# Vista Black Screen Death



## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

Hi all. I was on a wikipedia page last night reading. When I went to scroll, I noticed that the cursor wouldn't move. Garsh. Darn batteries dead in the mouse again. Grrr. So I changed the battery and tried again. No luck. I tried ctrl-alt-delete. Nothing. So I used the manual button to close down. It turned off as usual. Then I pushed the button again and it started up The fan made its whooshing sound like it was starting up and then.... nothing. Nothing shows on the screen. Nothing. Whatsoever. OK, just sos we're clear. Nothing. The fan just sits there and runs and you can hear the hard drive making a little sound, but doesn't sound out of the ordinary I guess. What do hard drives sound like? :teehee:

So does it sound like it can be pinned down to anything in particular? Hard drive? processor? Motherboard? OS? I tried changing the cords (hookup) around to the spares in the tower. After I went through everything I could think of, I even tried the Fonzarelli solution on the side of the tower. _Heyyyy_. Apparently that only works on jukeboxes. :shrug:

Any idears? :sob:


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## jefferson (Nov 11, 2004)

ssssssschsssssssschschschsssssschktychktychsssssssssssssssssssss


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Open the case and try reseating the video adapter and memory modules. To do that, just pull them out and put them firmly back in place.


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

I did try the memory already. Switched them over, then tried one separately and then tried another. Nothing. Video adapter, what's that looks like? One of them "cards" in the rear? That would cause no boot? What about processor? Would that cause this? If the hard disk isn't damaged, but maybe the OS damaged somehow, I should still be able to get to the files somehow?

I was going to try to hook the drive up to one of the XPs, but the HD cables are different. The Vista has something like really slim connectors to the drive, whereas the XPs have the wider connectors. I picked up a Windows 8 machine this afternnon, but haven't checked the connectors yet. I'm hoping they are compatible because I really need the work off of the old computer. About three years of research on there. :gulp: I should have backed it up to the external drive many moons ago, but you know how that goes. 

If anyone knows, what are the slim connectors to the hard drive called. Surely they have a specific name?


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

How Do I said:


> Video adapter, what's that looks like? One of them "cards" in the rear? That would cause no boot?


It's where the monitor plugs into the back of the computer. Sometimes it's card, but sometimes it's integral to the mainboard. Yes, an improperly seated video card will prevent the machine from booting.



How Do I said:


> If anyone knows, what are the slim connectors to the hard drive called. Surely they have a specific name?


The smaller hard drive connector is called a Serial ATA connector.

*Additional question:*

When the machine first starts do you hear a series of beeps? If so, what's the beep pattern?


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

No, no beeps. The fan whirls, then nothing. That's how I knew something was amiss. I'll see if this computer has those connectors.


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

I had the BSD a while back while using XP. It was MY FAULT TOO.
I deleted a few things that I sure have not while trying to get rid of Norton. LOL
There are some tests you can do but you have to get to the DOS screen to get to them. Like 7 tests you can do.
I had done 5 and then called Dell they took me through 2 more that said the Hard Drive WAS GOOD.
And the ONLY way I got that computer back to working again was to do a Hard Reformat.
Which means EVERYTHING is gone.
The only thing showing on the desktop was the Trash Can once i got done. LOL
Then I had to reinstall everything. And I mean everything.
Thank goodness I had all the discs. Like utilities etc.


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

It does have serial ATA and I unhooked the DVD and connected the drive and everything is still there. Thank goodness! I'm going to check on that video card now.


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

AK, I don't think it would have done me much good even if I had prepared a recovery disk like I should have years ago. :whistlin: Number one, I don't think the computer would have made it to the check of the CD/DVD drive and number two, that broke a long time ago too. :sob:

Nevada, I'm just not having any luck finding this video card. Here's what I have to work with. mcp73vt-pm


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

How Do I said:


> Nevada, I'm just not having any luck finding this video card. Here's what I have to work with. mcp73vt-pm


That mainboard has an integral video adapter. You don't need to worry about that.


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

Any other ideas what it could be? Is there a way to make sure none of the OS files are corrupt now that I have it hooked up to this new computer?


