Hi,

I have a problem with our pc at home can anyone help? Its a dell dimension 4550 running windows Xp.

The computer was left on when we were at work (with the broadband on), and when I got back this evening it seems to have gone dead. The screen and computer were both on but cannot see anything on the screen. When i tried to re-start it as normal it didnt work, then it gave me an option to go into safe mode, where i tried to do a system re-store, but this didnt solve the problem as well. I can get into safe mode though.

No error messages when i start up, it goes to the windows screen and then the screen goes blank and nothing responds.

I have Norton Antivirus installed and regularly update for virus definitions etc.

Any suggestions as to what to do? How can i diagnose what the problem is? Unfortunately im not very computer literate.

Any help would be highly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

could be the graphics card.

try booting in safe mode and reducing the screen resolution or adaptor frequency.

you can this by right hand clicking on the desktop and selecting properties. then the setting tabs. adaptor frequency is in advanced / adaptor (from memory!!)

good luck

Dazza

 

Turn on the machine and after where it tells you about your hardware etc, press the F8 Key
This will bring a screen up with various different options (safe mode being one of them)
There will also be an option saying start windows with last known good configuration (or similar to that)
Select that option and hopefully it will work for you.

 

PC left on and then Screen blank = Fan failure on Graphics card ? If it has one.

Do you know the manufacturer of the card?

On a lighter note.
It could be that the Refresh rate has been set too high and the Monitor cannot handle it. The only way to reset this is by going into Safe Mode as described by others.

 

thanks for your suggestions, i havent been able to access the internet/scoobynet this weekend so havent been able to check here.

I have tried 'start windows with last known good configuration' and that doesnt seem to work.

When i go to change the refresh rate - under Screen refresh rate, it says 'use hardware default setting'

the display adapter is ATI Rage (came standard with the system). i did a diagnostics check from the Dell Resource CD, which said PASS, so presume hardware is fine?

Any suggestions as to what could be wrong if the hardware is fine?

thanks again for your help.

 

Have you tried downloading the driver from ATi? I know that windows updates can be set to automatically download new software. In some cases drivers, install these for you and then when it gets fed up with you not restarting windows, does it for you. doing so may have screwed up your graphics card.