Hi folks,

Last night, when I was computer-ing along, a Real Networks window popped up
in the bottom right-hand corner of my screen, telling me I needed to click on
it to download a security-related patch. I did just that. It seemed legit,
since I've read in recent weeks about a security-related problem that Real
was having.

The unpleasant results (so far):

1) Brief "blue screen of death" on my computer screen -- had lots of words
on it, but I wasn't able to read them before what happened next (see No. 2).

2) Automatic restart.

3) Desktop eventually reappears. "Crisis averted," I foolishly think to
myself.

4) But when I try to use my computer, the screen goes black.

5) Now, I can't even restart my machine -- I turn it on, hear the fan very
briefly, and then ... nothing ... Windows doesn't start up, I can't seem to
start in Safe Mode, I tried hitting F8 to look for the "Last Good
Configuration" option .... but nothing. (Although sometimes I can get as far
as the page where "Last Good Configuration," "Start in Safe Mode," etc. are
listed -- but when I try selecting any of those options, nothing happens --
the screen always just ends up going black ... although the computer's power
is still clearly on.)

Once, after this started happening last night, I was able to get most of the
way through the Windows launch. But just when I thought that maybe, just
maybe I'd get far enough to uninstall this Real patch, the
screen went black again.

I've read about System Restore and some other Windows XP options, and I've
seen that others have had problems with this particular patch, but I haven't
read about anyone having the "screen goes black and stays that way" problem
that I'm having. System Restore *sounds* like a good potential solution ...
if only I could get Windows to actually boot up in the first place. :-(

Having read some of the other posts here, now I'm starting to suspect a *hardware* problem -- one that *coincidentally* appeared when I did the Real Networks patch.

Finally, I've tried to reinstall Windows XP Home Edition, but in those cases (about half the time) I can get far enough to tell the computer to launch from my XP-HE CD, the CD spins only momentarily and then stops, and the screen goes black. It's almost as though the computer shuts off completely, although the little blue light surrounding the power button remains on unless/until I hold it down to shut the machine off manually.

If any of you have any ideas that I can try, I would really appreciate it. (I'm writing this message on my wife's machine -- which is exactly the same model as mine, by the way, and handled the Real patch just fine -- and I need to give it back to her sometime soon!)

If it helps ... I'm running Windows XP Home Edition, Version 2002, Service
Pack 2 and Real Player version 10. I have a Toshiba M35X-S149 laptop/notebook computer.

Thanks!

Peter Vogt
pavogt@tcinternet.net

this is very simular to a recent problem i posted here. and base on the info i beleive your mobo is fried. here is how u can verify this. remove everp piece of hardware EXCEPT processor and memory. if ir come one then the board is good,,,,,,,,HOWEVER if u start to connect devices (ONE AT A TIME) and this screen goes blank tada thats the culprilt as well as the board. cannot deal with load any more.