HP computer showing nothing on screen

[aprocfu]

Hi, I have an HP small format which was showing nothing on the screen, then after a while it booted to thw windows. But after few days again when I try to boot it would show nothing on screen. Power is there. It just wont proced to the video. What intrigues me that it came back to work for few days and just went back to show nothing on screen.

I appreciate your assistance

 

[G0AOZ]

Initial thoughts are either a deteriorating PSU or an intermittently faulty video adaptor. Is the video adaptor integral with the motherboard, or a separate plug-in card?

When the PC is first switched on, prior to it starting to load Windows, do you see any BIOS or POST screen(s)?

If you see nothing at all until it eventually tries and loads Windows, disconnect power cables to the hard drive, DVD, and remove any plug-in cards from the motherboard other than the video. Now when you switch it on, is anything visible? If not, my first choice would be swap out the PSU for a known good one of equal Wattage or greater.

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[goombawaho]

Start in safe mode and let it run for a while and see if the video stays. If so, then it wouldn't be power supply or video card.

Updating the drivers would be a first step for me when it's running.

 

[kjv1611]

I wouldn't suspect drivers to be the case here. The drivers do not load until the OS loads. In this case, the OP sees nothing UNTIL Windows loads, which would imply a hardware issue for sure.

If the video issue occurred AFTER Windows loaded, but not before, then I'd imagine it to be a software/driver issue.

 

[cdogg]

We really need more information like Roger pointed out about seeing the POST screen (or HP logo) when the PC is first powered on.

If that screen is always seen and POST always completes, then I would lean towards it being a Windows (software) issue or a problem with the hard drive. If that screen shows intermittently (or the POST fails on occasion), then it could be just about any hardware component - the motherboard, PSU, RAM or video card - which would require more testing to narrow down.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
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[kjv1611]

I don't know, I kind of think the OP has already told us:

Hi, I have an HP small format which was showing nothing on the screen, then after a while it booted to thw windows. But after few days again when I try to boot it would show nothing on screen. Power is there. It just wont proced to the video.

So, it sounds like he/she sees nothing but a black screen UNTIL Windows starts. Then the second sentence sounds like that's where it started, but progressed to just not showing anything anytime - on certain occasions.

In that case, it definitely sounds like hardware.

My initial guess is power supply or video card. However, I think we've all learned all too well that it could be just about anything causing the problem, from a hardware perspective.

Also, here's a thought for the OP:

Have you tried connecting to a different monitor? I'm assuming when you say "small format", you mean a SFF computer, which would entail it uses a separate monitor - not a portable computing device, like a mini laptop.

 

[cdogg]

So, it sounds like he/she sees nothing but a black screen UNTIL Windows starts.

It may "sound" that way, but we need the OP to clear it up. I've heard from a number of users before that they didn't see anything on the screen, but they meant after POST.


~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
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[kjv1611]

True. Maybe I was in an overly hopefully accepting mood.

 

[xwb]

Could it be nothing at all during POST?

We had an incident once where the cleaner had pressed the dimness button while trying to get a coffee splash off the bottom of the display. The user thought he had a new monitor which was DOA. Took a while to figure out that all we had to do was press the brightness button to get the display back.

 

[aprocfu]

Hi, the computer is not showing any post messages, nothing. At the beginning the mouse optical light and the hard rive lights go on very breifly.

 

[cdogg]

OK, is this a laptop or desktop computer? My first suspicion would be the power supply, but typically on desktop computers from HP you will get a series of beeps and/or red lights that spell out an error code when something's wrong. However sometimes when the motherboard or power supply are severely damaged, that may not happen.

A laptop requires a different approach altogther.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
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[aprocfu]

It is a desktop. And the problem is the system is not a regular desktop; it is a compact version that has a special poewr supply plug and also the motherboard is a customized one. I cannot test regular power supplies with this system. I have changed memory, but that did not solve. The only thing remaining is the CPU which is dual core. Do you think the it is a CPU problem?

Thanks

 

[goombawaho]

Post the brand and model number please. I want to see if it's a standard power supply (connection wise) but maybe a small format. In that case, you COULD use a regular power supply to test, but just not physically mount it in the case.

You could just let it hang outside the case OR you could take the mobo out and put it on a non-conductive surface and try everything. The latter is actually a better way of troubleshooting weird problems because it rules out the mobo shorting against the case, the power switch and any front panel USB/audio connections which I HAVE seen to cause weird behavior.

One machine would absolutely NOT boot. I ordered a new MOBO and boom - the same behavior. I pulled the old mobo out of the case and it worked just great. It was a front panel USB cable and/or port that was screwed up and it froze the mobo after POST.

 

[cdogg]

Yes, that's exactly what I would have suggested. You can connect a standard power supply without having it sit inside the case just long enough to test it. All HP Small-Form-Factor models in the last 5 years should have standard ATX connections.

If the spare power supply doesn't help, then it can really only be the CPU or motherboard (I'm assuming you are using the integrated video port, otherwise a standalone video card could would also be part of the equation). Reseating the motherboard (or putting it on a non-conductive surface as goombawaho suggested) would be a good troubleshooting step before you replace anything else.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
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[goombawaho]

^^^^ That's what we call commando troubleshooting.

 

[FredWagner]

Another possibility - the backlight power in the monitor is going bad. I had this happen to an HP 20" widescreen monitor, a few months out of warranty - the monitor would look perfect for about 5 seconds after startup, then go black. cycle the monitor power switch, I got 5 seconds of display, then black. Out of warranty, nobody wants to fix. Paid $195 for it new. Went to Sams Club, bought an equivalent Samsung monitor for less than $150.
Try another monitor before opening the CPU case and changing anything!

Fred Wagner

 

[cdogg]

Good point Fred! That's definitely something that should be considered. However, from the comment, "[blue]At the beginning the mouse optical light and the hard drive lights go on very breifly[/blue]", I'm still a little suspicious that there's more to it.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
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