Black Screen After Bios

[FordGTGuy]

Here are the specs for the computer I'm having problems with:

CPU: Wolfdale Core 2 Duo E8400
GPU: ZOTAC NVIDIA GTX 260 216 Core
RAM: G-Skill Gaming Ram (2 x 2 GB)
PSU: X-Power 585 Watt
Motherboard: ASUS P5N-D
HDD: 2 x 1 TB Samsung, ~300GB Maxtor IDE
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit, Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit

Description of problem:
When I boot the computer the normal beep is heard and then the motherboard logo, I have the to enter the BIOs. After the motherboard logo disappears the screen goes black and where I usually have a screen that lets me choose between booting Vista or Windows 7 there is nothing. The only light on the computer is the green power light and the busy orange light is off and not moving. It is almost as if the computer gives up and just displays nothing.

Pre-Problem:
I was playing Garrys Mod for a good 5+ hours when I minimized the game I noticed my computer was slouching along and barely able to operate a web browser. So I closed Garrys Mod and went back to the desktop where it started to respond faster and I just figured that the RAM was used up and like any other time a reboot would fix the problem. I keep my computer very clean and I defrag often and the only program running at all times is AVG. After turning the computer off I turned it back on and now the problem has started.

What I've Done So Far:

* I have unplugged all the HDDs, Disk Drive, GPU and RAM and plugged them back in. I kept a eye out for any kind of damage but I could find none. After putting the computer back together nothing has changed.

* I have gone to the BIOs and looked through to make sure that everything on the computer is responding. The BIOs can see every HDD and gives the accurate slot location and capacity of the drives. It can see the CPU and all the information is accurate. Motherboard and CPU fans are all responding and the voltage readings are all where they should be.

* I have ran boot POST and all 4 GB of RAM is OK.

* I have switched monitors and still have a black screen, I have switch GPU and still have the same problem.

* I have tried unhooking the HDDs and running the HDD that only has the OS Windows 7 and still the same. I tried only hooking up the HDD with Windows Vista and still the same.

* I created both a Windows 7 Boot Disk and a Windows System Repair Disc and whenever I try to boot from CD-ROM is comes up saying Boot Disk Failure, Enter a System Disk. I tried this all three different HDDs hooked up at once.

I think I have eliminated these from causing the problems: GPU, RAM, HDD(All 3), CPU, Motherboard and PSU.

I cannot figure out what is going on with my computer and this has never happened before, it is clearly custom built and has been problem free since I built it over a year ago. The HDD I put Windows 7 on is brand new and the CPU I put in went in without a problem. If you have any suggestions, please share them.

Meanwhile I am going to try and test the disk drive in another computer and I am going to swap disk drives to see if a different one will accept the boot disks.

EDIT- I forgot to add that the CPU is running at normal Idle temp.

 

[xxsk8er101xx]

And why do you need a dual boot for vista and windows 7?

 

[FordGTGuy]

I kept it as a dual boot for a few reason.

1) I wasn't going to just throw out a copy of Vista.
2) If a virus were to get on Windows 7 I could use Vista to fix it.
3) Dual-Booting is fun and sounds cool.

Ok I swapped disk drives and now it lets me load the system repair disk, I'm currently running startup repair to see if it will fix it.

 

[xxsk8er101xx]

*sigh the problem is probably the menu got corrupted and has no idea which OS you want to boot from so it just hangs there in shame because you still use vista.

 

[FordGTGuy]

I would try swapping out that PSU with a known good one.

I don't have a available PSU strong enough to run this computer and like I said the OP the motherboard is reading the voltage good.

*sigh the problem is probably the menu got corrupted and has no idea which OS you want to boot from so it just hangs there in shame because you still use vista.

You know if your not going to help don't post, BTW I used Windows 7 I haven't touched Vista in about a year.

 

[xxsk8er101xx]

I'm poking fun relax

I don't have a available PSU strong enough to run this computer and like I said the OP the motherboard is reading the voltage good.



You know if your not going to help don't post, BTW I used Windows 7 I haven't touched Vista in about a year.

 

[xxsk8er101xx]

i was being kind of serious though. Your boot menu might be corrupt. Look into ways to rebuild your boot menu. That might lead you into fixing your problem. It doesn't sound like a hardware problem.

 

[FordGTGuy]

i was being kind of serious though. Your boot menu might be corrupt. Look into ways to rebuild your boot menu. That might lead you into fixing your problem. It doesn't sound like a hardware problem.

