Question Windows boots (I can hear Windows startup sound), but no display - - - I tried many things ?

[BananaGlass]

Hello all. Recently ran into a weird problem and my PC is non functional. Whenever my PC gets to the windows login, I lose the video signal, but can still hear the start up noise.

First I tried reinstalling windows completely fresh, got to the end of the set up and the same thing happened. The windows set up and bios screens display fine.

Next I tried swapping out for another video card, same thing happened. I tried taking out the video card and running the hdmi cable directly from the mobo to my tv, and got no display what so ever, I don’t think it even posted. I also tried taking out the mobo battery, and force restarting the cmos using the screw driver method… still nothing.

The strangest thing about all this is that my TV displays an icon that stays next to an input when it receives a signal from said input. When I checked it after hearing the windows start up (again with no display) the icon was popping up and disappearing at a steady consistent interval. Any ideas as to what could be going on? I’m going to try RAM tomorrow and if that doesn’t work I’ll have to buy a new mobo i guess.

 

[Cyberat_88]

Wait, so you can post and get into Bios, only Windows shows no display ?
Bad drivers, on updates, Microsoft may install their own GPU drivers, overriding yours.
Can you boot to safe mode ?

 

[TerryLaze]

Tell us your mobo and your CPU, if you have an iGPU it's not enough to just plug the cable to the mobo you have to go into bios and enable it and also put it as the prefered display device.
Tell us your TV model as well.
If you have any other display to have connected during installation of windows then do that, use a different display.

This sounds like a resolution and/or frequency issue, the TV can't handle whatever windows is trying to display.

If you are trying to install with a windows account that you already set up and uses a too high resolution for example it tries to start with 4k on a 1080p TV then this would happen.

Oh and simplest thing to try first, get a new hdmi cable.

 

[BananaGlass]

Wait, so you can post and get into Bios, only Windows shows no display ?
Bad drivers, on updates, Microsoft may install their own GPU drivers, overriding yours.
Can you boot to safe mode ?

Correct. Bios screen displays normally. Only when it’s supposed to go to Windows does it stop displaying. I tried searching how to boot Windows 11 in safe mode but could only find how to do it *from* Windows. Also, I did a complete fresh install (deleted all partitions, made new ones etc) so wouldn’t that rule out bad drivers?

 

[BananaGlass]

Tell us your mobo and your CPU, if you have an iGPU it's not enough to just plug the cable to the mobo you have to go into bios and enable it and also put it as the prefered display device.
Tell us your TV model as well.
If you have any other display to have connected during installation of windows then do that, use a different display.

This sounds like a resolution and/or frequency issue, the TV can't handle whatever windows is trying to display.

If you are trying to install with a windows account that you already set up and uses a too high resolution for example it tries to start with 4k on a 1080p TV then this would happen.

Oh and simplest thing to try first, get a new hdmi cable.

I don’t remember the complete specs, but I do believe the mobo is an Asus Rog Strix Z90E Gaming. I have a Sony X930e as my TV.

When plugged directly into the mobo, I did enable igpu through the bios and nothing happened, albeit still had the video card in I think so I don’t know if that’s the reason that didn’t work.

Also the TV is what I’ve been using for years with the same PC and is a 4K TV, so I’m not sure resolution is the issue. I thought about changing the hdmi cable, but would a faulty cable display bios fine and not windows? I’ll try the cable after work today and report back. I’ll also find out what my exact cpu is

 

[BananaGlass]

Forgot to add that I also tried video cards I have in the second pcie slot and the same thing happened. I’ll try the hdmi cable and each stick of ram after work today and report back.

 

[BananaGlass]

Update: I changed hdmi cables and it works and I feel like an idiot lol. That poses another question though….. why would the hdmi cable display the bios but not windows? I didn’t think that was possible

 

[Cyberat_88]

HDMI Cable is rated for speed as in Vertical Refresh Frequency of your monitor.
So if you set your drivers to 144hz, your monitor can display at 144hz, but the cable is not 2.2 rated,
it will display Post & Bios at 60hz just fine, but blank out on Windows.

 

[Cyberat_88]

As for now, until future upgrades, HDMI 2.2 & DP 1.4 are the standards you want, anything less should be ignored.