Screen resolution changing to unsuported screen res during Start up - blank screen???

[rj]

hi, I'm trying to fix a problem on my girlfriends computer - XP Home
edition.

During boot up something is changing the screen resolution to an unsupported
screen resolution such that the screen goes blank. Of course I can't do any
troubleshooting because the screen is blank. Any ideas how I can fix this
without a having to reinstall the system because she only has dial up
internet and it's very hard to update her system after a system install?

1. System Restore - I started the computer in Safe Mode and tried System
Restore. However, the System says System Restore was not enabled and could
not be enabled in Safe Mode. I tried enabling System Restore by enabling it
in the registry using Regedit but this did not work and I'd get the same
message.

2. Registry screen resolution default setting. - In Safe Mode I located and
set the DefaultSetting.XResolution DefaultSetting.YResolution to a known
working resolution but when I'd restart the computer, the windows splash
screen appears and then the desktop appears for about 5 seconds in the
modified resolution but then the screen goes black. I restarted the
computer in safe mode again and the DefaultSetting.XResolution and
YResolution had been changed back to the invalid setting.

So, it appears some program, virus, whatever is starting up during the start
up process and is changing the screen resolution to an unsupported setting
causing the screen to blank and because it's blank I can't do any trouble
shooting. (they use AOL virus security which I don't know anything about
and because they have low speed internet she doesn't often update the virus
files so even if I could run the AOL virus scan software in Safe Mode, I
dont know if her virus files are up to date)
I don't want to reinstall the system from scratch. So Any ideas how I can
enable system restore in Safe Mode to reset the system to an earlier time.
OR
Any ideas how to determine what process is changing the screen resolution
during start up BEFORE it runs to cause the screen to go blank? If I knew
what program/process was starting to change the resolution, I could delete
the file in safe mode.

I suppose I could write a program to programatically change the screen
resolution and add this program to the Startup folder and hope the program
runs AFTER whatever is changing the screen resolution to an usupported
resolution.
1. Is there a way to ensure a program could be started LAST in the startup
sequence?
2. Is there a way to programatically change the screen resolution via a
batch file or something? If so what instructions would I use. Otherwise I'd
have to find and install a C or C++ compiler or something to create an
executable program.

Thanks for any advice
rj

 

[3c273]

Re: Screen resolution changing to unsuported screen res during Start up - blank screen???

Re: Screen resolution changing to unsuported screen res during Start up - blank screen???

See my earlier post for resetting your resolution "in the dark"
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...13ca64a6298?lnk=st&q=&rnum=3#e238713ca64a6298
Watch the wordwrap.
Read the entire process first, then practice in safe mode, making
adjustments to the instructions as needed. I wrote this for Windows 2000 and
I believe there is one less tab on XP.
Louis

"rj" <scabbycat1@ca.inter.net> wrote in message
news:13c6jpq86cghoec@corp.supernews.com...
> hi, I'm trying to fix a problem on my girlfriends computer - XP Home
> edition.
>
> During boot up something is changing the screen resolution to an
unsupported
> screen resolution such that the screen goes blank. Of course I can't do
any
> troubleshooting because the screen is blank. Any ideas how I can fix this
> without a having to reinstall the system because she only has dial up
> internet and it's very hard to update her system after a system install?
>
> 1. System Restore - I started the computer in Safe Mode and tried System
> Restore. However, the System says System Restore was not enabled and could
> not be enabled in Safe Mode. I tried enabling System Restore by enabling
it
> in the registry using Regedit but this did not work and I'd get the same
> message.
>
> 2. Registry screen resolution default setting. - In Safe Mode I located
and
> set the DefaultSetting.XResolution DefaultSetting.YResolution to a known
> working resolution but when I'd restart the computer, the windows splash
> screen appears and then the desktop appears for about 5 seconds in the
> modified resolution but then the screen goes black. I restarted the
> computer in safe mode again and the DefaultSetting.XResolution and
> YResolution had been changed back to the invalid setting.
>
> So, it appears some program, virus, whatever is starting up during the
start
> up process and is changing the screen resolution to an unsupported setting
> causing the screen to blank and because it's blank I can't do any trouble
> shooting. (they use AOL virus security which I don't know anything about
> and because they have low speed internet she doesn't often update the
virus
> files so even if I could run the AOL virus scan software in Safe Mode, I
> dont know if her virus files are up to date)
> I don't want to reinstall the system from scratch. So Any ideas how I can
> enable system restore in Safe Mode to reset the system to an earlier time.
> OR
> Any ideas how to determine what process is changing the screen resolution
> during start up BEFORE it runs to cause the screen to go blank? If I knew
> what program/process was starting to change the resolution, I could delete
> the file in safe mode.
>
> I suppose I could write a program to programatically change the screen
> resolution and add this program to the Startup folder and hope the program
> runs AFTER whatever is changing the screen resolution to an usupported
> resolution.
> 1. Is there a way to ensure a program could be started LAST in the startup
> sequence?
> 2. Is there a way to programatically change the screen resolution via a
> batch file or something? If so what instructions would I use. Otherwise
I'd
> have to find and install a C or C++ compiler or something to create an
> executable program.
>
> Thanks for any advice
> rj
>
>
>
>
>

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Re: Screen resolution changing to unsuported screen res during Start up - blank screen???

Re: Screen resolution changing to unsuported screen res during Start up - blank screen???

