No -- not the old black screen of death. A different one...

Two days ago my laptop had a change of heart and decided to deny me the use of the screen. No battery problem. Not a problem with the screen. The computer starts up just fine... but then after the Windows logo flashes for a moment the screen takes its bat and ball and goes home. Black.

I know that it goes to the password page, because if I type in my password then the computer hums, wurs and whistles (computer speak for "I'm on now"). But I can't see anything. Which is bad.

Strangely, if I start the laptop in safe mode the screen doesn't go on strike and life is peachy. Except that i'm stuck in safe mode.

I'm fairly tech-dumb (at least compared to who I assume frequent these forums). I assume it is some sort of windows xp problem, or something to do with drivers or perhaps some form of ancient black magick spell cast on my computer from the love child of Anton Levay and the Meravigian decendants.

Whatever it is, it has left me somewhat meloncholy and I would be very full of thanks and awe if some bright spark could come to my rescue. If you wanted to tell me directly (or send hate-mail), my e-mail is john_humphreys99@hotmail.com. Thanks!

Avada kedavra

Did you install anything recently?

Nope...

Is it possible that your screens resolution got changed to something higher than it can support? In safe mode the resolution is set low to aviod this problem. Also, i dont know if it will work with your laptop, but i know some nvidia graphics cards if you hold the ctrl key while it is booting it resets the resolutions. You could also attach a pc monitor to the laptops video out and change the resolution there for the laptop screen.

Thanks for your suggestion!

Sigh. Now I really feel like an idiot. I plugged an alternative monitor in, but the damn thing doesn't work. My computer still tries to use the laptop screen (and fails) and the other monitor just says "no signal".

im not sure what keystroke your laptop uses, but most laptops you have to hit the fn key and f6 or something to switch screens. there should be a little icon on the f key that it corresponds to.

Nizzy you are a god and I love you -- black screen of unhappiness is now gone, so I'm just back to my usual set of problems now. Thanks heaps.

Great to hear that! If you have more computer issues, post they on this site as well. Maybe we can help you with those too.