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

How Do I said:


> Any other ideas what it could be? Is there a way to make sure none of the OS files are corrupt now that I have it hooked up to this new computer?


Without a mainboard beep error you don't have a fundamental system problem. I can only assume that you have a problem booting from your hard drive. Your hard drive might be bad.

You might take a look in the CMOS setup to verify that the hard drive is being recognized by the system. Generic computers use the Del key to enter the CMOS setup, but I'm not sure about your computer. Some use a function key instead.


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

I couldn't get into CMOS. I tried removing the battery for a reset and when I tried it again the fan, instead of whoosh, whooshing, ran continuously on high and still no change. I believe I'm done with that thing. I'm able to use the old hard drive to retrieve all of my files. Have a lot of installations to do on this computer. Just got my passwords transferred into my browser so I don't have to use the portable browser any more. woohoo! It was an older version and wasn't playing nice with HT. I appreciate your help Nevada. :thumb:


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

My old vista Toshiba gave me the BSD last spring. Tried starting again and it froze up after an hour of use. So after turning the crank and restarting, I transferred all files off - it took a long time! Seemed like it was near death. Bought another computer that I now use - a $300 laptop and external monitor. Then, after I gave my Toshiba a good long 3 week vacation on the shelf (with power on but not in use), I let my wife use it, as even in its crippled state it functioned much better than what she had. Guess what - it now works fine??? I guess even I get lucky once in a while. 

All I can figure is that it self-installed updates and fixed itself.


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## WhyNot (Jun 21, 2011)

If your machine is not getting to POST. It's either power (AC or CMOS battery) or the MB is caput.


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## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

Assuming that your sound works (e.g., speakers work, etc.), I can only further assume that you're hearing no startup sounds from the speakers.

If so, if it's showing nothing on the screen, first thing I would usually check would be the video; if that changes nothing, then as WhyNot said, I'd assume it's a more fundamental issue, such as the memory, processor, etc.

Out of curiosity, what make/model of computer do you have? If it's a Dell or an HP, shoot me the serial # or service tag and I can do some research on it.


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

It was an emachines. Let me see exactly....ET1641. That's it. I had checked the CMOS battery. I switched it out with a known working one and when I replaced it, that is when the CPU fan ran on high constantly instead of just the normal whoosh, whoosh at startup. I never have my speakers on unless listening to music, but I always hear the startup beep.

After the computer froze and I tried to start it back up I got no beep whatsoever. Just the fan whoosh, whoosh and nothing on screen. I figured something major was fried, needed a computer, so just went ahead and got another. I checked the monitor itself with another computer and it was fine. It is not such an urgent fix now, but if it is easy enough I'd still like to fix it. I just have no idea how to find out what exactly is wrong at the moment.


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## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

Well, when you replace the CMOS battery, it removes power from the BIOS for a certain amount of time. Therefore, when you power it up again, it's going to assume that it needs to be on high until told otherwise.

However, that should definitely not cause it to simply turn on and do nothing. Will nose around this problem a bit tonight.


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## WhyNot (Jun 21, 2011)

Eh. If it won't post, can't get into bios...can't find issue with memory...can't find issue with memory card or monitor...all there is left really is mb and power. Does the light come on on the motherboard (not the front of the case..actually on the mb)? What color is it? Does it do anything...flash..etc..brighten and dim? Take any surge protectors or power strips out of the loop. Try another outlet.

Had a bugger of one once...went through a thunderstorm and power outage. Blew parts off of the addin modem and the power supply resistor's were in pieces...even dented the ps case. o_0

Anyway...replaced the hardware, wiped and reloaded (hdd scrambled). Worked fine...until the client took it home...where it did....zero...except spun the fan around. Turned out to be the electrical socket....which took alot of doing to get that man to accept for some reason...let's see the piece of equipment you had plugged into the outlet literally blew up and you are sure nothing might be wrong with the outlet?lol

Anyway I'm sure yours didn't get struck by a huge power surge like that....the point is...power issues...dirty power, low power, etc....are squirrely sometimes.


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