# Windows XP black screen after Bios POST, but before Windows logo.



## Xyele (Aug 2, 2009)

Not quite sure if it's hardware related or software related really, but I have noticed that every now and then if I install a new program, etc that requires my machine to restart that it will load up, give the normal short bios beep, then go thru the DMI part afterward and right before the point where it would be loading Windows the machine will not do anything.

Sometimes it takes one time pushing the reset button, others it takes two or three, and rarely I have to turn the machine off totally and then turn it back on.

The monitor power light stays on and doesn't go orange, which leads me to think its still getting a signal from the GPU which I know is good because I had it is my last machine before I built this one and it worked perfectly.

I have mainly noticed that it happens if there is an CD or DVD in my SATA dvd drive when it restarts, so I have come across that problem once or twice when trying to reinstall Windows as well. Which, I tried that after running out of other ideas, already tested my ram with MemTest and it passed after letting it run for about 8 hours.

I have also run the tools from WD to check my HD, and it has passed all the tests.

So I am wondering if maybe its just from the machine trying to load the dvd drive sometimes, or if there is something else going on that I have missed.

I did notice the black screen a few times when there was nothing in the dvd drive as well, after doing windows updates and restarting the machine it black screened once or twice as well before the point where the windows logo should have been.

If anyone has any recommendations I would appreciate it, at this point Im starting to think maybe sometimes the machine is just trying to load the dvd drive as main, and others I'm wondering if its just random flukes since restarting the machine usually works, or rebooting after taking a disc out of the drive if there is one in there.


System:

GA-MA770T-UD3P (using on-board audio and on-board Ethernet)
AMD Phenom II x4 955 (Stock)
Diablotek 650W PSU
2x2G G.Skill RAM 1600MHz (running @ 1600MHz)
Antec Sonata II case
PNY 8600GT 512MB (Factory OC) GPU
WD800JD SATA HD
Windows XP Service Pack 3
HP 1270d DVD drive SATA


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## djaburg (May 15, 2008)

Well if I were trying to test for issues, I'd put in a standard IDE optical drive and see if it does that. If that resolves it, then it would appear to that's it's likely failing during the POST. Perhaps there's a firmware update for the motherboard or the optical drive that could rectify it.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

power supply

brand
model
wattage

does it boot ok in safe mode


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## Xyele (Aug 2, 2009)

Power supply is a Diablotek PHD650 650Watts, which seems to be working fine. The machine boots into safe mode just fine. Boots ok into windows normally ok too, unless there is a cd in the dvd drive, and only once or twice have i seen it go black screen after posting and that was after reinstalling windows, where the cd was still in the drive. 

Also after installing the drivers for the motherboard the screen went black after posting, the cd was in the drive. I think it has only once went to black screen after post after updating windows with nothing in the dvd drive. Did not start seeing the black screen after posting until I replaced my IDE optical drive with my new sata dvd drive (HP 1270i, which is recognized in device manager as a 1270d, so I think its a lite-on clone, so no idea how to get firmware for it to see if that's the issue.)

Last night i rebooted the machine several times with no problems, then I tried putting a disc in the dvd drive and rebooting, black screen after posting, it will however run fine if i load the windows disc in and load from cd as well, so far I have noticed it only black screening after post if there is a disc of any kind in there, unless you are booting from the cd for like the windows setup, etc.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

what does the bios list for the 12v line voltage


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## Xyele (Aug 2, 2009)

Was showing as 12.175 on the 12v in the bios.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

can you post a photo of the psu label or post what it has on it

looking at it's specs,the screenshot they post with them of the label does not show it as a 650w


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## Xyele (Aug 2, 2009)

Here are the specs off the PSU

+5V 32A, +3.3V 24A = 190W / +12V 38A = 456W/ Max Combined = 630W

12V 0.6A = 7.2W, +5VSB 2.5A = 12.5W/ Max Combined = 20W

Total Combined 650W

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817822004 is the link to where I purchased it, they have the correct screenshot of what is on the PSU itself if that helps better than what I posted.


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## deleted010511 (Apr 29, 2009)

Change the Boot order to have the HDD start first. You will have to change back the CD drive if you want to boot off of it.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

can you check the cd drive in another computer to eliminate it as the cause


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## Xyele (Aug 2, 2009)

Connected the SATA drive to my old machine today, and it would not get past the bios post screen at all, no black screen before the windows screen like my main machine does, it would list the HD and the SATA drive, then freeze, If i disconnected the SATA it would boot up as normal.

Just to double check to see if the SATA cable was good, I connected a sata HD that I have lying around, machine posted and booted fine.

Seems that the SATA dvd drive may be defective since on my old machine it wont get past the post screen with it connected, and then this machine somehow posts and gets to the DMI screen and then goes black before the point that you would see the windows logo.

That is at least the conclusion I come to myself after checking the drive in another machine and it not even getting past the bios post screen.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

rma the drive


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## Xyele (Aug 2, 2009)

Unfortunately it looks like it was not just the dvd drive causing the problem, it has started doing it again almost constantly black screening before the windows logo again. 

I tried disconnecting my extra fans just to see if maybe for some weird reason that may have been causing it. But it continued to do the same thing, I'm not having to restart the machine 2-5 time to get it to boot into windows, it will go through the post screen in the bios, and then to the DMI info, but after that it black screens before loading windows once again.

I tested my HD with the tools from WD, but maybe the windows install is corrupt? Or maybe the HD could be going bad, I also tried using a new SATA cable to see if that would fix it, but no luck there either.

I've gone through the event viewer in XP and I see no errors relating to any hardware, etc. 

I'm out of ideas at this point, all I can narrow it down to is maybe a bad windows install from the pervious DVD drive being bad, possibly the GPU, or the PSU is going bad after all, or the motherboard is going bad, unless teh CPU could possibly be going bad.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated, this problem just has me baffled.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

see if you can borrow a 80+ quality 550w or better psu to try in it


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## Xyele (Aug 2, 2009)

unfortunately I'm not able to borrow one, but I have considered buying a new psu, because I want to add a GTX275 sometime soon to replace my 8600GT, and I'm not sure that this PSU has enough amps on the 12V rail for it anyway (38A).

I wouldn't be surprised if it was the PSU though, because the machine ran fine for the first 30 days after I put it together, and the fact that it does manage to boot up at times and at other times it just stops after the DMI screen, weird thing is that the monitor still stays powered up, doesnt go into standby light stays white on the monitor instead of going orange and into standby mode, which I guess could still be the PSU, so it may be worth just going ahead and replacing it, because I figured if it was the CPU or GPU or motherboard at this point It would have been a problem sooner than now.
That and I checked my bios earlier today and my 12V was reading 12.348 at one point, it has since then dropped back down though, I'm thinking it may have been adding a new fan for cooling that may have cause the spike.

I have been considering this PSU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005 since I can get it here locally as well and return it if need be.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

i would prefer to see this with your planned card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...er+Supplies-_-Corsair+Memory++Inc.-_-17139009


a fan draws little to nothing powerwise


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