Blank screen after POST

[MSgherzi]

So I don't generally like posting and trying to get help from every issue I have, but this problem with a client's laptop has kinda stumped me (so far). He claims that after he plugged in the ethernet for his new modem that SBC gave him that suddenly his entire laptop stopped working. After POST, the screen just goes blank. It'll come up and say "HP" and I can get into BIOS and all of that, but after that, just a blank screen. I've ran tests on the RAM and HDDs, all passed greatly. He has 2 HDDs and I tried removing the slave and even tried booting from the slave but the slave has a bunch of errors. Anyway, I tried re-seating the RAM, PCMCIA card, testing and resetting the CMOS battery (even replaced it with a new battery), ran several diagnostics, and nothing seems to tell me what's wrong with it.

It boots into UBCD4Win just fine, so the screen is working and there doesn't seem to be any noticeable hardware problems. I tried testing the RAM by taking one memory out and leaving one in, using different DIMMs, no luck.

In UBCD4Win I can also access his files no problem and I also tried making the primary HDD the main boot source on the selection, no luck. Any suggestions?

It is an HP pavillion dv8000
Windows XP Professional
AMD Turion 64-Mobile Technology ML-32, 1790MHz
512mb RAM
160GB HDD total (80 + 80)
It's about 3 years old the warranty just ran out last month.

Thanks in advance.

I'll probably try repairing Windows next.

 

[eric76]

Can you boot into the XP recovery console?

 

[rusty.nells]

Did the customer use a Setup CD? If so, perhaps it installed an incompatible driver? Have you tried safe mode?

Also, I think UBCD4win has an event viewer, you might try that.

 

[Rider]

Did the customer use a Setup CD? If so, perhaps it installed an incompatible driver? Have you tried safe mode?

Also, I think UBCD4win has an event viewer, you might try that.

I agree, I bet safe mode will work for you. From there you can clean up the drivers. If safe mode doesn't work, hmmmm, maybe a repair install.

Rider

 

[MSgherzi]

Safe mode doesn't work either. The XP disk doesn't give me the option to do a Repair install, so I'll have to try fixing it using the recovery console.

 

[eric76]

If you can get into the recovery console maybe you can do a system restore.

 

[joe3k]

Well since you can get into UBCD, why not just do a system restore from there? I use erd, but I'm sure UBCD would have the functionality also. Had a google for ya and it seems regreswiz.exe under Registry Tools will do the job.

 

[MSgherzi]

I just stripped down the entire laptop and removed the video card, nothing. I restore BIOS back to it's defaults, nothing.

I'm going to try and put the HDD into a good machine and possibly just format it after that or even create a new MBR using the recovery console. Anything else I should know?

PS I'll try the restore under UBCD, too.

 

[K007]

Why don't you do the sensible thing:
Replace the RAM with yours (proved and tested)
Replace the HDD with yours (proved and tested)
If same problem occurs, then have a look at the video card.
Does it have 2 video cards, if so, disable the one built-in (if exists)
If you cannot access the bios, then flush the bios and try again....
Hope it helps

Oh, sorry just noticed is a laptop... in which case no 2 video cards.... ha ha... I am dumb.

 

[MSgherzi]

Why don't you do the sensible thing:
Replace the RAM with yours (proved and tested)
Replace the HDD with yours (proved and tested)
If same problem occurs, then have a look at the video card.
Does it have 2 video cards, if so, disable the one built-in (if exists)
If you cannot access the bios, then flush the bios and try again....
Hope it helps

Oh, sorry just noticed is a laptop... in which case no 2 video cards.... ha ha... I am dumb.

Thanks for the enlightenment *sarcasm*

Ummm I can try to replace the HDD and RAM with mine (if it's compatible) good idea! Flush the BIOS? You mean replace to defaults or reset CMOS battery? I've already done that. I took out and re-seated the video card and even tried disabling it with no luck. Right now, UBCD4Win is doing a quick virus scan just to be sure. I did a restore using UBCD but I haven't tested it yet. I even created a new MBR using the recovery console and that did nothing. If this restore doesn't help, I'm just going to format it. If that does nothing, I'll try to replace the RAM and HDD (if compatible) and it that does nothing, I'll just tell him I can't fix it. I just hate letting it beat me... that's all.

 

[K007]

Thanks for the enlightenment *sarcasm*
Flush the BIOS? You mean replace to defaults or reset CMOS battery? I've already done that.

I mean Download the Bios proggy and reinstall it (flush it). Sometimes you can do that from within windows, or put it on a bootable floppy/USB

Is the same as when you upgrade the BIOS except this time may be the same version you overwrite with.

Edit:
I remember Dell in the old days releasing new laptops and their original A00 BIOS were crap, not supporting certain hardware or software.... but soon after, new BIOS versions were being released taking care of the problems.
And they did this many times, until 2001 I believe when laptops were catching fire because of the chargers. But the second problem was that the BIOS did not monitor the temperature correctly (being the first version i.e A00). They have recalled hundreds of thousands of laptops and learned their lesson.

 

[MSgherzi]

I mean Download the Bios proggy and reinstall it (flush it). Sometimes you can do that from within windows, or put it on a bootable floppy/USB

Hmm...so basically you're saying to boot into something like UBCD4Win and run the BIOS from a USB or floppy and install the latest BIOS version? I wonder why I didn't think of that.

 

[purple_minion]

FLASH! FLASH THE BIOS! It has flash memory not a toilet. It may work, who knows. You could do as you said and try a repair install, otherwise it's hard to diagnose otherwise. Is there anyway of getting at the logs from UBCD? I haven't tried that yet so I'm not sure.

 

[K007]

FLASH! FLASH THE BIOS! It has flash memory not a toilet. It may work, who knows. You could do as you said and try a repair install, otherwise it's hard to diagnose otherwise. Is there anyway of getting at the logs from UBCD? I haven't tried that yet so I'm not sure.

Sorry, english not my first language.....

 

[purple_minion]

Sorry, english not my first language.....

My apologizes to you then.

 

[K007]

My apologizes to you then.

That's OK, you don't have to apologize for my mistakes.

Although I've been speaking it currently for 15 years, sometimes I get it wrong. And then, here I come justifying myself as having a different mother tongue.

 

[MSgherzi]

I tried practically everything (except flashing BIOS), and NOTHING worked. I formatted it, and all problems solved. Sometimes I guess ya just gotta format. I like to try and solve it without doing that, but sometimes it's just more trouble than it's worth.

Only thing, I forgot to backup his drivers I gotta find them manually from HP.

Thanks all.