PC problem

[4F]

Dear all, having some problems with my home PC (Dell Inspiron) running windows Vista (no jokes please !)

I have power to my screen but a blank black screen. I have swopped with a spare screen and cable but no joy and the screen works perfectly on my work PC. When powering on I can hear through the speakers that it gets to the windows start up screen.

Being a bit of a computer simpleton (although I did add extra memory after advice on here) is there anything else I can try / look for before having to take to my local PC repair shop ?

Many thanks in advance

 

[gbb]

My knowledge is limited 4F, but it sounds either you have a dead monitor or graphics card.
I'd try a spare monitor if you can get your hands on one. I'd also make sure the graphics card id secure in its slots. No reason it shouldnt be, but maybe worth looking.

Oh....i see the monitor works ok on your work pc...doesnt leave much other than the graphics card.(in my limited experience)

Edited to say...
Even though my knowledge is limited, fitting a new graphics card is no biggie. I dont think they're that expensive (depending on your particular card) and i think they're more or less plug in and play, no software to load.

 

[Kestevan]

Sounds like its either your graphics card, or cable.

Check that the monitor cable is securely fastened into the socket on the back. Also check the graphics card is securely seated in the slot. Apply a "moderate" amount of downward force to the card (towards the motherboard- but take it easy ) it shouldn't wobble about too much and should seat squarely in the slot.

Depending on the model of graphics card it may have a seperate power supply cable running to it. Make sure this is also connected.

 

[4F]

Sounds like its either your graphics card, or cable.

Check that the monitor cable is securely fastened into the socket on the back. Also check the graphics card is securely seated in the slot. Apply a "moderate" amount of downward force to the card (towards the motherboard- but take it easy ) it shouldn't wobble about too much and should seat squarely in the slot.

Depending on the model of graphics card it may have a seperate power supply cable running to it. Make sure this is also connected.

OK thanks, it's definatly not the monitor cable as I borrowed a new spare of these when I tested yesterday and tried the original one here at work which works fine.

I will open it up tonight then to check the graphics card

Thanks

 

[Bman]

Is it a laptop or desktop?

If it is a desktop and you say one monitor works and another doesnt, I'm thinking refresh rates.

Does the monitor that doesnt display a picture have an indicator light?
Is this light Green or orange (before it goes to standby)?

 

[4F]

Desktop, sorry you misunderstood about the monitor. I borrowed a spare monitor from work to try this out first but still nothing, on the original monitor that was connected I bought this in to work this morning and plugged it in to my works desktop and it is fine so monitor and monitor cable is not the problem. Cannot remember about the colour of the light

 

[rh100]

do you get anything on the screen at all during boot up - such as the bios system information messages prior to windows starting to boot up?

this will narrow down between hardware and software

if you do get something to start with then it goes blank once booted into windows, you could start in safe mode (f8 at startup) and play with the driver/refresh etc.

 

[Bman]

Ok. So no monitors work on your desktop.

Do you see any picture when booting up?

If you don't, it could well be a poorly seated graphics card like Kestevan suggested.

As I write this I see rh100 has also asked about POST (bios) info on screen before it boots to windows. My next suggestion would also be safe mode

 

[4F]

OK from memory I believe it states the message "System analogue detected" and then I get the blank screen

 

[rh100]

that sounds like a message from the monitor itself rather than the pc

check the monitor menus for input options (analogue/VGA will have a 15 ping D plug at both or one end of the cable, 15 round pins in three rows), digital will have a longer plug shape and recognizable by usually having flat pins amongst the others - usually labelled as DVI)

Some PC's have an analogue signal transmitted via the digital DVI port, it's only a digital signal if both ends of the cable are DVI (the DVI connector can carry the analogue signal for backward compatibility).

So, double check all the menus you can find in the monitor regarding inputs and signal types - there may be an AUTO button on the monitor which may help aswell.

 

[4F]

Grrr off to the computer shop it has gone. No joy starting it in safe mode and I have discovered that the graphics card is integrated into the motherboard

Double and treble Grrr, They have just inspected it and can get nothing out of it and their conclusion is that the motherboard is furballed

 

[Norm]

... I have discovered that the graphics card is integrated into the motherboard

That's actually a good thing. If you can find out what sort of video card your motherboard uses, then you can disable the integrated card, add a new card (depending on spec, it could be "only" a tenner) and probably see an improvement in your PC's performance.

 

[on the road]

Can you get into the BIOS?

 

[ian turner]

You assume the problem is the graphics chipset and not related to the PCI bus or something similarly low level.
I would have thought that the computer shop would have tried sticking a spare graphics card in
to see what happened as one of the more obvious tests though I'd ask.
Can he get into the bios ? With a blank screen ? tsk

 

[on the road]

Yes I know, stupid question