Please Help New LCD Monitor has a Blank Screen and I can't use Safe Mode

Hello everyone I see that we have some experienced and tech savy computer pros on this forum so please let me pick your brains. I built my computer about two years ago and haven't had any trouble until now. I just bought a 19 inch flat Sceptre LCD screen. I plugged it in and fired up my computer and it would not let me go into WindowsXP. It kept shutting down over and over in an infinite loop once it started loading WindowsXP. So I went into safe mode and used sytem restore and restored it to the prior week. WindowsXP came up with the new monitor and everything was running smooth. I then decided to use the USB plugs on the monitor and plugged my wireless reciever into one of them. When I unpluged the reciever from the tower it unistalled as windowsXP always does when you remove hardware. When I plugged it into the USB port on the monitor it recognized it and started the install process. In the middle of the install process the computer went haywire and restarted itself. Now when I turn on the computer the typical setting checks occur and then when WindowsXP attempts to load I get a blank screen. The green LED light is on the monitor like nothing is wrong. The same thing happens if I attempt to go into safe mode. When I hit f8 and then safe mode it tries to boot up in safe mode but all I get is the blank screen. So I can't get into safe mode to go back to another restore point. Not sure why this is happening, I did change the monitor settings from a refresh rate of 60hz to 75 and from 800X600 to 1024X768. It was running fine on that though. I tried reconnecting my old CRT but the same problem occurs. Is there a way to change the frequency back without going into windows. I looked all around my BIOS settings and I didn't see any options for doing so. Any suggestions would be greatlty appreicated. I have called Sceptre 3 times and have gotten an answering machine and they have not called me back. I called them Friday and today. I am a very busy person and this is killing me. Please help. Thanks in advance.

Specs:
Windows XP Home edition
Pentium 4 2.4 ghrz
512 DDR mem
Readon 8500LE Vid Card

 

i dont have much experience w/ LCD monitors, but, maybe your gfx card has gone nuts. try using your onboard video (if epuipped). If you have no onboard video, try your monitor(s) @ freinds place. thats the only suggestion i have. Sorry.

 

Was the new LCD monitor detected correctly. or as a plug and play or unknown monitor?

Go to the manufacturers web site and look for an XP monitor INF file (driver) for that monitor, or failing that go to windows update, let it scan your PC and see if MS has an update for that monitor.

I would also update your graphics card drivers.

 

Still not sure whay to do

I think that the monitor was recognized as a plug and play. When I tried to install the drivers for the monitor WindowsXP did not recognize them. The major problem that I have now is that I cannot even get into Windows either normal or safe mode to do anything. I do not have onboard video so I guess I can try using the monitor on a friend’s computer. If I plug my CRT monitor into a friends computer will the monitor refresh rate come up with what his windows is set at? If so won't it try to come back to the refresh rate that my windows is set at? What I am saying is if I try plugging it into another computer will that really resolve anything? Say if I plug it into my friends computer and they have a refresh rate set at 60 will my computer than use a 60 refresh rate or will windows still prompt my monitor to try for 75? Also If I install a new hard drive and put a fresh copy of windows on it will that fix the problem? I was thinking of buying a new one and getting Microsoft to give me another key to install on a new hard drive. That away I could set the current hard drive to slave and get all the **** off of it that I need. Any other thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

 

Trying the monitor on a friend's box, first boot in safe mode and see if it works. While in safe mode set the parameters you need and then boot to normal.

 

I cant get into safe mode

Sparrow I do not have to option of getting into safe mode. When I select safe mode it doesnt come up, all I get is a blaack screen. Do you mean to try it in safe mode on a friends computer?

 

try on friend's box, yes.

 

the reason i suggested a freinds computer, was to see if it was your PC hardware, or the monitor that was faulty. But, resetting the display properties would probably be the most benficial thing to come of it.

 

Didnt work

I hooked my crt to my laptop and changed the settings and then tried to hook the monitor back up to my desktop. The monitor works fine on the laptop but I still get the empty black screen when trying it back on my desktop. I read somewhere that an empty black screen could mean my Master Boot Record is Corrupt. LOL not sure how that could happen by hooking up a monitor. I tried using a WindowsXP boot disk and got the same old empty black screen. Looks like I am going to have to by that new hard drive after all ( Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

 

Try booting to the Windows CD and see if you can restore back to that point that worked before (I am only going by others, I use Win 98) or do a "repair" (reinstall?) from the CD. Seems like Windows may have fragged it's own drivers.

Virus? You may be able to slave the drive in another computer and run an Antivirus on it (also depends on whether it is NTFS or Fat32 format). Do you have any Antivirus boot floppies?

Check the drive with the harddrive manufacturers utilities.

Matt

 

You do not have to buy another drive if it is, in fact, the MBR that has been corrupted. The MBR is only information for the BIOS, set the file system etc. If worse comes worst, do a low-level (zero) format on it using the HDD utilities. It will then be "good as new" because that will take it back to "factory format ".

Matt

 

Suggest you borrow a linux setup CD, boot it and install linux. If this works, yout computer is fine. Then call up linux fdisk /dev/fda and choose to write a dos compatable partition table.

Then you can boot with a dos floppy and run dos fdisk and make partitions (i'd make 2 at least) and install windows.

Otherwise, follow Matt's advice above or replace the hdd.

Matt,
This is much faster than a low level format.
M

One other possibility is a corrupted BIOS. you can try flashing your BIOS according to the directions in your manual; you don't need a more recent version, tho it wouldn't hurt if there is one.