Attention "Mart"--Re: Computer Boots to Black Screen

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

Well Carol... I did suggest that it was likely to be a hardware issue, but
at the time (with the symptoms described), never considered a 'toasted
motherboard' <g>

However, its good to hear that your local tech was able to get result from
the motherboard manufacturer (under warranty? - You suggested that it was in
one of your posts in the thread)

Good to hear that you are up-and-running again - I will look out for your
'hard drive recognition' issue, which I am sure that someone here will be
able to help you with - and thanks for posting your follow-up.

Good luck

Mart


"caroloyl" <caroloyl@gmail-expungethis.com> wrote in message
news g7bkb0auc@enews4.newsguy.com...
> Hi Mart,
>
> Seems forever since I posted my plea for help--but finally, after eight
> weeks of downtime, I'm fixed up and back in business. Because it never
> once
> booted black for him, my tech was so perplexed with my problem that he
> finally sent the box out to the motherboard manufacturer who told him that
> the MB was cooked--literally.
>
> Is it assumed these days that everyone lives and computes in
> air-conditioned
> comfort?? When during my troubles the experienced guy who built this
> computer had me remove the side to blow air across the works in case it
> was
> overheating, I noticed there was only one fan inside--a little flat one on
> top of the processor. This machine did not have an exhaust fan mounted on
> the back of the box! Every other computer I've had did--even the old
> horizontal version--and I ran them all throughout the hottest
> non-air-conditioned MOzark summers without burning any of them up. This
> one--assembled just last March--made it fine through June, then limped
> into
> July and quit working!
>
> At any rate, I now have a new motherboard, two housing exhaust fans, and a
> hardware monitoring program to keep tabs on internal temperature. I also
> have a new issue with the way Windows Me recognizes hard drives--but
> I'll put that question in a fresh post.
>
> Once again, I thank you for your kind response.
>
> carol
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "PMetroplos" <metropat@spamfreecenturytel.net>
> Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general
> Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 3:47 PM
> Subject: Re: Computer Boots to Black Screen
>
>
>> Hi Mart :-))
>>
>> Thanks muchly for the information. Because of the intermittancy of the
>> booting, I'd been wondering myself if there wasn't a loose connection
>> somewhere since every time it did manage to load it, Windows Me would run
>> fine and all programs and data on all my drives would be available. One
>> of my tech's thoughts was that there could be something amiss in the boot
>> records--but mightn't that cause the computer not to ever load Windows at
>> all?
>>
>> Amazingly (and I'm astonished at how often something like this happens),
>> while I was at my relatives' yesterday writing my plea for help here, my
>> tech was leaving me voice mail at home! I dropped the box off for him to
>> work on a few minutes ago and am now revisiting my relatives to check my
>> mail--so have only just found your reply and will not be able to apply
>> your instructions myself! I'll let you know though what Jamie finds this
>> time now that I've told him about the C and D drive "non-detection" issue
>> (which he couldn't have known about the first time he looked at it
>> because
>> he never got a black screen) and what he does to remedy it (at the moment
>> he's thinking he might replace the motherboard and cables--which are all
>> still under warranty).
>>
>> I'm certainly glad the hardware is the suspect--I'm so tired of hearing
>> my
>> beloved Millennium bashed!
>>
>> carol
>>
>> "Mart" <mart(NoSpam)@nospam.nospam> wrote in message
>> news:eUeOwkroFHA.3304@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>>> Trying to sort the wood from the trees :-
>>>
>>> carol wrote:-
>>>
>>>> ... and peered into the BIOS to see if there was anything there that
>>>> looked strange. On the Advanced tab, IDE Configuration sub-screen, I
>>>> found that the auto detect function was not seeing the primary C and D
>>>
>>> That would "appear" to indicate a PC/Hardware issue rather than a WinMe
>>> problem, however, you 'should' also be able to 'see' them in the Main
