Hp Pavilion dv9000---dead screen

Discussion in 'Computer Science & Culture' started by sculptor, Aug 31, 2014.

  1. sculptor Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    8,466
    I've an Hp Pavilion dv9000 running vista .
    A software problem causes the main monitor(the one attached to the laptop) to go blank and black.
    Sometimes when I clean disk and defrag, the monitor goes live again, sometimes not.
    Sometimes when "shockwave"(?) crashes the monitor goes live again, sometimes not.

    (I'm using a plug in monitor as "my main monitor"---so i can keep using the machine, until i fix it or pitch it)

    Anyone got a likely solution?
    Common problem?

    Would the problem be confined operating programs "C" ignoring the other partitions?
    Is the problem most likely part of web based programs?

    confusedly yours,
    rod
     
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  3. leopold Valued Senior Member

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    the only things i can think of is the monitor itself is defective or you have the incorrect drivers installed for it.
    the OEM install disc should have the drivers
     
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  5. Kittamaru Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Adieu, Sciforums. Valued Senior Member

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    sculptor - one thing I can think of is that the display resolution MIGHT be outside the range the attached monitor can handle - when certain events happen, it causes the driver to "failsafe", reverting to a resolution it can display - such as when Shockwave crashes (if it should take the driver down with it)
     
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  7. sculptor Valued Senior Member

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    I watched a YouTube video wherein a guy claimed/showed how he cured the problem by continually hitting control alt delete while turning the machine on
    until the hp logo appeared
    seemed crazy
    Because the monitor would work sometimes and sometimes not, I assumed that it was a software glitch
    what i know about software would fit in a snuff box already full of snuff

    so I tried the ctrl alt delete while powering on
    wow
    it worked
    it booted offering me the option of start normal

    ok
    seems crazy
    now the question
    why did it work?

    (still working-next time it goes black, I'll repeat the procedure see if it replicates the outcome)
    (and I still won't know why it works)?
    ?
     
  8. Kittamaru Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Adieu, Sciforums. Valued Senior Member

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    13,938
    Sounds like a driver error of some sort
     
  9. youreyes amorphous ocean Valued Senior Member

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    for love of God, why are you running Vista? Please use Xp or Win7
     
  10. Stryder Keeper of "good" ideas. Valued Senior Member

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    13,105
    CTRL + ALT + DEL is a windows operating system hotkey, the BIOS and BOOTUP will not likely respond to it since it will not be configured to have hotkeys that conflict with Windows.

    The usual method to get into a bootup option on an old windows system is either pressing F8 during bootup or holding the CTRL key down. (Holding it down doesn't cause a keyboard related error from a key being pressed during bootup and it acts like pressing F8)

    In older versions of windows (XP and lower) there was the capacity to create hardware profiles, in Vista that changed instead the system would produce the profile on it's own. The profiles relate to things like if drives were docked, if a computer was running on a battery supply or if you have an external monitor etc. Vista then selects the profile it thinks should be used. When you do a normal boot-up you're forcing it to use the default profile.

    If it happens again note if you are on battery or using a power cable, or if the monitor was plugged in during bootup or attached after bootup.
     
  11. Stryder Keeper of "good" ideas. Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    13,105
    XP is obsolete and no longer supported by Microsoft and Windows 7 would likely be a strain on that particular laptop model due to the limited RAM (and incidentally is ear marked for support ending in 2015). Unfortunately Vista is also obsolete, however it's an OS that works on that laptop (Although there are possibly linux flavours that could also run on such a system)
     
  12. sculptor Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    8,466
    Ok
    the screen went black again last night-----bear in mind that I am currently using an old independent plug in monitor which has never had this problem---(does this narrow down the possible causal factors?).
    So, I repeated the banging on ctrl alt delete while powering up, and again, the screen started working again.

    Further on-line investigation is leading me to believe that this is a problem peculiar to vista and some on-line content, as those with other computer brands running vista are reporting the same issue.

    The next time the screen goes to black, I'll try the F8 and/or hold down ctrl while booting up.
    royal pain in the ass having to reboot every time i want to make use of the attached monitor--(i sincerely hope to find the offending software and ban it to hell.)

    Thanks for the suggestions
    keep 'em coming
    sincerely,
    rod
     
  13. Stryder Keeper of "good" ideas. Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    13,105
    The boot process is going to have a number of stages, for instance there is a hardware "Function" that can be called using key presses that will attempt to switch the monitor between primary, external or both.
    It requires pressing the FN and F4 key together (You can hold the FN first before pressing the F4 key)

    What could be happening is if your CMOS internal battery is old it might be getting flat, which means it's starting to lose it's charge. This will cause your BIOS to set to default and any settings might be lost. Vista then loads a different hardware profile due to that being slightly different from the modified profile that you are use to when you use your monitor. So it might be worth replacing the battery if it persists.

    I would of suggested looking at your BIOS settings since some laptops usually have way to alter if you want to use the primary or external display by default. (If you've got the battery problem then this is the one that's getting skewed)

    This is where the fault would exist since I'm guessing you don't see the HP boot screen at all when it's blank and that it doesn't just turn blank after the HP screen has loaded (that would be a different fault all together)
     

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