Black screen on start up

[Guest]

On occasions when starting Windows XP the screen stays black even though I
can hear Windows starting up on my computer. There is nothing I can do other
than to wait until everything is loaded and then switch off at the power
button. This is happening more and more - it used to be maybe once in three
or four switch ons but today it took me 8 tries before I got the computer
name on the screen and the normal blue screen to follow. I have checked on
the Sony Vaio web site to see if there is an updated video driver required
but that seems not to be the case. Does anyone have any idea of what I might
do or has anyone had anything like this happen to them.

 

[Ted Zieglar]

I like to try the easy fixes first. Unplug and re-plug your video cable
(both ends). Have a good look at the connectors. Do any of the prongs seem
loose, bent or broken?

 

[Guest]

I have already tried that. The connectors look absolutely fine. Do you have
any other ideas?

 

[Ted Zieglar]

Same thing happen with a different monitor?

 

[Guest]

That I haven't tried - I haven't got another monitor to try with!

 

[Ted Zieglar]

If a second monitor works fine, you know your monitor is the problem.

If a second monitor has the same problem, you could replace your video card,
but if the video card was the cause you would experience the problem every
time, not just sometimes.

When the monitor is black it means it's not receiving a video signal. That
means the video cable or the monitor itself is the problem.

 

[Guest]

Many thanks for your help. I will buy a new video cable and see if that
fixes the problem. That would be cheaper than a new monitor!

 

[Guest]

could be something wrong with the video card. I think the video mode at boot
up is like a simplified low-res mode, then it switiches to the preferred
setting after initial boot sequence (or something like that, I'm not exactly
sure)

Anyway, once I had this problem and I unplugged my video card and tried it
in a different slot on the motherboard, then it worked again. SO I don't
really know what the problem was for sure still, maybe the that PCI slot jsut
went bad??

SO maybe try that. I guess if it's AGP though you may just have the one
slot. Even so, maybe take it out and blow all the dust off it and put it back
in again.