Blank Computer Screen?

 

If you are not confident with electrical equipment ALWAYS consult a qualified technician before attempting to repair a PC.

Cables

Check and make sure all cables are not loose and are firmly attached to the computer and to all external devices.

If The PC Is New

If your machine is brand new and had this problem out of the box then return it to the shop.

Check Inside

Turn off the PC

Remove the case cover from the computer. Make sure all cables (hard drive, power cables, other disk cables) inside the computer are firmly attached. Press down on all ISA and PCI cards and make sure they are firmly seated.

Reboot your computer. If your monitor is still blank on boot then remove all PCI and ISA cards. Re-install the video card (if this is not onboard by default) and disconnect the hard drive cable. Plug in the keyboard, monitor cable, and power cable. Restart your computer. If this worked you should now have a DOS screen on your monitor, attach your hard drive cable and reboot.

BIOS Check

Make sure the hard drive is correctly set up in the BIOS. Press the Delete key during the POST memory check to enter the BIOS. If your hard drive doesn't work, you have incorrectly attached the drive ribbon cable or power cable.

Re-instate Cards

Add your other PCI and ISA cards back into the computer one at a time. Reboot after each card is installed to make sure the new card isn't causing a problem.

If that didn't work then also check the following:

A. Closely examine your motherboard and make sure it is not making contact with the computer case, which will short it. (To determine this I remove the pins connecting the motherboard to the chassis and place it on cardboard and then power the computer on)

B. Your video card, cable or monitor may be malfunctioning. Borrow a video card, cable and monitor and retry.

C. Remove and reinstall your RAM. If your computer cannot find system memory it will not POST.

If your computer still will not boot into a DOS screen, seek expert advice.