Member Avatar for smitsfamily

I meant to shut down my desktop computer (Dell Vostro 200) but I think I put it into sleep mode instead. When I came to start it up it restarted on the third try and from the audio and lights I could see that computer is on but the monitor will not display and goes into power save mode instead so I can´t see anything. I have connected the monitor to my notebook and it works so I know it is not a problem with the monitor. I have connected another monitor to the desktop but it does the same things and goes into power saving mode. How do I fix this? I am running on a Microsoft Vista operating system. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by LaxLoafer

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Brief recap and diagnostic plan tied to the existing replies: ’s Vostro powers up (lights, audio) but both monitors go into power-save, and the same displays work on a notebook — that points to the PC not sending a video signal rather than a bad monitor. As suggested, the key first distinction is whether the BIOS/POST screen appears. If POST is visible the fault is almost certainly Windows/driver/resume related; if POST is not visible it’s most likely hardware, firmware, or power.

If the BIOS/POST screen does appear: check whether the system is actually responsive (CapsLock/NumLock LEDs toggling or network activity). Boot with low-resolution/safe-mode so Windows uses the basic VGA driver. If video returns there, uninstall the display driver, install the latest chipset + GPU drivers from the vendor/Dell, then test normal boot and sleep/resume. While diagnosing, turn off hybrid-sleep/fast-start options and set sleep to a conservative state to avoid repeated bad resumes.

If the BIOS/POST screen does not appear: verify monitor input and cables, try the motherboard video output if present, and reseat or temporarily remove any discrete card to force onboard video. Check that any PCIe power leads are connected. Perform a power drain and CMOS reset (unplug, hold power ~30s; remove CMOS coin cell briefly) and try a minimal-hardware boot (one RAM stick, no extra cards) to isolate a bad card or memory. These steps separate a bad GPU/motherboard/PSU from an OS problem.

Cautions and next steps: update BIOS only from Dell for the exact model/service tag and follow Dell’s instructions (BIOS updates carry risk). If POST never shows after the hardware checks, the most likely outcomes are a failing GPU or motherboard and component testing/replacement is recommended. If case work is unfamiliar, have a local technician perform the hardware checks.

Member Avatar for LaxLoafer

Hi Smitsfamily

It's not immediately obvious to me what the cause is, but here are a couple of things I would try...

Turn the system on and press the F2 key as soon as you see the blue Dell logo. This will take you into the system setup (BIOS). Navigate to the Power Management Setup page and see if you can disable the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI).

Do this as a temporary measure, to see if this will get you into Windows. You can always reset it again afterwards. The default ACPI suspend type on a Dell Vostro 200 is S3.

When PCs boot the video graphics adapter typically starts in VGA mode, before switching to a higher resolution for Windows. I am wondering if something is preventing the graphics card from entering the higher resolution, making it seem like the monitor has gone to sleep?

Booting into Windows 'safe mode' will allow you to stay in VGA. To get into safe mode, you need to press F8 a few seconds before Windows loads.

Assuming the above gets you into Windows, you should now be able to find and check the power management options in the control panel. But, I suspect the issue may resolve itself if you simply shut the system down cleanly and restart.

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