Someone help please

[MOM of 9]

I installed a bigger hard drive on my kids computer, Reinstalled Windows XP
Home
Worked great, got inernet working fine, So I decided I should update the
service pack 2. After downloading SP2 & installing it the computer said it
needed to restart.
Now the moniter screen is totally blank. Is there someway to restore the
computer to before I loaded the service pack 2 without using a screen? Or is
there something else I can do? Thank you

 

[John Barnett MVP]

When does the screen blank out? When you first turn it on or when it tries
to load windows?

1/ Have you checked the connection from your graphics card (at the back of
the pc) to your monitor?

2/ Is the monitor 'on' switch illuminated showing that power is getting to
the monitor?

When you switch your PC on (with the monitor switched on) if everything is
working you should see text appear on he screen (the BIOS information) can
you see this?

If you can see the text and the monitor is actually going blank when it
starts to load Windows you can always try removing service pack 2 from safe
mode. To do this switch your pc and monitor on, when the BIOS text appears
keep tapping the F8 key until a menu appears. When the menu appears you
should see the Safe Mode option. Select this and press Enter. Select the
administrator account and type in your password (if you haven't set a
password then just press enter to gain access) Once in safe mode go to
control panel, click the add/remove programs and look for service pack 2.
Click on the service pack 2 option and it should uninstall.

XP is now on Service Pack 3 which you could have downloaded and installed
instead of SP2.

--

--
John Barnett MVP
Windows XP Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org
Web: http://www.silversurfer-guide.com

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

 

[MOM of 9]

When does the screen blank out? When you first turn it on or when it tries
to load windows?

1/ Have you checked the connection from your graphics card (at the back of
the pc) to your monitor?

2/ Is the monitor 'on' switch illuminated showing that power is getting to
the monitor?

When you switch your PC on (with the monitor switched on) if everything is
working you should see text appear on he screen (the BIOS information) can
you see this?

If you can see the text and the monitor is actually going blank when it
starts to load Windows you can always try removing service pack 2 from safe
mode. To do this switch your pc and monitor on, when the BIOS text appears
keep tapping the F8 key until a menu appears. When the menu appears you
should see the Safe Mode option. Select this and press Enter. Select the
administrator account and type in your password (if you haven't set a
password then just press enter to gain access) Once in safe mode go to
control panel, click the add/remove programs and look for service pack 2.
Click on the service pack 2 option and it should uninstall.

XP is now on Service Pack 3 which you could have downloaded and installed
instead of SP2.

--

--
John Barnett MVP
Windows XP Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org
Web: http://www.silversurfer-guide.com

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

I tried to download & install sp3 1st but the computer told me there was
an earlier version or something to that effect so it wouldn't let it
download. Si I thought I should down load SP2 1st then maybe it would take
sp3.
The screen is blank graphics worked fine before download & yes green
monitor light is on. Thank you

 

[MOM of 9]

I tried to download & install sp3 1st but the computer told me there was
an earlier version or something to that effect so it wouldn't let it
download. Si I thought I should down load SP2 1st then maybe it would take
sp3.
The screen is blank graphics worked fine before download & yes green
monitor light is on. Thank you

Hello John,
I started the computer . Pressed F8 with keyboard with a blank screen &
menu for BIOS appeared. I set it to safe mode. Windows XP sign /logo
appeared like it going to start in safe mode, But the screen went blank
again, nothing.
I can turn the computer off, and it repeats what I have said above.
So I know its not the monitor. Any other ideas to get SP2 off or restore to
a certain point? Without a monitor?
I also tried the bios screen where it gives the option to restore windows
to a prior configuration that works. The screen went also blank for that.
Thank you

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was 10/16/2008 10:02 AM, and on a whim, MOM of 9
pounded out on the keyboard:

Hello John,
I started the computer . Pressed F8 with keyboard with a blank screen &
menu for BIOS appeared. I set it to safe mode. Windows XP sign /logo
appeared like it going to start in safe mode, But the screen went blank
again, nothing.
I can turn the computer off, and it repeats what I have said above.
So I know its not the monitor. Any other ideas to get SP2 off or restore to
a certain point? Without a monitor?
I also tried the bios screen where it gives the option to restore windows
to a prior configuration that works. The screen went also blank for that.
Thank you

Hi Mom of 9,

In that case you will have to do a repair install using your XP CD.
Follow the directions here:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

--
Terry R. (dad of 5)

***Reply Note***
Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.
Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.

 

[nass]

Hello John,
I started the computer . Pressed F8 with keyboard with a blank screen &
menu for BIOS appeared. I set it to safe mode. Windows XP sign /logo
appeared like it going to start in safe mode, But the screen went blank
again, nothing.
I can turn the computer off, and it repeats what I have said above.
So I know its not the monitor. Any other ideas to get SP2 off or restore to
a certain point? Without a monitor?
I also tried the bios screen where it gives the option to restore windows
to a prior configuration that works. The screen went also blank for that.
Thank you

Try Last Good known Configuration and then try System Restore by doing this:
click Start >> All programs >> Accessories >> System Tools >>
System Restore and pick up a Restore point to restore your system.
It will do the reboot and the rstore will procedure pay attention to it and
see if it was successful or not.

You siad you install XP on it? I will take it it is clean install! Did you
install the Motherboard drivers and one of then the Graphic Driver for your
Display Graphic Card?
HTH,
nass

 

[John Barnett MVP]

As you have nothing to loose, If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't bother
troubleshooting this issue I would be looking at re-install Windows XP. It
certainly would be far quicker and less hassle.

