BLACK SCREEN - please help!!

[Cecilia K.]

I am getting a black screen when starting my computer, before loading the
personal settings and after the first Windows XP Screen (with the logo). The
black screen stays there a long time (I didn't have this issue before) and I
don't remember what changes I made to the computer lately. But it bothers me
a lot since the start up time of Windows XP is taking a long time. ANY
SUGGESTIONS? Thanks, Cecilia

 

[George Hester]

Cecilia computers do a few things before the operating system in this case
Windows XP ever starts. When your computer boots you should see a message
asking if you want to do a Setup. If not you should look into going into
the BIOS of the machine. That is what Setup is referring to. You may see
an option in the BIOS which describes seeing messages at boot. Enable
that.. Then you can look at what part of the system it is going through
where you are seeing a long lag time. Usually this is an indication that a
piece of hardware is not connected right or it is right just maybe a
reconfiguration is necessary. I had the same type of thing happen and it
turned out I needed to make the CD-ROM device a Slave and the other device
on the channel the Master. Google Slave Mater IDE if you don't know what I
am referring to.