I've got an old secondary PC which is giving me problems. On power up the monitor is just blank.

 

So I boot into safe mode (it works). I've run CHKDSK at the cmd prompt and inside if windows. It doesn't find any errors and windows runs normally.

 

Last night I shut down the PC and this morning turned it on to find a blank screen again.

 

Ideas? This PC has original HDD from around 2003.

Wipe the C:\ drive and Reinstall the OS, or junk it...

Almost sounds like its missing the video driver. You may have to contact General Grant's office to find one.

Ok, and one amendment to my post.  I was in safe mode but I had to select something like "load is last known working state."  Regular safe mode didn't work.

You might try checking your boot sequence in bios. In addition you can get a rescue disk for windows xp, 7 etc off of ebay for around 10.00 dollars, with  os repair and protection software.

you could try pressing f8 on start up for safe mode option or tap the DEL key to get into the bios for more options.

I've got Win XP old school somewhere...

 

I think I'll just format...  I don't save anything important on this PC.  Hopefully it's not the HDD.  Those things aren't cheap to replace (ATA)

One last note, if it is a blank black screen with a flashing cursor, that indicates hardware problems, it could be as simple as your 3v battery on the motherboard, they should be switched every three years.

I've got Win XP old school somewhere...

 

I think I'll just format...  I don't save anything important on this PC.  Hopefully it's not the HDD.  Those things aren't cheap to replace (ATA)

 

If you can get W7 Pro 64bit on it that would give you the best bang for your buck in using everything the hardware can give you... 32bit XP is a bottleneck...

Win7 won't run on this trust me.  It's like an AMD 2600+.... 

One last note, if it is a blank black screen with a flashing cursor, that indicates hardware problems, it could be as simple as your 3v battery on the motherboard, they should be switched every three years.

 

I might have to try this as well.

 

I formatted and reinstalled Winxp but I still got a screen freeze on the desktop with some odd pixel discolorations near the start menu and icons.

 

edit:  something interesting I found... the CPU was pegged at 100%.  Idle in Winxp desktop.... any ideas why it would be?  Also it's probably a temperature problem.  I opened the case to get to the mobo battery and its freeking hot inside (I did just clean it this fall)....

Iam not sure on this, but with the cpu problem has this unit been overclocked? does all the cooling stuff work?

Nope. It's stock and the person who had it before me was computer illiterate... But they did shoot can of air at the thing every so often. I just did again and I'll put a new mobo battery in

 

A few pics... first on boot I get the windows failed to launch screen with the usual options (safe mode etc)... but this is what it looks like, and second, booted into windows but then the desktop froze with these weird lines.  Online search sort of points to a faulty power cord... or power supply issues....  Maybe heat too?  But I did just clean everything and it looks almost new.

 

 

 

 

I had something similar to this distorted graphics and sometimes black screen I changed the cable that goes from the video card output to the monitor and this solved the problem for me.

 

Jim

But was your CPU running at 100% sitting idle in Windows desktop? The pegged CPU is the main problem.