A bizarre startup problem in XP! or, monitor run amok

[plansfornigel]

Hello there. I truly hope someone can help me with this! I'm running xp
on a Dell Inspiron laptop I got about three years ago. I don't have it
on me right now - I'm @ work - but the problem continues to trouble me
so I hope I can find some assistance, even w/o specific specs.

Recently, I noticed that on startup, only about 40% of the monitor was
being used. I got the typical Dell and XP startup screens, but they
were minaturized as if I only had a 4" wide screen, with most of the
screen remaining blank. But once windows started up, the entire screen
would be filled.

Yesterday, the computer froze and when I rebooted it, it loaded as
usual (using a small percentage of the screen) but then, when Windows
would normally load up, the screen just went blank. Although it made
the startup sound (and would also make the shutdown sound if I turned
off the power), nothing appeared on the screen. I am convinced that
Windows is running, as the computer reacts normally other than a
completely blank screen!

Now, I was able to get Windows to run successfully in Safe Mode, load
up and run some programs (thankfully, to back up my files). However, it
would only run with the same strange display issue - only using the very
center of the monitor. Nothing I could do would fix this. And at no time
have I been able to get windows to load in normal mode without going to
a blank screen right after the XP Home Edition screen disappears.

I hope someone can assist. Thanks.

 

[Winguy]

Most laptops have a connector on the back that you can plug a normal monitor
into. If yours does, give it a try and see if it looks ok on the "external"
monitor. If so, contact Dell because they'll probably need to electronically
repair it. If not, it might still need repair but you can try booting into
Safe Mode with Network Support, go to Dell, and get the latest graphics
drivers for your specific model and install them. It might be necessary to
go into the Settings section of Display in Control Panel before installing
the new driver and set resolution to 800x600, color depth to Medium (16
bit), and monitor refresh rate to 60Hz. You should be able to tap the F8 key
about 2 times per second while booting until you get a menu that lets you
boot using "VGA Mode", which looks horrible but should let you go adjust
those settings. VGA Mode is supposed to be guaranteed to give you a display
even if your normal drivers are hosed, unless an electronic problem exists.