Randy P

Ok I don't know what is causing this so I figured I post here in the support section. Sometimes, not all the time, my pc will boot, my desktop will almost completely load and then black...no video signal. Weird huh? However, I can fix this by removing the RAM and video card and then replacing them. I first thought it was dust, but dust can't be the culprit so often. Any ideas guys?

p4 2.4
1 gb kigston value ram
leadtek 6800 gt 256 - latest winfox updates too


edit: ok it happened again...even after I removed the RAM and vid card and put it back again. It seems to be random. Need your advice guys! Please help.

CDsDontBurn

well, is your video OCed? are the drivers installed? has it always happened from when you first got your rig put together? I'm leading towards your gfx card is dying, or your memory is going out. if you have some spare RAM lying around or can borrow some from a friend or something, try that out and see if it solves the problem. if not, do the same for the gfx card. if that doesn't work, try using both a different gfx card and different memory, and if that still doesn't work, then it's probably your CPU, or your MoBo.

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Randy P

Crap! I was fearing you'd say something like that. The vid card isn't oc'd and it's only a year old. Seems really odd that it would be dying already, but there's something on the go.

It's really hit or miss sometimes it works fine and sometimes it dies out on me.

Thanks for the help man...and your car looks awesome!!

swimtech

What make and model power supply are you using - could be getting weak...

From your CPU, I'd guess your computer is about 2-3 years old and a lot of PSUs from back then were not meant to handle the current demands of upgrades you may have done.

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Randy P

Double crap! I have an Enermax WhisperII Ver.1.3 460w Fan Control w/SATA that's less than a year old. WHat do you think?

swimtech

That's a nice power supply - likely not the PSU specifications then, but even the best can go bad.

Have you tried swapping out the monitor with another or trying your monitor on another computer?

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Randy P

Ok I have another question: If it is the vid card then I can understand the black screen..it makes sense. But if the RAM was shagged then why would it only die after the desktop is just about loaded? It would make more sense if it wouldn't even start up windows, right?

Randy P

No I haven't done anything with the monitor. See, I'm using it right now and all seems fine. That's what I mean it's totally random??? One thing I do know is that when the screen goes black it's at the time when Win Fox is loading up, but I think this is just coincidence. So you think it's hardware for sure?

swimtech

The monitor turning black right before the Windows desktop comes up could be a problem with the monitor not being able to handle the resolution/refresh rate change.

I'm not familiar with WinFox, but you could simulate refresh rate/ resolution changes by just changing the resolution of your Windows desktop several times yourself and see if the screen blacks out (for more than a moment).

Intermittents can be tough to track, but putting another monitor in place on your computer for awhile or putting your monitor on another computer for awhile would be one way to check the monitor - gotta start somewhere, and I've never seen bad ram cause a screen just to turn black.

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Randy P

OK, but I have had the same refresh rates for ages now and this just started happening??

swimtech

Just trying to isolate the problem, and see if the problem can be made/shown to be repeatable. Try changing the resolution every so often, and see what happens... Look for something odd to happen at the change.

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Randy P

Ok, I'll give it a shot. Hey I appreciate the help. You guys haven't let me down yet. Cheers.

Swimtech, just curious...if you had to pick a piece of hardware as the culprit what would you say?

Randy P

Well, today it booted fine first try. I am happy, but at the same time I know something is on the way to crapping out. I think I'm gonna have to wait and see what happens considering I could try the above mentioned advice and it may still look like it's working when in fact the culprit hardware may be just having a good day...BUT I thank you all for your advice as always you are what makes DH the best forum on the NET! CHeers!

swimtech

Yup, it'll likely happen again...

My gut on the failure?

First, know that every time you boot the computer the Windows logo with the progress bar comes up - that is a low resolution picture regardless of your Windows resolution setting. Then the screen blanks, the cursor shows, and then your desktop is drawn - for most that is a 1024x768 or better (much better for Zardon, and Judas, and so many fortunate others ) screen. The video card changes the resolution and the monitor must respond to the change during every boot process into Windows.

I'm equally split between the monitor and the video card - not knowing how old your components are. It's easier to test the monitor by swapping than it is the video card - don't have to crack the case open, deal with driver issues, etc., like you would if swapping out the video card. However, there are a number of other things that could be causing your problem - motherboard, bios settings, chipset driver, that seem less likely. Question - when you experience the black screen, is the LED on your monitor green, or yellow. If yellow, the monitor is not receiving a video signal from the card at all (or thinks it isn't). If green, the monitor is receiving a video signal from the card (...or thinks it is...). You might want to note that if and when you experience the failure again as a troubleshooting tool.

Check you later Randy P! Myself and many others are, as always, at your service...

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Randy P

That's an awesome piece of advice. I'll check that when it happens again. Wanna hear something funny? I'm colourblind - the wife will have to check...lol

So if it turns yellow then it is likely the vid card, right?

