Laptop on but blank screen

Benzino

Wondering if I could get your thoughts on an issue I am having. My laptop starts up but displays a blank screen (the screen is on, just nothing been displayed, not even the usual logos for the motherboard etc).

Anyway, I found that by removing the ram, and putting it back in again fixes the problem, well sort of. After swapping the ram in and out, when I start up, a screen says windows failed to start, and detected a hardware or software change. There are two options, one is to let windows attempt to automatically fix the problem (sorry can't recall the exact wording of it) and the other to load windows as normal.

Choosing the first option:
Choosing the first option, a screen comes up where windows is looking for a fix. What is worth noting is that the screen seems to have discolouration, with visible blue squares drawn over the windows dialog and background, but it fixes itself while windows is running the tests and trying to find/fix the problem. It always fails to fix the problem. Sometimes it asks to restore the system to a previous backup, this always fails too. Never the less, despite not finding a fix, it sometimes load into windows normally after the test, and I can work away as normal. The same problem occurs when I shut the laptop and go to start it again.

Choosing the second option:

It displays the windows logo but always goes blank before reaching the login screen. Also, again not always, the screen can have some discolouration with the blue squares drawing over the screen during the windows logo.

The laptop is old and I'm not too concerned about it. But considering removing the ram and putting it back in seems to trigger something, could this possibly be a software issue as opposed to a hardware issue? I'm considering re-installing windows 7 (if I can get that far). Anybody have any thoughts on this issue? I've never heard of anything like it to be honest. Laptop is an Alienware m9750 running windows 7.

Thanks and sorry about the long post

Shtanto

If you can get into the bios then you're still recoverable. Also, try tapping F8 a lot while the computer is turning on. With any luck, you'll be able to get to safe mode and properly diagnose the problem.

JohnnyTodd

Is it set for monitor VGA only?

Benzino

Shtanto wrote: »

If you can get into the bios then you're still recoverable. Also, try tapping F8 a lot while the computer is turning on. With any luck, you'll be able to get to safe mode and properly diagnose the problem.

Hey! Thanks for the reply. Have you any suggestions on diagnosing the problem?

JohnnyTodd wrote: »

Is it set for monitor VGA only?

I'll have to check that actually, when it loads up now it is always on the laptop screen, but before I used to use an external monitor.

Shtanto

If it used to be wired into a projector, boot up into safe mode and after its loaded, open up your display settings. So that means turn it on, start mashing f8 a lot until you get a menu screen, select safe mode, let it boot up, hope to bejeebus you have a display and change the display res modes in safe mode by right clicking the desktop. Usually it's the tab furthest to the right.

If your screen is still blank in safe mode, check you keyboard for function key shortcuts. On my toshiba, I hit fn+f5 to switch between projectors. Still no dice? Try windows+p, tap right cursor key once, then hit return. Otherwise, wire up an external monitor and see what happens.

Tell us more about the machine - specs make and model etc.

Benzino

Hey, so I did that and it said the following:

Display : 1. (Default Monitor) on.

When I clicked the advanced settings, this is the information it displayed:

Chip type - > unavailable
DAC Type - > unavailable
Adapter String - > unavailable
Bios Information - > unavailable
Total available graphics memory - > unavailable

Dedicated Video memory - > n/a
system video memory - > n/a
shared system memory -> n/a

A bit more information, I have successfully gotten into windows normally a few times, but after a while (about 15-20 mins) red lines come across the screen and moments later, the screen goes blank (but the system is still on). When I restart, it is a blank screen again. removing the ram and power for a minute or two allows me to get back in again.

In safe mode, the screen never goes blank (after about 45 minutes use anyway), but the screen does display the red lines which turn blue when there is white in the wallpaper or a document is over. Sometimes these red lines appear as soon as you enter safe mode (sometimes before, while windows is loading the drivers), other times they appear when you have been in safe mode for a while, and the odd time they don't appear at all in safe mode.

The system is an Alienware m7950 (about 5-6 years old) with the following specs:

Windows 7 32-bit
Intel core 2 CPU T7400 @2.16GHZ
2GB Ram
2 X Geforce gtx go 9750 (SLI is disabled however)

Not sure about the rest of system however (like the motherboard make).

Benzino

Forgot to mention, I have changed the graphics drivers to see if they were causing the issue, but the screen went blank again after 2 minutes of loading into windows normally.

Hijpo

Benzino wrote: »

Forgot to mention, I have changed the graphics drivers to see if they were causing the issue, but the screen went blank again after 2 minutes of loading into windows normally.

Gfx card overheating maybe?

Benzino

Hijpo wrote: »

Gfx card overheating maybe?

Yeah I'm thinking that might be it, but the fans are working, and they are not clogged up with dust or dirt, so I dunno why it would be overheating soo quickly (not even getting to the windows login screen).

Shtanto

Which graphics drivers did you install? Try the 197.xx ones from the nvidia site. They work well for me.

You mentioned your able to get 2 minutes of regular windows working time with a driver update. I presume the resolution and refresh rate are properly set, right? Best to eliminate the obvious things first.

Benzino

Will have to double check the driver version, but I got them from laptopdrivers2go as I can't find official drivers from nvidia as they are so old.

Yeah the resolution (1440 x 900) and refresh rate all seem fine. I will double check the refresh rate again, keep losing the screen now before I get a chance to view it

Nothingbetter2d

Benzino wrote: »

Wondering if I could get your thoughts on an issue I am having. My laptop starts up but displays a blank screen (the screen is on, just nothing been displayed, not even the usual logos for the motherboard etc).

Anyway, I found that by removing the ram, and putting it back in again fixes the problem, well sort of. After swapping the ram in and out, when I start up, a screen says windows failed to start, and detected a hardware or software change. There are two options, one is to let windows attempt to automatically fix the problem (sorry can't recall the exact wording of it) and the other to load windows as normal.

Choosing the first option:
Choosing the first option, a screen comes up where windows is looking for a fix. What is worth noting is that the screen seems to have discolouration, with visible blue squares drawn over the windows dialog and background, but it fixes itself while windows is running the tests and trying to find/fix the problem. It always fails to fix the problem. Sometimes it asks to restore the system to a previous backup, this always fails too. Never the less, despite not finding a fix, it sometimes load into windows normally after the test, and I can work away as normal. The same problem occurs when I shut the laptop and go to start it again.

Choosing the second option:

It displays the windows logo but always goes blank before reaching the login screen. Also, again not always, the screen can have some discolouration with the blue squares drawing over the screen during the windows logo.

The laptop is old and I'm not too concerned about it. But considering removing the ram and putting it back in seems to trigger something, could this possibly be a software issue as opposed to a hardware issue? I'm considering re-installing windows 7 (if I can get that far). Anybody have any thoughts on this issue? I've never heard of anything like it to be honest. Laptop is an Alienware m9750 running windows 7.

Thanks and sorry about the long post

take your laptop to a pc repair shop.... the ribbon cable between the screen hinge and motherboard has come loose... the pc repair shop can reconnect it for you.

It is an extremely common problem with laptop screens.

Benzino

Nothingbetter2d wrote: »

take your laptop to a pc repair shop.... the ribbon cable between the screen hinge and motherboard has come loose... the pc repair shop can reconnect it for you.

It is an extremely common problem with laptop screens.

That's a good point alright, but why would it just suddenly stop working while I'm still using it? Like im not moving the laptop or anything when im using it.

I do think it's the most likely cause, it can't be a hardware failure as it just wouldn't work, and I doubt it's a software issue either. Nor can it be overheating, as the laptop would completely shut down if it was.