gerrtt06

Was playing a game today and the whole computer locked up (couldn't alt-tab out or window out). I turned off the computer, waited a bit, and turned it back on. When I did the screen was glowing like it was getting power, but nothing came up. No window's logo, no Dell start-up screen, nothing. After a few moments the screen stops glowing as though windows is about to begin, and then resumes glowing like it does normally when you get to the login screen.

I've had something similar happen before and I had to replace the graphics card, but when this happened before stuff was showing up when I turned it on so I could get into safe-mode because I could see when it was loading. I tried just pressing f2 but when I did that it seemed to freeze up entirely and everything I pressed made the computer beep. Because nothing is showing up at all, unlike before, this seems more serious, but I thought I would check here first.

dai

can you access the bios
check out the psu
see if you can borrow another one to try in it

gerrtt06

No, when I press the power button the screen glows but nothing comes up. Even when pressing f8 to get to the loading options (safe mode, etc) nothing comes up on the screen so I wouldn't know how to get to those things blindly.

dai

psu not relevant as it turns out to be a laptop

dai

when you say you previously replaced the graphics card,this does not seem likely most laptops it is a video chip and part of the m/b chipset
the ones that do have an actual card it is difficult to get a replacement and very expensive if you can
run the hard drive makers diognostic utility on the hard drive
try a monitor connected to the vga port

gerrtt06

Just so we're clear, this is what I put in my laptop 7 months ago.

http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...m/zanzibb6.jpg

Minus the fact that I don't have an Inspiron 9400, but rather a Dell e1705, that's exactly what the inside and the part I put in looked like.

::edit::

I just tried the VGA port; nothing appeared on the screen when I powered it on. However, I don't have my laptop set for multiple monitors because I don't have a second monitor at home (I'm at work), so I wouldn't rule that out yet.

dai

the laptop came with onboard or the optional card which you have
http://support.dell.com/support/edoc....htm#wp1006368
i will try and find someone who knows more about it

TriggerFinger

Hi,

External monitor did not show anything? Make sure you have this information correct, please check connections of external monitor again and boot the laptop.

If you are sure of the external monitor being blank then follow the steps here:
http://support.dell.com/support/topi...&treeid=295655

Post back what you find out.

gerrtt06

I'm at home by now using a different computer. I don't have another monitor, but I do have the capacity to run my computer on my TV using a S-video cable. Would that work as well? Otherwise it's going to be about a week or so before I can try anything else with a regular monitor because I'm going out of town. I'll post back when I know something though.

Any thoughts about the S-video would be great though. I had considered re-opening the laptop and taking out the card so the system one would load. When I had the old card fail I was able to get into safe-mode and disable the card, but now I can't even see enough to do that.

dai

yes you just want to see if a picture comes across

gerrtt06

OK, I tried with S-Video. When I had it plugged in and pressed power the TV screen flickered and then was just as blank as my laptop, which is just what it does when things are working properly (minus that after the screen flickers the picture comes up).

TriggerFinger

follow the steps here:

http://support.dell.com/support/topi...A8C&l=en&s=gen

post back if you will have problems with the link.

TriggerFinger

sorry as i forgot to add this...

if you cannot get to the linked page try this one:
http://support.dell.com/support/topi...&treeid=295655

post back if you have problems with the link.

grimx133

Did you use the Fn + F8 key combo when you tried using an external display?

gerrtt06

Yes I did, I never got it to work, at least I think it didn't work. I know it never beeped, even after like 10 minutes.

I'll try that link.

TriggerFinger

that link should give you a guide... if you cannot see or access the guide, post back and I will post the PDF file of the same.

gerrtt06

It did give me a guide, what it's asking me to do though I'm not sure is working. It's telling me to run a diagnostic that is supposed to beep and show images on the screen, well...it's not beeping and obviously not showing images on the screen (since no images are showing anyways) so I'm not really even sure if it's doing anything.

I think I might just open it, re-seat the card, close it, and try again.

If that doesn't work, maybe I'll just take it out all-together until I can get a replacement.

TriggerFinger

you tested it with an external monitor via S-video, right? I am not so sure or that confident with S-Video connection to an external monitor and it would be good if you have an ordinary VGA monitor.

if you still do not get a screen with a VGA monitor then it could mean your video card may be malfunctioning.

gerrtt06

Well, I don't have access to a VGA monitor right now, wont really for another week or so. Based on what happened to me before I'm feeling like 97% confident it's the card. There's a chip in there, it runs really slow, but I don't have to have the gfx card to check email, use my jump drive, or word process. It's not going to hurt my computer to pull the gfx card is it?

::edit::

I tested with a VGA on Friday afternoon, that didn't work either.

TriggerFinger