Randy P

Swimtech gave me this advice:

If the screen blacks out and you see a green LED on your monitor, just switch out a known good monitor if you have one - don't shut it down or anything, change it while everything is running just as it is. The known good monitor should show something unless you run your present monitor at a high resolution that the known good monitor can't handle.

If the monitor is showing a yellow LED while the monitor after the screen blacks out, hit the space bar or move the mouse to make sure the monitor hasn't gone into standby. If that doesn't work, turn just the monitor off, then back on and see if the video returns - keep me posted ok? It would be best for all if you post whatever result you get back in the forum for all to see and learn from...



Today: OK the screen blacked out 6 times in a row before it finally worked. I did notice that the LED light does change to orange (same as yellow I assume) and "no signal" comes up on the screen. From this I'll assume, for now, that it's the vid card. But, I will try and get another monitor to hook up just to be sure. Once I rule out the monitor I can start to assume it is the vid card.

Quick question: I have onboard video as well as my 6800 gt. If I remove the 6800 gt and all starts up fine then I can definitley be sure that it is the vid card...right???

swimtech

OK, it's likely not your monitor. It is showing a display that tells you it is not recieving a signal. It is displaying something!

You can remove the vid card and run for a bit with the onboard video. If the black screen 'of death, ' does not return (use it as you normally do for a few days to be sure), you can assume the vid card is bad. If you still get the black outs, we've got to dig some more...

One more little thing - check that all the pins on the 15pin connector at the end of your monitor cable are straight - not bent over on one another or anything - and you may have one or two missing, but that is ok. Just make sure the pins that are there are straight...

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Randy P

Gotcha, I'll let you know what happens. I'll check the pins on the cable and I'll pull out the 6800gt and see what happens over the next little while.


Just curious could a corrupted program like Winfox be the culprit? I'm thinking no, but you never know.

New edit: Ok the program theory is crap...lol. Ok I have my 6800 gt on my desk in front of me...so very very sad
and I plan on leaving it out for a couple of days to see what's up. So far I restarted my PC twice and both times it booted fine...fingers pointing to video card...

Question: Is it possible that the AGP slot in the mother borard is messed up? Is that even possible??

daedal

I have a similar issue. Seems like it's driver-related.

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[hobo]eclipse

u must do sum gaming if yer runnin a 6800GT, wat games do you play and at wat resolution, and have u ever experianced this while in game or while your CPU is on and booted "fine"? and when it does boot wrong and you get the blackscreen after Windows loading screen, does the windows start up music play, or are u able to hear any recognizeable sounds from windows, as in the cpu is booted and running and you are at the desktop with no video sync to the moniter, or is it just hardlocked and totally not responding?? also are u using any v-sync locks such as refresh force or multi res?? if so might wanna give it a whirl disabling them, or did u update chipset or vid car drivers l8ly??

Randy P

The PC is absolutley normal when the screen is black, I can even restart the system 'blind' so to speak. Everything is as it should be except for the video.

BUT I have the answer:

Ok here's what I did - pulled the 6800gt and hooked up the onboard video again and it worked fine NO BLACK SCREEN.

I restarted a bunch of times and still it worked fine.

Next, I put my old XFX 5600 in and tried to start up and then the same black screen happened again.

Thus: I think the AGP slot is screwed or some other part of the MOBO that runs the AGP.

The only other thing that it could be right now are the Nforce drivers, but I doubt the problem would be so sparse if it were a driver issue.

So what do you think? Would you agree that it's the MOBO after my trial and error process?

Asmoday

Have you tried removing all winfox related? If not try and remove that along witht the drivers. Run Drivercleaner, and install the latest official nvidia drivers...if you haven't already tried that, its worth a shot...

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WxChaser

I agree with Asmoday, clean driver installation is key.

Also, when you get into your system again, remove the vid card, blow out slot with compressed air, sometimes dirt and dust causes a problem (you can do the same thing with your memory and reseat that as well while you're in there). Check the connectors at the back of your video card, and the plug into the back of your monitor as well, to make sure you have solid connections, sometimes things will pop a bit loose.

[hobo]eclipse

just wandering, wat exactly is winfox and wat does it do??

Asmoday

I believe its a utility that comes with Leadtek cards, overclocking and stuff....

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Randy P

I've checked the cord and connectors, cleared the slot of any dirt and have reseated the memory. The only thing I haven't tried is unistalling winfox and reinstalling the drivers. I'll give it a shot.


Edit: Ok well I've uninstalled winfox and nVidia drivers and replaced the 6800 gt and nVidia drivers and...everything is working great. But, I have had a day or two before without any problems...that's how sporatic it was. Man it would be awesome if that's all the problem is!!!

But, I had an Asus A8V MOBO and an AMD 64 3000 lined up

swimtech

That swap with the 5600 card doing the same thing as your 6600 is key - that nearly eliminates your 6600 card as the problem - nice move. Hope the cleaning and reseating works with the clean video driver installation.

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Randy P

Thanks man, second day with clean drivers and no black screen