Windows XP: Black Screen

[Cave Diver]

Don,

Do you think it's booting regular, but just displaying no graphics?

do you have static ip addresses set up? if so, and you know the IP, can you ping it?


If you need to know how to do this, just reply and we'll kindly walk you through it

Are you thinking this is just a screen/video card issue?

 

[Docc]

Are you thinking this is just a screen/video card issue?

Could a lightening strike have zapped just a portion of the battery power cell? Will it boot up with no battery in at all and just connected to an AC power source?

 

[ONESPEED]

Are you thinking this is just a screen/video card issue?

Interesting point, I once had a monitor go out on a laptop and was able to regain access to transfer my data by using an external monitor.

 

[Web Monkey]

I think I am looking at an insurance claim here, but thot I'd ask first....?

The electricity went off during a thunderstomm this morning. I would have had the computer off for safety, but on radar it looked like it was going around me. Haha, it might have, but if hit the lines hard enough to knock power off for a few seconds.

My HP Laptop went off as the battery seems shot, and now when it powers back on: Black Screen! No flashing of anything before black, no nothing, just sits there with this dumb look.

If it made all the right noises and the disk lights up, and the cd drawer opens and closes, it's not dead.

There's a chance you blew the display power supply, which is replaceable for less than $200, which is probably less than your insurance deductible.

Just hold a bright light near the screen, turn the laptop on and look for faint letters and images. If you see stuff, it's a display problem (power supply or lamp). If not, it's something else.

Terry

 

[Cave Diver]

Are you thinking this is just a screen/video card issue?

Could a lightening strike have zapped just a portion of the battery power cell? Will it boot up with no battery in at all and just connected to an AC power source?

Wow, there's more speculating here than in an A&I thread!

Makes me wanna dig out one of my old laptops and try some of this stuff!

 

[Cave Diver]

Just hold a bright light near the screen, turn the laptop on and look for faint letters and images. If you see stuff, it's a display problem (power supply or lamp). If not, it's something else.

Terry

Will external monitor like ONESPEED suggested work in the instance, or no?

 

[ScubaSteve]

If I recall correctly BOYZ....DD did say there was NO sounds or beeps or lights or flashes.....so change the direction of your speculating.

 

[mike_s]

Are you thinking this is just a screen/video card issue?

It's possible. But Like Steve just said, it sounds like it's dead.


It most likely didn't fry his hard drive, so his Porn collection is likely safe.



Don,

if the laptop is dead, you can access the files by getting a USB Drive enclosure. After accessing it you can copy your files to another computer.

like this.

Amazon.com: NEW 2.5" ATA IDE Laptop Hard Disk Drive USB External Portable Enclosure Box Case: Electronics




Then hook it up like this.


Get USB Enclosure.

Now remove the hard drive from the laptop.

Open up the enclosure case and connect the hard drive to the connector inside. After that insert the hard drive into the case.

After everything is assembled, you are ready to connect this device to any working computer (notebook or PC). The enclosure cable usually has two USB connectors on one end, make sure both of them are connected to the computer. You don’t need any external power supply for the enclosure because the hard drive gets power through USB ports. If the computer you are connecting the enclosure to runs Windows 2000 or higher, you will not need any device drivers. As soon as you connect the enclosure to the computer, the external hard drive should be detected and recognized automatically. After that the external hard drive will appear in My Computer and you can access it as any other hard drive in the computer.

If you are getting “Access denied” message when you are trying to access your files on the hard drive, you’ll have to take ownership of a file or folder.

 

[Docc]

Will external monitor like ONESPEED suggested work in the instance, or no?

In working on some drills with some cave diving buddies we did mask off line drills.In a similar fashion, perhaps when working on a computer it will be helpful to put a sack over ones head to simulate a "black screen" incident and work by feel and sound alone. I would NOT recommend attempting this drill without a safety diver close by to make sure no accidents occur.

 

[ScubaSteve]

FYI....this is so simple even I did it and did not screw ANYTHING up....actually mine was from one external HD housing to another but I am so far from an IT geek that if I can do it, anybody can

It's possible. But Like Steve just said, it sounds like it's dead.


It most likely didn't fry his hard drive, so his Porn collection is likely safe.



Don,

if the laptop is dead, you can access the files by getting a USB Drive enclosure. After accessing it you can copy your files to another computer.

like this.

Amazon.com: NEW 2.5" ATA IDE Laptop Hard Disk Drive USB External Portable Enclosure Box Case: Electronics




Then hook it up like this.


Get USB Enclosure.

Now remove the hard drive from the laptop.

Open up the enclosure case and connect the hard drive to the connector inside. After that insert the hard drive into the case.

After everything is assembled, you are ready to connect this device to any working computer (notebook or PC). The enclosure cable usually has two USB connectors on one end, make sure both of them are connected to the computer. You don’t need any external power supply for the enclosure because the hard drive gets power through USB ports. If the computer you are connecting the enclosure to runs Windows 2000 or higher, you will not need any device drivers. As soon as you connect the enclosure to the computer, the external hard drive should be detected and recognized automatically. After that the external hard drive will appear in My Computer and you can access it as any other hard drive in the computer.

If you are getting “Access denied” message when you are trying to access your files on the hard drive, you’ll have to take ownership of a file or folder.