Computer issues, Viruses, trojans, crashes, install problems etc Options

[mirocu]

Can't help you, I'm afraid. Maybe ghastley has an idea. But you did make me backup my savegames and pictures, so thanks. I needed to do that

[ghastley]

It is worth looking to see if there is a monitor socket on the motherboard that you could plug a monitor into. Typically a VGA connection, rather than HDMI. If that gets a display, then the video card is the problem.

[Lena Wolf]

It is worth looking to see if there is a monitor socket on the motherboard that you could plug a monitor into. Typically a VGA connection, rather than HDMI. If that gets a display, then the video card is the problem.

That's a good point - plug in the monitor into the motherboard. I just wanted to add that both my computers have an HDMI port on the motherboard, so that is definitely a possibility. Have a good hard look at the backside of your computer.

[SubRosa]

It is sounding like a bad video card. Try what gastley said first. Then open up your case and see what the video port you have been using is connected to. If it goes straight into the motherboard, then it looks like you were using the onboard video and that it has died. If it is going to a video card that is set into a slot in the motherboard, then I think your next move is to replace that video card.

Really, the same if it is going to the motherboard. You will need to look for a video card slot on the motherboard that you can use. Then buy a video card that will fit into it.

There are lots of different styles of video card slots. So you need to be precise in identifying what you need before you buy a new video card, so you get one that will fit. Usually video card slots on the motherboard will be a different color from the other slots around it.

Here is a page with pictures and explanations of what the various slots on motherboards are. A video card is probably going to be using a PCI-E slot. But you never know, depending on the age of your computer. But even PCI-E comes in different flavors. Here is a breakdown of them as well.

[Decrepit]

Interesting. I never used Firefox, myself. Are you saying you tried to get rid of Firefox but couldn't, Sir Decrepit?

Nowadays I have Internet Exploder, which I prefer for older websites like Chorrol. I also have Microsoft Edge, which I use begrudgingly because it's better for all the newer sites. Edge can be annoying (it's always trying to make itself my "default" browser, for instance ), but I find Google Chrome even more annoying. Plus I prefer Bing over Google's search engine.

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Anyway, today I do have a problem with my gaming computer: Black screen on startup. Anyone had experience with this?

Other day I was gaming. Janet, my Fallout 3 character, just pwned three super mutants and was going to have a smoke, but *bam* the game shut down, and now the computer itself was rebooting. I'm like "that's odd. Never seen that before..." But otherwise, everything was fine. Was able to get back into the game, and play another few minutes.

Well last night, I'm wanting to game again. Start the computer up. All the lights come on (LED lights) I can hear the disc drive whirring. But nothing happens onscreen. The monitor stays dark. And I'm thinking, this has to be related to whatever happened the other day.

Did some cursory troubleshooting last night. Hooked up a different cable between the computer and monitor, then I also tried a second monitor. Dead-ends. From what I read online, seems this could be a driver problem. Have NO idea how to go about fixing such a thing. There's fixes online, and I did try one of them, which is Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B, I think. No go. There are also more complicated fixes, but maybe I should try taking my rig into a shop, huh?

~scared~

As to Firefox, no, I am not trying to uninstall it. It makes a fine secondary browser, just as Brave did before the switcheroo.

As to your computer dilemma, is your motherboard/CPU combo one that sports onboard video? If so, try plugging your monitor into the motherboard video-out socket rather than the GPU. A caveat, the BIOS needs to be set to automatically switch between on-board and card sockets, which is normally the default. If it works with on-board video, then something is likely wrong with your graphics card. But don't take that as gospel. Does your motherboard display any error codes you can look up? (Assuming the board has that ability.) Have you opened the case and made sure there's nothing obviously loose that shouldn't be? These are just shots in the dark. A monitor receiving no signal can be any number of things.

It is worth looking to see if there is a monitor socket on the motherboard that you could plug a monitor into. Typically a VGA connection, rather than HDMI. If that gets a display, then the video card is the problem.

Great minds think alike, yet so do ours. I also mention this, having forgotten that you beat me to it.


This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jun 27 2024, 11:59 PM

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

@Renee-
Also, if you haven’t solved the issue yet, check that your RAM sticks look ok and are seated correctly. I had a problem a while back with a black screen. Turned out the connection area on one of my sticks had gotten dirty somehow and wiping it with isopropyl then reinstalling it solved the issue.

[Renee]

Hey thanks for all your help, I'll see if I can figure what you all are talking about. If not, I'll just take it to the shop.

I still have the original graphics card which came with the computer. It's not very powerful, we're talking about a GT 640. But Maybe I can try putting that back in and see if it makes a diff.