How would I go about doing this?

I'm currently resetting my cmos to see if that will help, I did buy this motherboard refurbished could it have just died?

 

[xxsk8er101xx]

Ummm it wouldn't boot or post if it was a dead motherboard. From what I gathered from you is that it posts (hence the beep) you see the BIOS, and then it gets stuck where the menu should be. That tells me the boot menu is corrupt.

Just google something about corrupt boot menu windows 7 - something like that.

 

[das_stig]

Boot off the Windows 7 DVD and use the repair option to recreate boot settings.

 

[daship]

Set the DVD in bios as 1st boot device, then boot from the win 7 dvd and do a repair. If it dont fix it your hard drive is too corrupt or shot.

 

[FordGTGuy]

Your not listening, the boot disc does not work I just tried to make a Vista boot disc and it also won't work. Unless all the HDDs are shot that isn't right as it won't boot on any of them. The only boot disc I've been able to get working is the System Repair Disc and that didn't repair the problem.

 

[FordGTGuy]

Anyone have any other suggestions?

Without being able to find anything wrong with the computer and the fact that we bought the motherboard refurbished we have decided to replace it with a brand new motherboard.

This is what I'm looking at:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130252

 

[Tom Griffin]

This might sound rather strange; but I had a similar problem a few years ago. I had to swap out my DVD/CD drive in order for it to boot again. You could also use the F8 key once it attempts to boot (if you can get that far) jump into the command prompt and manually edit the BOOT.INI file. Mine ended up being a corrupt NTLDR. For more of an explanation Google BOOT.INI

 

[xxsk8er101xx]

It's not the motherboard. The boot menu is messed up. If I had time I'd do the research for you but I don't. You're going to have to put in the effort and do the research.

Even if you spend the 80 dollars and replace the motherboard you're going to have the same issue still since it's a software problem. Chances are tho you'll get a BSOD because it's a new motherboard and you'll have to reinstall windows.

Up to you how you want to approach this but I simply don't have the time to do all the work for you.

Anyone have any other suggestions?


Without being able to find anything wrong with the computer and the fact that we bought the motherboard refurbished we have decided to replace it with a brand new motherboard.

This is what I'm looking at:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130252

 

[FordGTGuy]

WoW? Really what kind of response is that? I didn't ask you to do any of the work for me a link to a tutorial for rebuilding the boot menu or something that would be nice but I didn't ask you to come over my house and fix my computer. I'm currently using Derik's Boot n' Nuke on the drive and hopefully I will be able to boot the windows 7 boot disk onto it after its done.

 

[xxsk8er101xx]

If the disk won't boot check the BIOS and make sure for boot order that the cd/dvd drive is first and then hard drive. That should fix that problem.

As for a link to a tutorial for rebuilding the boot menu. http://tinyurl.com/29ck232

WoW? Really what kind of response is that? I didn't ask you to do any of the work for me a link to a tutorial for rebuilding the boot menu or something that would be nice but I didn't ask you to come over my house and fix my computer. I'm currently using Derik's Boot n' Nuke on the drive and hopefully I will be able to boot the windows 7 boot disk onto it after its done.

 

[FordGTGuy]

You have so far given the most obvious and unhelpful advice yet. Oh and BTW all those googled tutorials tell you use the boot startup repair on the disc which I have already done and did not help me. Of course I changed the boot order read my OP you can tell that I am smart enough to at least mess with the boot order.

If you are going to say anything that isn't useful or just plain obvious don't post.

 

[FordGTGuy]

Update: Replaced the Motherboard and was able to get it to install Windows 7 on one of my good HDDs which my previous Motherboard wouldn't let me. One of my HDDs is failing and couldn't be used as a boot hdd but Samsung is going to replace it for free.

The problems I was receiving were a combination of both the bad HDD and the Motherboard.

 

[girlgeek123]

Update: Replaced the Motherboard and was able to get it to install Windows 7 on one of my good HDDs which my previous Motherboard wouldn't let me. One of my HDDs is failing and couldn't be used as a boot hdd but Samsung is going to replace it for free.

The problems I was receiving were a combination of both the bad HDD and the Motherboard.

Thank you, FordGTGuy, for posting the results of all of your postings. I am having the same problem with one of my computers and have not been able to figure out what's been happening. I will give your solution a try!