Laptop screen blank til sign-on screen

enigma87 · 07-21-2009, 09:55 PM

Hello Everyone,

This is my first time posting here and I hope this isn't too common a problem. I've had this HP dv9740 laptop for almost 2 years and it barely started to give me this problem. Whenever I turn on the laptop, the screen stays black until I reach the sign in screen to get into windows. I don't see the HP logo or even the windows loading screen. I hooked up a monitor to the vga port to see what that'll give me and for some reason it actually outputs the bootup process to the secondary monitor! After it finishes loading up windows, it then makes my laptop screen the primary and allows me to login. Has this happened to anyone before?

Now, I do admit that this did not start happening until reformatted my harddrive and installed Windows 7 RC1. Do you think thats the culprit? I already tried holding the Fn and the monitor keys with no luck. I also tried unplugging it, taking out my battery and holding down the power button for 60 seconds. Thanks to everyone who took their time to read this.

Madcatz · 07-22-2009, 09:56 AM

ok, hook up the external monitor, start the computer, go into the BIOS (may be listed as ROM setup), most laptops have an option that allows you to choose what output will have the startup display, sounds like yours is set to external only, set it to LCD or internal (may even have an automatic setting), save it, reboot and it should show up.

enigma87 · 07-22-2009, 12:41 PM

thanks for the suggestion, I tried looking in the BIOS and didn't see any of those options. I was able to fix the problem by uninstalling the nvidia drivers I had downloaded. I dunno how it could have caused my laptop to do that, seeing how the drivers don't load until after windows boots up. I'm guessing the drivers flipped a switch on the video card? how could that have happened?

Madcatz · 07-22-2009, 03:30 PM

drivers shouldn't have done that, but on the other hand i've seen doing things in windows will change BIOS settings and even cause the BIOS to think it has a password, lol.

enigma87 · 07-23-2009, 01:07 AM

from within windows change bios settings? sounds dangerous

Madcatz · 07-24-2009, 06:56 AM

it can be dangerous, and shouldn't be happening, and its a big reason for some bios updates to be made.

07-21-2009, 09:55 PM	#1 (permalink)
enigma87 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 3 OS: Windows 7 RC1	Laptop screen blank til sign-on screen Hello Everyone, This is my first time posting here and I hope this isn't too common a problem. I've had this HP dv9740 laptop for almost 2 years and it barely started to give me this problem. Whenever I turn on the laptop, the screen stays black until I reach the sign in screen to get into windows. I don't see the HP logo or even the windows loading screen. I hooked up a monitor to the vga port to see what that'll give me and for some reason it actually outputs the bootup process to the secondary monitor! After it finishes loading up windows, it then makes my laptop screen the primary and allows me to login. Has this happened to anyone before? Now, I do admit that this did not start happening until reformatted my harddrive and installed Windows 7 RC1. Do you think thats the culprit? I already tried holding the Fn and the monitor keys with no luck. I also tried unplugging it, taking out my battery and holding down the power button for 60 seconds. Thanks to everyone who took their time to read this.

07-22-2009, 09:56 AM	#2 (permalink)
Madcatz Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,389 OS: XP/7/Server 2008 My System	Re: Laptop screen blank til sign-on screen ok, hook up the external monitor, start the computer, go into the BIOS (may be listed as ROM setup), most laptops have an option that allows you to choose what output will have the startup display, sounds like yours is set to external only, set it to LCD or internal (may even have an automatic setting), save it, reboot and it should show up. __________________ memtest86+ \| Hard Drive Diags \| Speed Fan \| Unknown Device Identifier

07-22-2009, 12:41 PM	#3 (permalink)
enigma87 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 3 OS: Windows 7 RC1	Re: Laptop screen blank til sign-on screen thanks for the suggestion, I tried looking in the BIOS and didn't see any of those options. I was able to fix the problem by uninstalling the nvidia drivers I had downloaded. I dunno how it could have caused my laptop to do that, seeing how the drivers don't load until after windows boots up. I'm guessing the drivers flipped a switch on the video card? how could that have happened?

07-22-2009, 03:30 PM	#4 (permalink)
Madcatz Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,389 OS: XP/7/Server 2008 My System	Re: Laptop screen blank til sign-on screen drivers shouldn't have done that, but on the other hand i've seen doing things in windows will change BIOS settings and even cause the BIOS to think it has a password, lol. __________________ memtest86+ \| Hard Drive Diags \| Speed Fan \| Unknown Device Identifier

07-23-2009, 01:07 AM	#5 (permalink)
enigma87 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 3 OS: Windows 7 RC1	Re: Laptop screen blank til sign-on screen from within windows change bios settings? sounds dangerous

07-24-2009, 06:56 AM	#6 (permalink)
Madcatz Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,389 OS: XP/7/Server 2008 My System	Re: Laptop screen blank til sign-on screen it can be dangerous, and shouldn't be happening, and its a big reason for some bios updates to be made. __________________ memtest86+ \| Hard Drive Diags \| Speed Fan \| Unknown Device Identifier