Blue Screen during Computer Power up - Network Facts

   Blue Screen during Computer Power up

Observations

you receive a blank screen when you power up your computer. This can happen as soon as you press the power-on button or after the P.O.S.T (Power On Self Test) completes.

Possible Causes

The followings are the two common causes to this problem:

a.     Faulty or failed hardware component

b.     Master Boot Record is corrupted

c.     Corrupted BIOS 

Resolution

a.     Faulty or failed hardware component

The blank screen occurs as soon as you power up your computer. There is also a possibility that your hard disk has failed or unrecognized by the computer. See how to recover from faulty hardware.

b.     Master Boot Record corruption 

The blank screen occurs after the P.O.S.T (Power On Self Test) completes. See how to recover from corrupted master boot record.

c.     Corrupted BIOS

This can happen when you make incorrect modifications to your BIOS. See how to recover from corrupted BIOS.

Troubleshoot Faulty Hardware

Observations

You get a blank screen when you power up your computer.

Possible Causes

You have installed a faulty PCI card or hardware. Or a hardware component has failed.

Resolution

Here are a few methods to resolve the problem.

• Check and resit the graphic card, memory and cables
• If you have recently installed a new hardware, remove it and try to restart the computer
• If you do not hear the usual sound that emits from the hard drive when you power up your computer, check to see if the power box is fused or damaged
• Ensure that you have not over-taxed the power box. This happens when you have too many peripheral devices that are unable to draw sufficient power from the power box.

Troubleshoot Master Boot Record Corruption

Observations

You power up your computer and the receive a blank screen right after P.O.S.T (Power On Self Test) completes. You may also receive the following messages:

• Missing Operating System
• Error Loading Operating System

Possible Causes

The master boot record could be corrupted. The master boot record is stored in the first sector of your hard disk. It is an important data structure that contains the code instructions to the the system on how to boot up to an operable system. In this case, when you power up your computer, the BIOS identifies the boot device and detects invalid information in the master boot record. Some viruses also like to attack this record causing the computer to malfunction during boot up. Hence, your system halts and displays a blank screen.

Resolution

You can repair the MBR using Microsoft's standard utility - fixmbr or fdisk /mbr. Both methods rewrite the master boot code and leave the partition table intact.

For Windows XP/2000 users, follow these steps:

• Boot up with Windows Installation Disc as the boot up device.
• Enter Windows Recovery Console
• At the command prompt, type in: fixmbr

For Windows 98/ME users, follow these steps:

• Boot the computer with a Windows 98 boot floppy disk
• At the command prompt, type in: fdisk /mbr

Troubleshoot BIOS Error

Observations

You receive a blank screen when you power up your computer or right after the P.O.S.T (Power On Self Test) completes. Perhaps you may also have received the blue screen error messages while working in Windows.

Possible Causes

This is usually a result of incorrect settings in the BIOS. Perhaps, you have read from the Internet that by tweaking your BIOS settings such as the FSB to increase processor clock speed, you can boost computer performance. But ouch! You realized you have over-done it and Windows now refuses to start up.

Resolution

Depending on situations, it could be a fairly easy problem to solve. Some times you only need to revert the changes that you have made. If you can't remember the values you have tweaked, it's recommended to reset all settings to default value.

To do this, follow these steps:

• Restart the computer
• Hit DEL or any key that prompts to enter the BIOS
• In the BIOS menu, select the option to either
• Restore Previous Settings or Reset All Settings to Default
• Save changes and exit the BIOS
• Restart the computer

Further Recommendations

In certain cases when you receive a completely blank screen when you power up your computer, and therefore do not have the option to enter the BIOS, you may have to do so by manually resetting a jumper on the motherboard to revert the BIOS values to default. Jumpers are generally small plastic plugs that contain a metal bridge to join two or more connecting points on a printed circuit board. Before you start, ensure that you have your hardware manual ready with you. Alternatively, you can always search for instructions on your manufacturer's website. Lastly, be sure to observe all safety precautions!