BSOD- screen no longer works but Windows 7 boots up

lydiabehan

Hi everyone,

First time poster to this forum so apologies if my post is in the wrong place.

I was just working away on my laptop this morning and I got the BSOD. After I rebooted, the screen no longer worked. I can hear Windows 7 loading, I can type my password etc. and hear programs such as Avast AV starting up so Windows seems to be working fine. But I just have a black screen from the moment I turn the laptop on. I thought it might be a drivers problem, but then again, I figure any problems like that would only start after I selected to boot Win 7.

I found articles on blank screens in Win 7 but they seem to be only after the user logs on, which isn't the same as my problem.

I've tried attaching an external monitor to see if was just my actual laptop screen that had the problem, but that won't work either. I typed fn f8 and I get a message on my external monitor saying 1: analog input. Cannot display this video mode

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Laptop details:
OS: Windows 7 Professional SP2/3 (not sure sorry) 32 bit
Dell Vostro 1400
2.2ghz / 4GB RAM
programs running when BSOD occurred: Chrome, Avast (in background)
recently installed programs: netbeans, audacity

Lydia

mp22

Have you tried starting the pc in safe mode f8 on start up?

thenightrider

Hi if you are not geting a display on an external monitor it sounds like your graphics card is gone on your laptop the Vostro 1400 comes with a 8400m Gpu that are known for failing just like what happened to you

Allyall

lydiabehan wrote: »

Hi everyone,


Laptop details:
OS: Windows 7 Professional SP2/3 (not sure sorry) 32 bit
Dell Vostro 1400
2.2ghz / 4GB RAM
programs running when BSOD occurred: Chrome, Avast (in background)
recently installed programs: netbeans, audacity

Lydia

Are you sure it isn't Vista? Only SP1 out on windows 7 so far.

Anyway, Not really relevant, It sounds like you could have the faulty Nvidia chip. When did you buy the laptop?

Here's a similar thread in Nvidia forum http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=100555

They all can hear windows boot up, but see nothing. It is definitely the graphics card, but whether or not it's the known faulty one is another thing. But it does sound like it.

Good luck contacting them, USA closed their timeline for claims on the 14th March, i had a Vostro 1400 that went on the 12th, contacted them, they promised me that a technician would call out "next week", after the 14th passed, they refused to acknowledge me, denying that they had ever said they would send out a technician. :mad::(

Email them : nvidia_settlement_support@dell.com

Fixed it myself in the end. I will never touch a Dell/Nvidia again, i've had too many bad experiences, and they denied it, and would still, only they were forced into admitting it.

The time frame for the Vostro 1400 is May 2007 – September 30, 2008 according to the settlement website.

http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/

lydiabehan

Hi guys,

Thanks for your replies. I actually got it working again yesterday. After many shutdown, startup attempts, it suddenly started working. I used it for the day and shut down. Tried to use it today but the screen is blank again.

Allyall, it's definitely Windows 7 because I put it on myself. Unfortunately I think that voided my warranty (although I'm sure it's up by now). Sorry, was thinking about XP SP 2/3 that I had on it before. So Win 7 SP 1

The laptop is 4 years old now so trying to decide whether to get this problem fixed (if that's possible) or cut my losses and buy a new one. I'm right in the middle of an intensive computer science masters (no hardware knowledge so I can't fix it myself) so this is the last thing I needed. :rolleyes:

lydiabehan

Turns out the problem wasn't the graphics card after all. According to the pc repair shop, the graphics subsystem of my motherboard is damaged due to overheating caused by a clogged cooling fan.

Bit annoyed about that because I had the fan taken out and cleaned (and might have had parts replaced - can't remember) last year after some serious overheating issues (laptop would get very hot and switch off - could hear that the fans were not working). Spent €150 getting that fixed and have been very careful not to let the same thing happen again - bought a table for my lap so the laptop wouldn't be resting on my trousers, only put it on hard, clean surfaces etc).

They're going to price a new motherboard for me but I don't think I'm going to buy it. Assuming that a new one will cost in the region of €150 (going by what I can see online) and the fan must have a problem if it's been clogged twice in 12 months, not sure if it's worth spending more money on such an old laptop. Pity though, I really like it