no display, but xp still fully boots

[Joe Letter]

A friend of mine recently installed a "whole bunch" of updates from the
windows update site and found that upon reboot his display remained blank.
A black screen is all that can be seen.

Interesting facts:
..The bios startup screen still works
..Pressing F8 will take to a boot choice
..Windows still loads, if you wait long enough you know you are logged in
since you can peform operations by key combinations if you have them
memorized (for example (windows key, U, arrow keys up 3x, arrow key down 1x,
enter = reboots the computer)
.. Safe mode is also blank
.. last know good doesn't fix it.

What can be done? I think it might have a driver problem, but it looks like
safe mode doesn't even work.... that should load the standard vga driver
which shouldn't be a problem.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!!!!
Joe

 

[Guest]

Sorry, Joe, I don't have any suggestions, but I have a similar problem. Except that we partially downloaded the windows updates (we cancelled them after the wireless connection faded), and now when we turn on the computer, we get to the XP screen, the screen goes blank like it is about to show the desktop, but then the computer keeps rebooting, over, and over, and over.

Amy

 

[D.Currie]

A friend of mine recently installed a "whole bunch" of updates from the
windows update site and found that upon reboot his display remained blank.
A black screen is all that can be seen.

Interesting facts:
.The bios startup screen still works
.Pressing F8 will take to a boot choice
.Windows still loads, if you wait long enough you know you are logged in
since you can peform operations by key combinations if you have them
memorized (for example (windows key, U, arrow keys up 3x, arrow key down 1x,
enter = reboots the computer)
. Safe mode is also blank
. last know good doesn't fix it.

What can be done? I think it might have a driver problem, but it looks like
safe mode doesn't even work.... that should load the standard vga driver
which shouldn't be a problem.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!!!!
Joe

I've seen that under three circumstances. Once, when spyware was hogging so
much of the system that it couldn't show video -- which may not be this case
unless you've noticed severe system slowdowns prior to this -- and another
when the video drivers got deleted, and a third when the default video got
changed to a different output.

If you've got 2 video outputs see if the other has been changed to the
primary when Windows boots; just plug your monitor into the other output.
You can try booting in VGA mode and see what happens. Or borrow an old video
card of a different type and plug that in. Since it would require completely
different drivers, it might work.

 

[D.Currie]

Sorry, Joe, I don't have any suggestions, but I have a similar problem.

Except that we partially downloaded the windows updates (we cancelled them
after the wireless connection faded), and now when we turn on the computer,
we get to the XP screen, the screen goes blank like it is about to show the
desktop, but then the computer keeps rebooting, over, and over, and over.

Amy

You might want to start a new thread with some more details. What you've got
going with the rebooting is very different from what the OP is describing.

 

[Joe Letter]

Hmm. All three sound like real possibilities. I think I will grab an old
video card and see what I can do for my friend. Thanks for your help!

-Joe