blank screen on vista startup

[Guest]

I have a new computer and have installed the full version of vista home
premium. I have only a few programs installed - mostly antivirus and
antispyware. On startup, on a few occasions I would get a blank black screen
after the screen with the windows logo and before the desktop; the only
thing I can do is hit ctr-alt-delete and select the option "log off". The
only other thing I have done is a bios update. Is this behavior the result
of a problem that I need to find a solution to? I have looked at error
reports and there are many - is this normal or should there be very few
errors for a system that is working properly? Also, programs shut down
occasionally with the message that windows will search for a solution to the
problem. Thanks

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi Matt,

A) "I have a new computer...." The time to exercise your warranty is now. If
this is hardware related, a component may need to be replaced, and it could
very will be faulty memory.

B) "Is this behavior the result of a problem that I need to find a solution
to?" I think that goes without saying.

C) "I have looked at error reports and there are many - is this normal or
should there be very few errors for a system that is working properly?"
There should be very few.

D) "Also, programs shut down occasionally with the message that windows will
search for a solution to the problem." This is what leads me to believe it
may be memory related. Click start and type 'memory diagnostics' and run
this tool. it will require you to restart to run the diagnostic which may
take some time to complete.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[Guest]

Hi Matt,

A) "I have a new computer...." The time to exercise your warranty is now. If
this is hardware related, a component may need to be replaced, and it could
very will be faulty memory.

B) "Is this behavior the result of a problem that I need to find a solution
to?" I think that goes without saying.

C) "I have looked at error reports and there are many - is this normal or
should there be very few errors for a system that is working properly?"
There should be very few.
search for a solution to the problem." This is what leads me to believe it
may be memory related. Click start and type 'memory diagnostics' and run
this tool. it will require you to restart to run the diagnostic which may
take some time to complete.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com



Thanks for the helpful reply. When I say that there are a lot of errors, I am looking in Event Viewer which lists 211 Events. Under "errors" it lists 561, under warning - 1498, Information - 10,882. Alternatively, under Problem Reports and Solutions, there are much less errors - only a page. So, when you say there should be very few errors, do you mean in the event viewer? I will try reseating the memory and running memory diagnostics.

 

[Guest]

I removed and reset memory, and on subsequent startup received the same error in the Event Viewer: Error-Event ID 100

Warning-Event ID 200
Log Name: Microsoft-Windows-Diagnostics-Performance/Operational
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Diagnostics-Performance
Date: 7/15/2007 11:46:07 AM
Event ID: 100
Task Category: Boot Performance Monitoring
Level: Error
Keywords: Event Log
User: LOCAL SERVICE
Computer: Matt-PC
Description:
Windows has started up:
Boot Duration : 73552ms
IsDegradation : false
Incident Time (UTC) : 7/15/2007 3:43:57 PM
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Diagnostics-Performance"
Guid="{cfc18ec0-96b1-4eba-961b-622caee05b0a}" />
<EventID>100</EventID>
<Version>1</Version>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>4002</Task>
<Opcode>34</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x8000000000010000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2007-07-15T15:46:07.979Z" />
<EventRecordID>223</EventRecordID>
<Correlation ActivityID="{00000000-E0A8-0000-AD48-F3F4F6C6C701}" />
<Execution ProcessID="1908" ThreadID="1064" />
<Channel>Microsoft-Windows-Diagnostics-Performance/Operational</Channel>
<Computer>Matt-PC</Computer>
<Security UserID="S-1-5-19" />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data Name="BootTsVersion">2</Data>
<Data Name="BootStartTime">2007-07-15T15:43:57.718Z</Data>
<Data Name="BootEndTime">2007-07-15T15:46:04.495Z</Data>
<Data Name="SystemBootInstance">66</Data>
<Data Name="UserBootInstance">64</Data>
<Data Name="BootTime">73552</Data>
<Data Name="MainPathBootTime">43552</Data>
<Data Name="BootKernelInitTime">19</Data>
<Data Name="BootDriverInitTime">6307</Data>
<Data Name="BootDevicesInitTime">10474</Data>
<Data Name="BootPrefetchInitTime">28410</Data>
<Data Name="BootPrefetchBytes">433713152</Data>
<Data Name="BootAutoChkTime">0</Data>
<Data Name="BootSmssInitTime">1551</Data>
<Data Name="BootCriticalServicesInitTime">920</Data>
<Data Name="BootUserProfileProcessingTime">282</Data>
<Data Name="BootMachineProfileProcessingTime">558</Data>
<Data Name="BootExplorerInitTime">22401</Data>
<Data Name="BootNumStartupApps">7</Data>
<Data Name="BootPostBootTime">30000</Data>
<Data Name="BootIsRebootAfterInstall">false</Data>
<Data Name="BootRootCauseStepImprovementBits">0</Data>
<Data Name="BootRootCauseGradualImprovementBits">0</Data>
<Data Name="BootRootCauseStepDegradationBits">0</Data>
<Data Name="BootRootCauseGradualDegradationBits">0</Data>
<Data Name="BootIsDegradation">false</Data>
<Data Name="BootIsStepDegradation">false</Data>
<Data Name="BootIsGradualDegradation">false</Data>
<Data Name="BootImprovementDelta">0</Data>
<Data Name="BootDegradationDelta">0</Data>
<Data Name="BootIsRootCauseIdentified">false</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>
This is new Crucial memory (1 stick of 1GB), and it seems unlikely, but
maybe the memory stick is defective. What are other possible causes of this
problem?
I did an Express bios update for the Intel motherboard - could it be the
motherboard or the bios update?
Thanks
for your help

 

[John Barnes]

Was it running without errors before the update. If yes then that is your
problem, otherwise follow Ricks advice, especially item 1.

 

[Guest]

Was it running without errors before the update. If yes then that is your
problem, otherwise follow Ricks advice, especially item 1.



I ran memory diagnostic, and it found no errors. Would I be looking exclusively for a hardware problem as the cause of this problem?