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| Thread ID: 59953 | 2005-07-18 06:37:00 | Sudden blank screen - advice needed | Tony (4941) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 373223 | 2005-07-18 06:37:00 | This is the second time this has happened in the last few days, so I think it is time for some advice. Without warning my monitor went black, and as far as I could tell the system froze. I did a hard reboot, and once the Windows logo with the green progress bar disappeared, it was all black and frozen again. Rebooted again, into safe mode, and the desktop eventually appeared OK. Looking at the display settings, it said "default monitor on <blank>". Tried to shut down normally and the system hung on "windows is closing down" with the disk light hard on. Another hard reboot, <F8> and selected "VGA mode". All started OK with the correct display/video card settings showing. Closed down normally, rebooted and now all is back to normal. (so far). Any ideas as to what might be happening? My first guess would be that maybe the video card (NVIDIA GeForce FX5200) is dying - how could I confirm that? TIA. |
Tony (4941) | ||
| 373224 | 2005-07-18 07:08:00 | What version of the videocard drivers are installed? Sounds like a file is corrupted or you have a virus or something. |
Speedy Gonzales (78) | ||
| 373225 | 2005-07-18 07:45:00 | What version of the videocard drivers are installed? Sounds like a file is corrupted or you have a virus or something.The video driver version id 7.1.8.9. Could be a corrupt file - but wouldn't that tend to cause a permanent error? If it's a virus then AVG isn't doing its job! I've no reason to suspect a virus. |
Tony (4941) | ||
| 373226 | 2005-07-18 08:04:00 | Try uninstalling those drivers that are installed / installing newer drivers from here. www.nvidia.com See if it makes a diff. |
Speedy Gonzales (78) | ||
| 373227 | 2005-07-18 09:06:00 | What version of Windows? If 2k or XP, is it set to produce an error or BSOD, what does it say in event viewer? | Murray P (44) | ||
| 373228 | 2005-07-18 13:31:00 | What version of Windows? If 2k or XP, is it set to produce an error or BSOD, what does it say in event viewer?It is WinXP Home, SP2 with all updates. I'm not sure how to "set to produce an error or BSOD". I am assuming it is though, as I have had a BSOD in the past (different errors). The only thing I can see in the event viewer that looks relevant is several "application popups" at around the relevant time that say "Event ID 26", and in the description, "Machine Check:Regs" and of course a load of binary dump stuff at the bottom, none of which I can interpret. I never think to look at the event viewer in these circumstances! :blush: |
Tony (4941) | ||
| 373229 | 2005-07-18 14:55:00 | You checked System as well as Application events? You can change the view of the event binary/hex or "human readable" [sic] form . Anyway, this could be your baby: MS KB-329284 ( . microsoft . com/default . aspx?scid=kb;en-us;329284" target="_blank">support . microsoft . com) . Would still pay to check a few events either side of ID: 26 and check some other ID:26 and those around it to see if they are consistent . Basically troubleshoot your hardware before you start on software with this one . Is all the memory being checked at boot (POST); run memtest or such like, check cables and seating of RAM, cards, drives, etc; What's you temperatures like, what's your power situation like; Do a disc scan with the drive manufacturers diagnostic utility, from a boot CD or floppy, not from WIndows (one that checks the IDE controllers and cables is v handy) . You can use a Linux rescue/diagnostics CD and check the memory with the same disk (Insert, BG Rescue, EBCD . don't use anything that alters the disc/data/writes to disc) . Uae Sisoft Sandra or Aida to check out RAM, board parameters, etc . |
Murray P (44) | ||
| 373230 | 2005-07-18 22:04:00 | Hmmm... interesting. I had another "black screen" event this morning, and when I eventually got back into action I checked the event log, and sure enough, there were some more "machine check" entries, but they occured about 40 mins before the blackout - during the morning boot-up. So I'm not entirely sure they are connected. I also noticed that the disk activity light was hard on when the screen went blank, and that is how it stayed until I did a hard reset after 5-6 minutes. | Tony (4941) | ||
| 373231 | 2005-07-19 00:43:00 | Disc thrashing can indicate a lack of memory or, swap file (virtual memory) or a, misbehaving software(?), malware/virus activity. It could be a faulty HDD or controller. Try a memory test from a bootable disc, first. If you've got a memory fault, it could conceivably be triggered by the extra activity of software, including malware. |
Murray P (44) | ||
| 373232 | 2005-07-19 10:21:00 | Here's the latest. It has done it to me 3-4 times more, but this time no disk thrashing - the only evidence is a blank screen. It is not just a display problem though, as the PC is also no longer accessible from the network. Usually a reboot fixes it, but a couple of time it flashed up the initial "loading your personalised settings" screen and immediately crapped out again - which makes me think it is hardware or driver or service related; it must be too early for application stuff to be active. I've run Sandra without anything showing that meant anything to me. I've also run AVG, Ad-Aware and Spybot - all clean. I'll run a memtest tonight and see what happens. |
Tony (4941) | ||
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