Member Avatar for wallclimber21

Hi All,
I'm currently stuck: after trying to install a new video driver (which didn't work), I, ahem, disabled default VGA driver (VGAENB or something?). After I rebooted, I got exactly what you'd expect to happen:
computer works, but no picture. (I know it works, because hitting the 'off' button on my keyboard results in an orderly shutdown.)

No harm done: just use Safe Mode or VGA mode, right?

Wrong: while I do get the menu screen to select the different modes, the results is always the same: after selection the mode and hitting enter to continue booting, I get a blank screen. I seems as if all video drivers are disabled now, even the safe mode one. :-(

Some guidance about how to resolve this problem would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Tom

  • 2 Contributors
  • 2 Replies
  • 125 Views
  • 8 Hours Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by Killer_Typo

Dani AI

Generated

A concise recovery plan for a machine that boots but shows no video even after selecting Safe Mode or VGA options. reported the blank-screen symptom; suggested swapping cards and keyboard-only navigation, which are useful quick checks. The next steps below prioritize non-destructive troubleshooting, then controlled software repairs if hardware appears healthy.

Suggested quick hardware checks (fast, low risk):

  • Confirm monitor power and try a different cable or a second monitor/TV.
  • If the PC has integrated video, remove the add-in card and connect to the onboard port (many motherboards will fall back automatically).
  • Reseat the video card and power connectors, and try a known-good card if available.
  • Clear CMOS (power off, remove mains, short the CLR_CMOS jumper or remove the CMOS battery for 30 seconds) to restore BIOS defaults that can affect video detection.

Controlled software recovery steps (when hardware looks OK):

  • Try "Last Known Good Configuration" from the boot menu before more invasive options.
  • If that fails and an XP CD or bootable WinPE is available, perform offline registry repair from another machine or WinPE:
    1. Mount the system drive on a working Windows PC or boot the problem machine into WinPE.
    2. Run Registry Editor, select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, File -> Load Hive, and open Windows\System32\config\SYSTEM from the affected installation (give it a temporary name).
    3. Under the loaded hive, inspect ControlSetxxx\Services for the display-driver/service entry and restore its Start value if it was set to Disabled (backup the hive first). Windows start-type values are 0=Boot, 1=System, 2=Automatic, 3=Manual, 4=Disabled.
    4. Unload the hive, return the drive to the original machine, and reboot.

Cautions and fallback:

  • Always copy the SYSTEM file before edits. Editing offline registry hives carries risk; only change entries clearly tied to display drivers. If no CD or spare card is available, or if hardware testing is inconclusive, a repair install or professional service is the safer next step to protect data.

Recommended Answers

All 2 Replies

Member Avatar for wallclimber21

Some additional info:
- Windows XP
- Whitebox computer, but legal version of Windows (I assume, since it has a Windows XP sticker on the box with this funky bar-code like marks and serial number.)
- I don't know where the startup CD's are though. Usually, we bring the computer to the store to fix things...

Tom

Member Avatar for Killer_Typo

Hi All,
I'm currently stuck: after trying to install a new video driver (which didn't work), I, ahem, disabled default VGA driver (VGAENB or something?). After I rebooted, I got exactly what you'd expect to happen:
computer works, but no picture. (I know it works, because hitting the 'off' button on my keyboard results in an orderly shutdown.)

No harm done: just use Safe Mode or VGA mode, right?

Wrong: while I do get the menu screen to select the different modes, the results is always the same: after selection the mode and hitting enter to continue booting, I get a blank screen. I seems as if all video drivers are disabled now, even the safe mode one. :-(

Some guidance about how to resolve this problem would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Tom

well it sounds like you might have done just that, but what gets me is that when you start up your machine it displays in VGA mode, and when it shows the Windows XP logo that is also in VGA mode, so for it to just go blank......hrmm i am going to look into this...worse case scenario...you fried your vid card (happend to me once) best case scenario....you didnt....and you just need to reinstall the drivers.


i would recommend just trying a new video card right know...who knows maybe it will work....(hopefully someone thats had more experience dealing with this problem will chirp in).


sounds like the vid card is dead though...


what you can try though (something that i did once and it worked)

when i accidentally set my vid to a higher res than a monitor could handle and hit okay, i had my friend on the phone guide me through it from his computer, only using the keyboard so i could follow his exact input...


it was like...okay..now hit this button....okay...now hit tab X ammount of times..okay...Now hit enter...stuff like that..and i was able to set my vid back to a lower res....


its worth a try...maybe someone can guild you through the process of reanabling it, as long as its the same for both of you to get to your video driver settings. (though i will admit this way is a bit hard and has no guarentee of working........:cheesy:

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.