Once you have re-installed XP don't install SP2 straight away. Make sure the
machine is working correctly first (obviously make sure you install anti
virus etc just in case you need to use the internet). It may not be SP2 that
is the cause of the problem. Make sure you have downloaded the latest Video
drivers for your graphics card.

You may also like to check that your video card is seated properly on the
motherboard. Try taking it out and re-inserting it (very carefully)

--

--
John Barnett MVP
Windows XP Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org
Web: http://www.silversurfer-guide.com

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

 

[John Barnett MVP]

Nass the monitor goes blank before she even gets to the windows interface so
she I not going to be able to click the Start button>all Programs etc.

I agree about installing the drivers for the motherboard and, indeed, the
video drivers but currently this problem is also happening just after
accepting the option for safe mode. Windows is using generic legacy drivers
at this point. If it were a driver problem I wouldn't expect the problem to
arise using the generic legacy driver.

While I have suggested a re-install of XP it still may be possible that the
monitor or video card is at fault. The only possible way of discounting this
is to try using another monitor/video card to see if the same thing happens.


--

--
John Barnett MVP
Windows XP Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org
Web: http://www.silversurfer-guide.com

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

 

[nass]

Hi John,
My troubleshooting was intended if the OP was able to log by using the Last
good known Confi.
On these bases I gave the Instructions for System Restore, not forgotten the
OP mentioining not been able to use Safe Mode!

Yes, you are right in assuming the monitor and the Video card at fault which
I forget to add first time in my reply and also add to it the RAM sticks may
be faulty too.
Regards,
nass
---
http://www.nasstec.co.uk

Nass the monitor goes blank before she even gets to the windows interface so
she I not going to be able to click the Start button>all Programs etc.

I agree about installing the drivers for the motherboard and, indeed, the
video drivers but currently this problem is also happening just after
accepting the option for safe mode. Windows is using generic legacy drivers
at this point. If it were a driver problem I wouldn't expect the problem to
arise using the generic legacy driver.

While I have suggested a re-install of XP it still may be possible that the
monitor or video card is at fault. The only possible way of discounting this
is to try using another monitor/video card to see if the same thing happens.


--

--
John Barnett MVP
Windows XP Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org
Web: http://www.silversurfer-guide.com

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

 

[HeyBub]

I installed a bigger hard drive on my kids computer, Reinstalled
Windows XP Home
Worked great, got inernet working fine, So I decided I should update
the service pack 2. After downloading SP2 & installing it the
computer said it needed to restart.
Now the moniter screen is totally blank. Is there someway to restore
the computer to before I loaded the service pack 2 without using a
screen? Or is there something else I can do? Thank you

You could just start over.

Reinstall the original hard drive. Does the machine work? If not, then
something other than XP, SP2, SP3 is amiss.

If you can boot from the old hard drive, install the NEW hard drive as an
additional, secondary, slave drive.

Go to the manufacturer's web site for the NEW drive and download their
cloning software. Run it. The cloning software will copy everything from the
active (old) drive to the new drive. This will take some time.

Remove original, old, hard drive and connect the new hard drive as the
primary hard drive in the machine.

Done.

The new hard drive is now identical with the old, in all respects, except it
has more available space.

 

[Paul]

Hello John,
I started the computer . Pressed F8 with keyboard with a blank screen &
menu for BIOS appeared. I set it to safe mode. Windows XP sign /logo
appeared like it going to start in safe mode, But the screen went blank
again, nothing.
I can turn the computer off, and it repeats what I have said above.
So I know its not the monitor. Any other ideas to get SP2 off or restore to
a certain point? Without a monitor?
I also tried the bios screen where it gives the option to restore windows
to a prior configuration that works. The screen went also blank for that.
Thank you

I wonder if it is a problem like this ?
Seeing as SP2 hasn't been used on the computer before.

http://cquirke.mvps.org/sp2intel.htm

There is a bootable processor identification utility here.
I just tried it here, for the first time.

http://www.intel.com/support/processors/tools/piu/sb/CS-015823.htm

There are instructions inside it, but it is better to tell you
first. When you download bpid_e19.exe, don't click it right away.
Prepare an empty folder first, call it anything you want.
Move bpid_e19.exe into the empty folder. Then click it. A DOS
window will flash for an instant. After that, in that empty
folder, you'll have a total of 10 files. Clicking the file,
extracts the archived files inside it.

Insert a blank floppy in your floppy disk drive. Now double
click on setup.bat, and the package will copy four files
to the floppy drive.

When it is finished, you can shut down your spare computer
if you want.

On the broken computer, insert the floppy with the four files
now copied on it, and start the computer. The floppy should
be earlier in the BIOS boot order, than the CD or hard drive,
so the floppy will boot.

You'll be greeted by a low resolution screen with a blue
background. First Intel gives their lengthy license terms,
after which you'll be given a chance to agree to it (whatever
it said). Press "1". Next, a screen will appear, with the output
which identifies the processor. In the lower half of the screen,
you'll see something like this.

Processor Type 0
Family F
Model 2
Stepping 9
Revision 16

Record the numbers. In my case 0F29 is a Pentium 4 Northwood
processor. The revision 16 tells me, that my motherboard BIOS
has installed a microcode patch. If the revision value is
listed as zero, it means the BIOS failed to install a microcode
patch. For certain processors like Prescott, and SP2, that
could be an issue, as described in the first link I posted above.

I cannot say I like any of the proposed solutions to this
problem, because they are hard for end users to perform.
As a hardware guy, I'd prefer to flash the BIOS and fix
it that way, but flashing the BIOS is not without its
risks, and some computer companies do not provide
updated BIOS with new microcode in any case. Leaving
some of the other suggested fixes as a solution.

HTH,
Paul