I have 2 PC's, which have the same symptoms. 1 is an Acer Aspire 266mhz and a Packard Bell, old. Both stopped displaying the desktop and and both have an onboard graphics card. Is there a way to fix this? I have read about updating bios and info from the device viewer, but I am unable to see what I am doing. I verified that the monitor is ok, it's just the PC's. Can any one advise me on these?
Thanks,
Twisted Again 0 Newbie Poster
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Jump to PostThis started happening to both video cards at the same time? Did you recently install software / device drivers that might have caused this? Is there something you did to both of them recently (i.e. ran Windows Update) ??
Jump to PostCan you get a screen if you start up in safe mode? If so you could be looking at a corrupted driver, as safe mode loads the generic/stock vga.sys driver instead of your card's driver.
Speaking of what you can't display, is it just GUI mode that isn't working, …
Jump to PostJust because the lights are on doesn't mean the computer posted ,do you hear the first beep to indicate it passed the post test ,the beep will come from the internal computer speaker .
All 11 Replies
Dani 4,675 The Queen of DaniWeb Administrator Featured Poster Premium Member
This started happening to both video cards at the same time? Did you recently install software / device drivers that might have caused this? Is there something you did to both of them recently (i.e. ran Windows Update) ??
Twisted Again 0 Newbie Poster
No, the timing of these just hppens to be coincidental, plus the Acer actually has been this way for a while stuck in the closet. The Packard Bell is a friends and since both seem to have the same symptoms, I thought I would now address the inevitable.
This started happening to both video cards at the same time? Did you recently install software / device drivers that might have caused this? Is there something you did to both of them recently (i.e. ran Windows Update) ??
DMR 152 Wombat At Large Team Colleague
Can you get a screen if you start up in safe mode? If so you could be looking at a corrupted driver, as safe mode loads the generic/stock vga.sys driver instead of your card's driver.
Speaking of what you can't display, is it just GUI mode that isn't working, or do the monitors not display anything at all?
JR85023 7 Junior Poster in Training
He cannot even see the bios screen so drivers is out of the question. Is your PC booting up with no screen. Clue* hard drive LED lights up, or if you got speakers you might hear windows annoying music when you boot up.
DMR 152 Wombat At Large Team Colleague
I have read about updating bios and info from the device viewer, but I am unable to see what I am doing.
I could be wrong, but I didn't take that to explicitly mean that he couldn't even see the BIOS info on the screen.
Catweazle 140 Grandad Team Colleague
Sure you haven't adjusted the monitor brightness down all the way to black? Might sound silly, but I've seen sillier things happen.
Do either of these systems work with a different monitor connected? A different monitor cable? Does the monitor in question work OK on a different PC?
Edit: Sorry, please disregard that - I just reread your question a bit more attentively.
Have you tried using a PCI or AGP add-in display card with them?
Twisted Again 0 Newbie Poster
I get all indications that everything else is working ok. All led lights are on appropriately & I thought of the brightness on the monitor, but it's ok. (That something I could see myself doing) That's why I checked. The only thing is I don't hear ny sound. But that could be off (muted) I generally do that.
alc6379 120 Cookie... That's it Team Colleague
I'm thinking it may be time to buy/borrow a PCI video card. Put that in, and see if you can get any boot messages.
Twisted Again 0 Newbie Poster
Thanks, I will give the PCI card a try.
caperjack 875 I hate 20 Questions Team Colleague
Just because the lights are on doesn't mean the computer posted ,do you hear the first beep to indicate it passed the post test ,the beep will come from the internal computer speaker .
JR85023 7 Junior Poster in Training
Just because the lights are on doesn't mean the computer posted ,do you hear the first beep to indicate it passed the post test ,the beep will come from the internal computer speaker .
This is very true, you should always be able to hear your system beep when booting up. Unless the system speaker is broken or disconnected.
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