Black screen on boot from GPU drivers

Pumpka

Commendable
Nov 16, 2016
11
1
1,515
Hi, let me begin with stating that I've searched and tried so many options to fix this issue already so it's not like I didn't try to search before creating thread.


EDIT: I've edited this thread further today since the issue is getting deeper. Should contain more details now.


Anyhow..

System: Win 7 64bit
Card: Nvidia GTX 1060
Motherboard: Asus p9x79


So the other day I for some reason felt that I wanted to update my graphics card driver. During install it says Failed install and before I have time to read the reason for failure the screen goes black. I wait around not feeling super comfy with resetting at this point but I do after some time. Computer boots up but shows black screen where the login should be. (starting windows then black).

Now, I can go into safe mode. Which I did and cleaned out the drivers with Display Driver Uninstaller. Then I booted back into black screen again.

So from safe mode I can install my old drivers that did actually work before update. (I use clean install from nvidia installer as a mention)

However these give me the same black screen now.

I even tried an older card that i know works in this setup before (GTX 680) after a driver wipe and then installed drivers for that one but no matter what card I choose, the moment I've given it ANY driver version it just boots to black screen. I can boot normally with either card when it's freshly inserted and has no drivers but again... As soon as it gets drivers the computer gives black screen again.

Another thing that works is going into System>Device Manager> and then right click disable the GTX 1060 or 680. When it's disabled the computer boots normally but if I then go in and re-enable it the computer asks for restart which of course leads to black screen again.

An interesting side note is that before drivers are installed the fans on both cards are spinning at high speed but after drivers are installed and card is enabled I can hear them power down the fans as usual when Windows is booted at the black screen. Just the way it normally does after being given drivers. So hardware wise the card seems pretty happy and understanding of its drivers.

This leads me to believe it's not a hardware issue but some software problem? Someone suggested I try and clean possible remnants of old drivers with CCleaner but I honestly can't even find the option in it? I tried doing a scan and fix on registry but it did no difference either since it seemed to find mostly unrelated things.

What could possibly be going on here? :'(


Sorry for joining forum just to throw this problem out there. Feels selfish but maybe someone else has the same problem in the future.


I've tried resetting CMOS but to no difference. Some suggestions I've found was to update BIOS. But what would that do since it can go as far as windows login anyway?
 

Synchronicity

Distinguished
Nov 3, 2011
18
0
18,520
Exact same issue here but on an Radeon card... worked fine for years then suddenly a grey screen crash, and from then on black screen after "Windows is Starting" and only Safe Mode, or removing all drivers with the same software you used fixes it, however as soon as graphics drivers are reinstalled same issue again.

Don't suppose you managed to fix your issue? I will let you know if I have any luck also.
 

Pumpka

Commendable
Nov 16, 2016
11
1
1,515
Unfortunately nothing so far. I'm completely at a loss here. Thinking a re-install of windows would maybe solve it but also not. If I had my OEM disc still I'd try it in a second but unfortunately Microsoft doesn't seem to supply those as downloads. (have my keys) And it feels a bit silly to pay 100 eurodollars to lose all data and maybe get same isue again.

For some reason my computer hasn't given me any restore points in Windows even though I'm sure I've seen it do it while updating windows. So no time travel possible :(
 

Pumpka

Commendable
Nov 16, 2016
11
1
1,515
Ok so this is still no solution but another clue perhaps. When card is activated I cannot see Monitor in device manager at all. But when it's disabled the monitor shows up as generic pnp monitor and is assigned to the card (as standard VGA adapter) on "location" value.

Just thought I'd throw that in here. Gonna try a fresh re install of Windows tomorrow if nothing else comes up.
 

Pumpka

Commendable
Nov 16, 2016
11
1
1,515
Feels like I'm talking to myself here but just for the future if someone finds this thread my solution was to re install windows. No matter how much I tried to sweep the drivers nothing worked.

Now it works and I'm scared of ever turning it off again. I hope this works for you too synchronicity. Or did you solve it some other way?