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Black screen on start up


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#1
manu08

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I switch the computer on and everything loads fine, the BIOS, the Windows XP splash logo etc. After the splash logo has gone (where the bar keeps moving showing you XP is loading up) all I get is a black screen. I had touched up on this in a couple of previous my posts but never really got into it. The computer boots fine in safe mode but isn't loading in normal mode. For the past times this has happened, I've either reset the computer a couple of times (3 - 5 times) and eventually gotten it to boot normally or I've booted into safe mode, run the computer for a while and then restarted to boot perfectly fine in normal mode. Now none of this seems to be working, any help please? Unless there is absolutely no solution I'd rather not do a XP repair install, reason for this being is I believe it would be better for me to reinstall XP completely rather than do a repair install but that is the last option.

Edited by manu08, 04 April 2007 - 03:58 PM.

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#2
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Start with re-installing the video card software or look for updated software

Items in blue which are underlined are clickable to give more information about the process

Download and install Everest Home Edition

Run the programme, click + next to computer then summary

Look on the right for display / video adapter

Look at the manufacturer’s site for the suitable drivers for your Operating System


If you are unable to find them, please post the make and model here before you download anything

Please set a system restore point before you install anything
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#3
manu08

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I have an ATI Radeon X800XL graphics card and I downloaded the latest drivers but am not able to install it in safe mode. It says no ATI device was detected to install a driver for.
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#4
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Do any restore points work?

You should be able to install using safe mode with networking
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#5
manu08

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I am not too keen on trying any restore points cause the last time i tried System Restore my computer had got a whole new level of problems; virus guard stopped working, firewall said it wasn't installed anymore etc. Yes I have booted in 'Safe mode with networking' but it doesn't seem to be able to install it.
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#6
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Click start, right click my computer, click properties, hardware, device manager, find the display adapter, click the + then click each part to highlight then right click, click update driver (in safe mode with networking, though check the firewall is running)

If it won't update, right click each part, click remove, confirm, reboot to normal mode

Try installing the downloaded driver

With system restore, look for the most recent system checkpoint, as long as it isn't too far back it should only affect programmes installed after it

With XP repair, you could use it so you can access and back up any data you need
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#7
manu08

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I managed to update the driver through Device Manager but there were two display adapters.
1. Radeon X800XL
2. Radeon X800XL - Secondary

I only updated the first one and then restarted the computer but still no luck in starting up in normal mode. I cannot do a sfc /scannow in safe mode, I believe that would probably resolve the problem of starting up in normal mode, is there any alternative method of doing that?
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#8
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You need to update both, see if it is any different then

Right click the taskbar, click task manager, click file, new task, type sfc /scannow then press enter
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#9
manu08

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Nope still no luck. Sfc /scannow didn't work either. What do I do now?
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#10
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What does sfc /scannow do
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#11
manu08

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If I run it through Task Manager like you specified to, a black command prompt screen just flashes on the screen for about a second and disappears. If I go to Start > Run > cmd and then try sfc /scannow it says "Windows File Protection could not initiate a scan of protected system files. The specified error code is 0x000006ba [The RPC server is unavailable]"
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#12
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Start the RPC Service
1. Click Start, Run

Type in: services.msc



2. Double-click Remote Procedure Call (RPC).
3. In the Startup type dialog box, click Automatic, click OK, and then restart your
computer.


NOTE: If the RPC Service is disabled, you may need to use the Recovery Console.

In Recovery Console

1. Type the following command: Enable RPCSS Service_Auto_Start
2. Press the Enter key
3. Type: exit
4. Press Return
The computer will now restart.

http://support.micro.....ben-us;307654
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#13
manu08

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There is RPC & RPC Locator. RPC is already on automatic startup type and the service is started. RPC Locator however is on manual startup type and right now the service is stopped.
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#14
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Is this in safe mode with networking

Run checkdisk from recovery console (Windows xp).

[*]Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk drive, or insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.

Note:Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do so.

[*]When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.

Note:If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the installation that you want to access from the Recovery Console.

[*]When you are prompted to do so, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.

[*]At the Recovery Console command prompt, type the following then press Enter:

chkdsk /r



[*]Allow this to run UNDISTURBED until completed (45 min or so)

[*]Report any errors


Have you got any data you want to back up
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#15
manu08

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Yes that is in safe mode with networking and yes I do have a lot of data I need to back up. I ran checkdisk through the System Recovery console and it said that Chkdsk found and fixed one error, tried restarting in normal mode after it but still nothing.
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