PC does not boot correctly

[Xiahou]

Hello,

For 2 days my display had lines over it when starting, and colour messups/lines in windows (especially when I was trying to watch a film/video clip). The lines were 'perfect' dashes in the starting stages of the pc booting up, they looked like - - - - - - - dashes across my screen. When it got to the windows loading screen, there were lots of blue lines all over it.

Sometimes I could start up my pc and the lines wouldn't be there, but most times they were there.

Today, my pc was not able to reach windows correctly. I started up my pc sometimes, and listened to the graphics card fan making some sort of harsh sound. I took the card out, cleaned it out of all dust (using canned air), even dismantelling the whole thing.

After that, I put it back into my pc and started up. It still had the lines on the screen. I turned off the power and put it back on, and then it did reach windows without having any lines on the screen (yay), but!

As soon as it got into windows, possibly 10 seconds of logging in, the pc restarted itself (It did this every time).

After that, I went into BIOS and went into CMOS (or something), and enabled something like 'startup windows using default configeration'.. or.. 'startup using last configeration'.

I restarted pc, it gets to the window after the motherboard loading screen.. where it says... HDD S.M.A.R.T ABILITY - DISABLED.. etc etc.. It has a lot of lists of writing and numbers. Normally, at the bottom left of the screen, it has writing (I forget what it says), but now it doesn't.

It gets past this screen, and no signal to monitor... and my screen just goes black.. (Pc is still running).

So now I cannot even get into windows..


Motherboard : DFI Lanparty SLI-DR
Graphics Card: Leadtek 6800GT


Any ideas?

Appreciate help loads.

 

[COCOCOOKIE]

Hi! Try rebooting the PC in Safe Mode. You do that by turning on the PC and pressing F8 when is booting, a couple of times. You'll get several Booting Options, choose Safe Mode and press enter. If you succeed, you'll get a dialog asking you if you wanna continue in safe mode; click YES. Now, in Safe Mode...Do you get video signal? Post back,ok?

 

[Xiahou]

Hey, thanks for the reply.

I'm either extremely dumb, or I can't get into safe mode.

I start up pc, press F8 about once a second. It gets to the black screen before anything else happens.

I have uploaded a video with my problem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPsll0goCec

This is the screen it gets onto before the black screen comes. It has already displayed the motherboard and graphics card loading screen.. (or whatever the first two screens are when booting). Also, I notice there is nothing at the bottom left hand corner. When the pc was working correctly, it said something at the bottom left hand side.

Am I doing something wrong? Or do i need to be able to get into safe mode by doing something AFTER this black screen happens.


---

Also, for some reason, the computer will only show a display on screen when I cut the power completely for the pc (either turning off mains or psu switch at back of case) - It still only gets to the black screen though.

If I were to run the pc, with display showing, and turn the pc off by the power button, then start up the pc again by pressing the power button, there is NO display at all. I have to then turn off the power completely (mains or psu), turn it back on, then I get display.


Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[Xiahou]

Also, I am wondering if the DFI Lanparty SLI-DR Nf4 has onboard video? I can try to see if that works. I couldn't find it in BIOS, but there could be an option for it that I havn't seen.

 

[COCOCOOKIE]

Hi. You get into Safe Mode by pressing F8 right after you start your PC; try F5 or F6 too although I don't think that's your case. Also, try getting into BIOS by pressing F2,F10 or F12. I've watched the video but the quality is poor and you can't distinguish what's on the screen. Question: Have you installed or added any piece of hardware recently? Have you tested your RAM sticks? Is that graphic card integrated on the motherboard or is an expansion card? Did you check that your external and internal fans (CPU and Graphic Card if it's an expansion card,of course) are working? Post back with those answers, please. That way we can narrow down the problem. Good luck!

 

[RicoDirenzo]

It's your video card. The fact that you noticed the fan making noise tells me that that GPU probably fried. The video you posted is definitely a video GPU problem.

 

[COCOCOOKIE]

Hey,Xiahou. Be careful when listening to some people's advice...Some of them think they know everything and they choose the easiest way out. They got nothing to lose,it's not their PC. Post back if you find the problem. Take care!

 

[Xiahou]

Hello,

I can get into BIOS, but I do not know if I can fix the problem through this?

I have a Leadtek 6800GT. Is there any way I can check to see if it has been fried? When I took it apart, I could not see anything wrong with it. Is there some sort of tests I can do to see?

I have not added or installed any hardware recently. I have not tested my RAM sticks - how can I do this? Do I have to put them into another pc to see if they are working correctly? Or is there another way.

The fans are working on the CPU and graphics card.


The video shows the pc startup. It gets onto the screen with all the writing, and then it just goes black. It isn't clear on the monitor, but when it goes all black, and a menu comes up, it says 'No signal' on the monitor.


Thank you for the replies.


--------

EDIT: Also, I would like to know, would a virus be capable of doing this? I am connected up through a router, have nvidia firewall and security centre (mcafee - yay!).

Also, I'm dumb with this sort of thing, but when I get into windows, I'm not. I amn't stupid enough to go and download things with viruses. I would just like to know if there is a possibility that a virus could do this.

 

[COCOCOOKIE]

Hi. It is unlikely that a virus did that. This points to a hardware failure. We can be talking about Video Card failure. The reason why I didn't tell you that as a first cause of your problem was because you have to make sure that the card is properly seated (especially if the computer is not brand new), clean, the video cable working, properly seated (the cable that connects your monitor to the PC) and with no pins bent (CHECK THAT), and that you don't have another expansion card causing conflict. Also, after checking all that, you can try is it is your video card by trying it in a different PC. One important question: Do you hear any beeps when you start your PC? IF so, how many? PAy attention to the pattern, like 2 shorts and one long beep, etc.., and write down the name of your BIOS manufacturer (Award, Phoenix,etc.) If you try those things and your video card is working, then it could be RAM or a Motherboard failure. You test RAM with this program "Memtest86". If you have access to the Internet from another computer, download it and create the bootable CD or Floppy Disk. Instert it in the drive and start the PC, it should start testing your RAM right away automatically but it takes hours. You can also test your RAM by pulling one stick at a time and start the PC and see if you get an error; then try the other one and the same thing, and also switch slots and the same procedure. Of course, you can try the sticks in another PC to make it faster, but make sure this other PC uses the same type, speed of memory. I don't wanna sofocate you with more info so go ahead and try and check all those things and post back with more information and results,ok? Good Luck!

 

[COCOCOOKIE]

By the way, you can't fix it in BIOS and you can download memtest86 free from this place: www.memtest.org

Post back,ok?