Windows 7 gives black screen upon powering up

[weka]

OK so I bought a Vostro 200 (32-bit) as a second computer. It had two HDD so I took one out. I booted it up. It works fine. I turn it off (to finish an update) and when I boot it up again I get a black screen. There is no "Windows is loading" or whatever. It's just immediatly when I boot it up...

I am using a VGA connector for my monitor but still it was working minutes ago!! The fans, power, lights, etc all work but ... I don't know what to do...

The graphics card... it has a chipset... built in... I had to take it out the one they gave me cause it kept restarting the computer.. anyway.. I don't know how it could work one minute then not work the other minute.

But when I power up I hear a beep... so it passed POST? I tried resetting the CMOS by taking it out for 1hr or so and putting it back in... Also when it powers up, I press any key really (but like.. DEL key) and it ticks as I press it..

So... in conclusion.. When I press the power-button on my computer, it goes straight to the tinted black and nothing else. Fans spin. I hear the power go on... but No "windows loading..." nothing.. ..

 

[himnextdoor]

I don't suppose that one of the updates was a virus checking update that runs a one-time boot scan?

Perhaps you should let the computer run with a black screen for maybe a couple of hours, depending on how much data is on your system, and see if it sorts itself out.

If it doesn't, while it is 'trying' to start, press and hold down the power button until the system shuts down.

Restart and choose the 'repair' option if it appear.

Cancel the operation as soon as it starts and you should end up at a screen where an option to 'Restore' is available. Try to restore your system to before it was updated.

And, by the way, do you still have access to BIOS?

If not, then we may have to consider the hardware that you have. The CPU may have failed.

 

[weka]

I don't suppose that one of the updates was a virus checking update that runs a one-time boot scan?

Perhaps you should let the computer run with a black screen for maybe a couple of hours, depending on how much data is on your system, and see if it sorts itself out.

If it doesn't, while it is 'trying' to start, press and hold down the power button until the system shuts down.

Restart and choose the 'repair' option if it appear.

Cancel the operation as soon as it starts and you should end up at a screen where an option to 'Restore' is available. Try to restore your system to before it was updated.

And, by the way, do you still have access to BIOS?

If not, then we may have to consider the hardware that you have. The CPU may have failed.

I don't even need to hold the power button. One tap and my computer is gone. When I start it, it just goes tinted black. The monitor works and when I press keys ... I hear ticks (meaning the computer is accepting the key strokes...)

and even if it the repair option does "appear." I wouldn't know since my screen shows nothing

 

[himnextdoor]

What were you updating?

And can you get into BIOS?

If you have changed your graphics card then perhaps BIOS is set to initialise the wrong VGA device.

Is that possible?

 

[weka]

What were you updating?

I wasn't really updating perse but I was going to update OS by installing Fedora... but my computer wasn't "updating" in a sense of WIndows updates

 

[himnextdoor]

But can you get into BIOS?

 

[weka]

But can you get into BIOS?

How? I can't tell if I can because my screen is black...

 

[himnextdoor]

How about removing the CMOS battery, re-setting CMOS and seeing if BIOS then finds the correct monitor?

 

[weka]

How about removing the CMOS battery, re-setting CMOS and seeing if BIOS then finds the correct monitor?

Turns out, the computer had two HDDs. I took the 01 out instead of 00 and I took out the OS on it thus.. black screen. Swapped them out and viola... it worked. Thanks!

 

[himnextdoor]

LOL. I'm glad you got it sorted.

Good luck.