Black screen on startup,

[freak67]

This problem has occured to me at least twice already within one years. I came home and my computer works perfectly fine and then i restart it. MY computer just get a black screen, my computer is running and i walk away ot let it start up, i come back i notice that its still running with a black screen, i check my connections in the back. Everything is where its supposed to be. I open up my side panel and on my Abit computer it has a small LED at the bttom where it shows a code if something is wrong, it says code #25 and in the manual it says this=
Early PCI Initialization:
-Enumerate PCI bus number.
-Assign memory & I/O resource
-Search for a valid VGA device & VGA BIOS, and put it into C000:0

I figured that it might as well be the graphics card so i swap it out with a X700 that i have laying around, it then says the code #04 but in the manual it doesnt have the code 04 or 40. I fixed this problem last year by buying a new graphics card, but even when i bought the new card it took me quite a while of fiddling around on my board to fix it, finally i got to work. But what i dont understand was that i unplugged my computer to hook it up to a T.v. to watch a movie, and it worked before i unhooked it but when i plugged it to hook it up; it just keep giving me a black screen.

My computer specifications:
Motherboard: Abit Fatal1ty AN8
CPU: AMD Athlon 3000+
Memory: Kingston Hyper X (512x2)
Graphics Card: HIS 256MB X850XT
Power Source: 480W Thermaltake

Does Anyone know whats wrong? I have become fed up with this motherboard and since i bought it, i have been getting small problems left and right, but this one really seems to agrivate me, u think if u buy something for 200$ it would work and not crap out on you.

 

[Nitestick]

well for one thing it sounds like the CMOS battery may be dying. had any problems with the clock resetting? now it is also worth noting that the PCI bus and PCI-E bus are not the same thing. what PCI cards do you have connected?

 

[CrazeD]

Hmm, you say it happened after you tried to use a TV?

Maybe it wants to use the TV as the primary monitor, and as one isn't hooked up you get a black screen.

I'm really not sure about how you would go about fixing that either.

 

[freak67]

well for one thing it sounds like the CMOS battery may be dying. had any problems with the clock resetting? now it is also worth noting that the PCI bus and PCI-E bus are not the same thing. what PCI cards do you have connected?

I dont use any other PCI cards other than the X850XT and an AudioMAX card that comes with the Motherboard.

I was trying to use a S-video cable, but even if u have it set up to the primary monitor it would still at least start up to desktop until the drivers are loaded, i connected it back to the primary monitor and it does the same.

And it may be a possibility that its dyeing, cuz even after i reset BIOS and CMOS it did the same thing as well. Is there anyway in getting a replacement?

 

[freak67]

WOW, Thanks a ton, it was the battery, i swapped a different one in and it started up perfectly. Thanks i owe u a big one. i was actually thinking about buying a new motherboard.

 

[freak67]

Scratch that last one, it started up fine but just crashed about half way through start up, anyone know where to buy a CMOS battery? Radioshack? lol

 

[Nitestick]

yeah places like Radioshack should have them. i guess a new battery is worth a try but i'm doubting myself now as crashing half way through boot is not characteristic of a dead CMOS battery

 

[bmxfreakrider]

sometimes a 2.99 thing will make u build a new pc because u never think of it, even tho u mess whit it reseting the bios. cmos batts arent rechargeable...so that means u have to get new one every now and then, but get a good one, not a cheapo one, cause a good one will last longer, so u have taht prob less frequent. i found so many pc's that had a dead cmos battery, so i made my own little rig: its a plastic disk with contacs all around it, and thats all connected to a 2 AA harness, that velcroes to something with a 2ft cable. i got that in here right now(its hiding above my cd drive)

 

[freak67]

yeah places like Radioshack should have them. i guess a new battery is worth a try but i'm doubting myself now as crashing half way through boot is not characteristic of a dead CMOS battery

lol well, i had to disconnect the pc, cuz i waited for my motherboard to beep for the screen to flash on, and i turned it off the switch it out with the computer i have hooked up already. Thanks for the help guys, saved me a s**tload