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OK, when you stop laughing, I could use some help. I'm reasonably tech savvy, but I had a brain fart.
Recently picked up a Dell Optiplex 760 with XP Pro SP3 on the cheap. When trying to adjust the monitor settings for my LGW2340 I inadvertently disabled the wrong display adapter.
After much googling (on another system, obviously), nada. I don't get a windows logo. Can't boot in safe. Can't get to the bios, etc.
I turn on the 'puter and the monitor and the monitor immediately goes into powersaving mode. Nothing I try delivers anything on the display. F2 to enter the Bios and nothing. The monitor simply stays in powersaving mode like it's not receiving any signal from the adaptor at all.
Any of the wise one's on here care to offer some ideas?
If you have a removable graphics card, I would take it out then put it back in. You might need to power up without it then power down and put it back in. Basically try to get the system to see a new device. If it's an integrated graphics, well that's another story.
You might be able to reset the CMOS by jumper if you look it up in the manual.
Thanks for the suggestions guys. I found a solution- using MS Narrator of all things. Took a couple tries working through it blind, but not deaf and I was able get back and enable the driver.
Thanks for the suggestions guys. I found a solution- using MS Narrator of all things. Took a couple tries working through it blind, but not deaf and I was able get back and enable the driver.
For future reference:
If you disabled the adapter in Windows (Device Manager), you should be able to boot in Safe Mode.
If you disabled it in BIOS, then reset the BIOS/CMOS settings by either using the reset jumper on the motherboard (sometimes removing the CMOS battery for 10-15 seconds works too).
Thanks TurcoLoco. For whatever reason, I wasn't able to boot in Safe Mode. Resetting the CMOS was my next move. I pulled the covers off, and didn't want to start pulling parts out unless absolutely necessary. And, from what I read, resetting the CMOS jumper wasn't a guaranteed solution. Using MS Narrator I was able to run devmgmt.msc and work my way through re-enabling the driver.
Thanks TurcoLoco. For whatever reason, I wasn't able to boot in Safe Mode. Resetting the CMOS was my next move. I pulled the covers off, and didn't want to start pulling parts out unless absolutely necessary. And, from what I read, resetting the CMOS jumper wasn't a guaranteed solution. Using MS Narrator I was able to run devmgmt.msc and work my way through re-enabling the driver.
That is a very odd and cumbersome way of doing it but hey, if it worked, great!
Here is the logic with this type of a problem and why it matters where/how you disabled it:
- A configuration problem (disabled) in BIOS then resetting the BIOS will work, it has too. If not there is a possibility that BIOS was corrupted. When you turn on the machine it goes through POST (Power On Self Test) where CMOS chip using the BIOS software checks primary components such as RAM, Video, etc. to see if all devices defined in BIOS configuration were connected and responding.
First thing you normally see on your screen would be Video ROM info. If you can't even see that much then the problem is within BIOS not Windows because until POST is completed, BIOS will not look for a bootable partition/drive that would load up an operating system.
Removing the CMOS battery may or may not reset the BIOS, it is worth a shot but using the reset jumpers on the motherboard should always do the job. The related jumper is usually 3-pin and it would typically be located close to the battery but always check the manual or the vendor's web site.
Anyhow, you resolved the issue on your own so well done!
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