>>> tab - although, if set to Auto, you may have to hit the Return key on
>>> each drive to refresh and enumerate more fully.
>>>
>>> If still no sign, check the IDE cables to the C: and D: drives have not
>>> become dislodged (at either end of the cable!!) especially the
>>> motherboard end (both drives missing sounds like a common issue) - The
>>> fact that you can 'see' both secondary drives (IDE1) also suggests a
>>> dislodged cable to primary controller (IDE0)
>>>
>>> You also said :-
>>>
>>>> .... I've been unable to get into Safe Mode at bootup, not even with
>>>> the
>>>> Me boot disk--which loads without the option available.
>>>
>>> You can't get into Safe Mode (nor WinMe at all) using the WinMe Startup
>>> floppy, however you 'should' be able to 'see' the C: and D: drives
>>> (subject to the possible issues mentioned above)
>>>
>>> At the A:\> prompt, type C: and then Return
>>> The prompt should change to C:\>
>>> If so, type dir /p at the C:\> prompt and you should see a listing of
>>> you
>>> C: disk
>>>
>>> Try the D: also, by typing D: at the A:\> or C:\> prompt and confirm the
>>> listing of your D: drive.
>>>
>>> Come back with your results/error reports and someone here should be
>>> able
>>> to continue and talk you thru' the next steps.
>>>
>>> Mart
>>>
>>>
>>> "PMetroplos" <metropat@spamfreecenturytel.net> wrote in message
>>> news:e6Kdncs5Kuzc-Z_eRVn-2A@centurytel.net...
>>>> Hi Good Folk,
>>>>
>>>> I'm unable to use my own custom-built machine, so am writing at a
>>>> relative's.
>>>>
>>>> After using my new computer for 4-months without major incident, it
>>>> booted to a black screen on the morning of July 6th. On the 7th I sent
>>>> it back to the tech who assembled it in March and naturally it booted
>>>> perfectly for him. He ran a virus scan and defragged it saying it
>>>> looked like I had a defective keyboard or mouse. I replaced the
>>>> keyboard (which had one sticky key and a heap of sawdust and sand in
>>>> it--detritus I hadn't been able to vacuum or shake out) and all went
>>>> well until July 14 when after moving some files Windows Explorer caused
>>>> a fault in "SDHelper.dll"
>>>>
>>>> I could not close that error dialog so switched the computer off,
>>>> waited
>>>> a minute, then powered up again--which got me another black screen.
>>>> Other occasional good boots resulted in the computer freezing up after
>>>> 10 or 15 minutes, each time with a different program operating--so at
>>>> the further suggestion of my tech I tried all sort of
>>>> remedies--changing
>>>> the mouse, changing the circuitbreaker to 20 amps, even blowing cool
>>>> air
>
>>>> across the processor. Each remedy allowed me one good boot after which
>>>> the ensuing boot brought me another black screen. Since my tech has
>>>> moved and comes back my way only once a month now, I left the thing
>>>> unplugged until August 7 when I powered it up to show a friend (who'd
>>>> built his own computer) what was happening to mine. Of course the
>>>> thing
>>>> instantly booted to Windows! I left it running day and night for three
>>>> and a half days--taking care of email business during that time. It
>>>> ran
>>>> without incident until the last time I invoked the resource meter
>>>> (something I'd been doing on occasion since it was down in the 50%'s)
>>>> and the computer instantly locked up solid. Of course it rebooted to a
>>>> black screen--and I've been unable to boot to Windows since last
>>>> Wednesday.
>>>>
>>>> Throughout these weeks I've been unable to get into Safe Mode at
>>>> bootup,
>>>> not even with the Me boot disk--which loads without the option
>>>> available. So yesterday, in desperation and ennui from waiting for
>>>> help,
>>>> I powered the thing up and peered into the BIOS to see if there was
>>>> anything there that looked strange. On the Advanced tab, IDE
>>>> Configuration sub-screen, I found that the auto detect function was not
>>>> seeing the primary C and D drives(!)--but was seeing both secondaries
>>>> (I
>>>> have 3 hard drives and one CD reader/writer).
>>>>
>>>> I run avast! AV and the last program I installed (July 3) is one I've
>>>> used without incident with other computers I've had running Me. Any
>>>> insight into this mess much appreciated!
>>>>
>>>> carol
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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