all* until after windows boots. Regardless of what drivers you have installed, you should see the bios run through fine, unless you have flashed it, which I don't believe you have. I'm prepared to bet my left testicle you have a hardware problem there! A monitor staying in powersave means that while it is receiving power, it is receiving no signal from ur compy; this is especially likely if you can hear your computer 'working' (ie hard drive accessing). Try attaching some speakers then powering up and I'm sure you will hear the familiar windows 'jingle' as it boots fine. Check those connections man!!

S.

 

[Padso]

What resolution was the screen running at? something silly?

Sometimes if you take an old monitor off thats running at a resolution that the new screen wont work at it will c**k up.

 

[seb172]

if it was the resolution, the screen would only go to powersave when windows had finished loading, you would still see the BIOS post screen, sounds like it may be the graphics card. I take it both monitor's work on other computers?

 

[darren_rallye]

Yep, both monitors work fine.

I think I'll get a shop to test the card, as I've had enough now!

Thnks again

 

[Mark5290]

This has happened to me before when i selected too high a screen size/resolution setting in display properties settings, when i restarted, the monitor was blank but pc was booting up, the monitor was not coming back on it would just go to powersave, i eventually sorted it (i think) by going into bios - that would display ok, and resetting everything to factory settings, then restarting several times and eventually it came back on and asked me if i wanted to keep the new screen settings - hell yes - lol.

Edit - just seen post about graphics card, sometimes i have also had no display if the vid card is not a good fit between board and case and the screw then pulls it too tight, make sure when you fit the vid card it goes in straight and does not tip over slightly because of the spacing between the edge of board and the case, try inserting vid card but leave out the screw or just nip it up slightly.

 

[hooligan]

Well it definitely does the 1 beep, so is booting up.

The monitor is constantly in powersave though.

I've removed a graphics card.
As there are two 15 pin VGA outputs on the back of the PC, does that mean there are two in there?

Thanks for any more help

maybe it has on built graphics and by you plugging in second graphic device u are causing a conflict
try plugging in to the other 15 pin without adding the card

 

[Martin_172]

as said above if it has onboard VGA then remove the AGP/PCI graphics card and give the onboard a go as it could be eather a conflict or you might just need to dissable the onboard VGA