Installing Vista - signal out of range

quarryman · 20-09-2008 1:12am #1

Ok so i installed Vista but the problem now is it tries to boot to the desktop for the 1st time and my TV goes black and says "no signal". From my experience this means the signal resolution could be out of range. I tried doing a safe boot but Vista informs me it can't complete the installation in safe mode.

I tried hooking the TV up via VGA. HDMI to DVI and then DVI to VGA but still no joy. I'm pretty sure Vista has booted to the desktop or the welcome screen but I'm just not getting a picture to my TV.

any suggestions?

Ghost Train · 20-09-2008 9:42am

maybe try hitting F8 like you do to go into safe mode

and then select the option for basic video mode, vga mode

other thing to do would be to do the setup with a standard computer monitor which will have more compatible video modes than the tv

Biggins · 20-09-2008 9:44am

Have you tried connecting your system to a pc monitor instead, to see that your Vista can do a full normal boot?
If it boots normally then there is obviously an incompatibility issue with the tv monitor that needs to be resolved (but I suspect you know that already).

quarryman · 22-09-2008 8:21am

Thanks for the help guys.

So i tried safe mode and a message appears saying "Vista install cannot complete in safe mode".

I also tried hooking it up to a monitor via HDMI->DVI but as soon there seems to be signal coming into the monitor at ALL, even during POST so there's another issue there.

I've gone back to Win XP for now.

MrVestek · 22-09-2008 10:10am

quarryman wrote: »

I've gone back to Win XP for now.

You'll be much happier this way, trust me.

quarryman · 22-09-2008 10:22am

Actually, on my laptop I've found I much prefer Vista. After I installed SP1 i knew i wouldn't be going back.

Soundman · 22-09-2008 1:34pm

How exactly were you trying to install Vista? I ask purely for what you said about it not being able to install in safe mode...

quarryman · 22-09-2008 2:03pm

ok i'll probably me more clear.

1. Installed Vista, cleanly on a formatted disk.
2. Booted into desktop for the first time but straight after the Windows load screen the screen goes black, no signal.
3. I reboot and attempt to enter safe mode. It boots but i get a message saying Vista can't complete installation in safe mode.

So it seems the Vista install wasn't fully complete and it had to restart one more time (set region settings, create user password etc). So I think it tries to run start the Nvidia driver that ouptuts the HDMI and it barfs.

I'm kinda hosed here as I need to see the screen to install the latest drivers or see why its not displaying but obviously can't do that.

I've hooked it up via HDMI to DVI adapter to a standard monitor but there is no image displayed at all: "DVI power saving mode".

Does the above make sense?

calex71 · 22-09-2008 2:33pm

forget the hdmi thing until the pc is up and running.

just connect it to the standard monitor with either vga or dvi, leave the hdmi out of the picture until the install is done and everything else is working.

Then while connected to the normal monitor connect the tv , that way you'll see what is going on if it doesnt work.

quarryman · 22-09-2008 2:59pm

was sure i had said it in my first post but looks like i haven't.

I have no VGA or DVI, just HDMI and component. (Its a HTPC).

Ghost Train · 22-09-2008 6:46pm

f8 doesn't give you an option for vga mode? thought it might, but maybe not during install

sounds like you need to use another monitor to set it up

Installing Vista - signal out of range

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