"rj" <scabbycat1@ca.inter.net> wrote in message
news:13c6jpq86cghoec@corp.supernews.com...
> hi, I'm trying to fix a problem on my girlfriends computer - XP Home
> edition.
>
> During boot up something is changing the screen resolution to an
> unsupported screen resolution such that the screen goes blank. Of course
> I can't do any troubleshooting because the screen is blank. Any ideas how
> I can fix this without a having to reinstall the system because she only
> has dial up internet and it's very hard to update her system after a
> system install?
>
> 1. System Restore - I started the computer in Safe Mode and tried System
> Restore. However, the System says System Restore was not enabled and could
> not be enabled in Safe Mode. I tried enabling System Restore by enabling
> it in the registry using Regedit but this did not work and I'd get the
> same message.
>
> 2. Registry screen resolution default setting. - In Safe Mode I located
> and set the DefaultSetting.XResolution DefaultSetting.YResolution to a
> known working resolution but when I'd restart the computer, the windows
> splash screen appears and then the desktop appears for about 5 seconds in
> the modified resolution but then the screen goes black. I restarted the
> computer in safe mode again and the DefaultSetting.XResolution and
> YResolution had been changed back to the invalid setting.
>
> So, it appears some program, virus, whatever is starting up during the
> start up process and is changing the screen resolution to an unsupported
> setting causing the screen to blank and because it's blank I can't do any
> trouble shooting. (they use AOL virus security which I don't know
> anything about and because they have low speed internet she doesn't often
> update the virus files so even if I could run the AOL virus scan software
> in Safe Mode, I dont know if her virus files are up to date)
> I don't want to reinstall the system from scratch. So Any ideas how I can
> enable system restore in Safe Mode to reset the system to an earlier time.
> OR
> Any ideas how to determine what process is changing the screen resolution
> during start up BEFORE it runs to cause the screen to go blank? If I knew
> what program/process was starting to change the resolution, I could delete
> the file in safe mode.
>
> I suppose I could write a program to programatically change the screen
> resolution and add this program to the Startup folder and hope the program
> runs AFTER whatever is changing the screen resolution to an usupported
> resolution.
> 1. Is there a way to ensure a program could be started LAST in the startup
> sequence?
> 2. Is there a way to programatically change the screen resolution via a
> batch file or something? If so what instructions would I use. Otherwise
> I'd have to find and install a C or C++ compiler or something to create an
> executable program.
>
> Thanks for any advice
> rj

You can get into Safe Mode. Have you tried the VGA mode setting? It's
very helpful in this context.

This is the same as Regular mode, but with very generic video drivers.
From there, you can set the resolution properly, or if you must, uninstall
and reinstall the video drivers, things you can't do from Safe Mode.

HTH
-pk

 

[C.Joseph Drayton, Ph.D. AS&T]

Re: Screen resolution changing to unsuported screen res during Startup - blank screen???

Re: Screen resolution changing to unsuported screen res during Startup - blank screen???

rj wrote:
> hi, I'm trying to fix a problem on my girlfriends computer - XP Home
> edition.
>
> During boot up something is changing the screen resolution to an unsupported
> screen resolution such that the screen goes blank. Of course I can't do any
> troubleshooting because the screen is blank. Any ideas how I can fix this
> without a having to reinstall the system because she only has dial up
> internet and it's very hard to update her system after a system install?
>
> 1. System Restore - I started the computer in Safe Mode and tried System
> Restore. However, the System says System Restore was not enabled and could
> not be enabled in Safe Mode. I tried enabling System Restore by enabling it
> in the registry using Regedit but this did not work and I'd get the same
> message.
>
> 2. Registry screen resolution default setting. - In Safe Mode I located and
> set the DefaultSetting.XResolution DefaultSetting.YResolution to a known
> working resolution but when I'd restart the computer, the windows splash
> screen appears and then the desktop appears for about 5 seconds in the
> modified resolution but then the screen goes black. I restarted the
> computer in safe mode again and the DefaultSetting.XResolution and
> YResolution had been changed back to the invalid setting.
>
> So, it appears some program, virus, whatever is starting up during the start
> up process and is changing the screen resolution to an unsupported setting
> causing the screen to blank and because it's blank I can't do any trouble
> shooting. (they use AOL virus security which I don't know anything about
> and because they have low speed internet she doesn't often update the virus
> files so even if I could run the AOL virus scan software in Safe Mode, I
> dont know if her virus files are up to date)
> I don't want to reinstall the system from scratch. So Any ideas how I can
> enable system restore in Safe Mode to reset the system to an earlier time.
> OR
> Any ideas how to determine what process is changing the screen resolution
> during start up BEFORE it runs to cause the screen to go blank? If I knew
> what program/process was starting to change the resolution, I could delete
> the file in safe mode.
>
> I suppose I could write a program to programatically change the screen
> resolution and add this program to the Startup folder and hope the program
> runs AFTER whatever is changing the screen resolution to an usupported
> resolution.
> 1. Is there a way to ensure a program could be started LAST in the startup
> sequence?
> 2. Is there a way to programatically change the screen resolution via a
> batch file or something? If so what instructions would I use. Otherwise I'd
> have to find and install a C or C++ compiler or something to create an
> executable program.
>
> Thanks for any advice
> rj
>
>
>
>
>
>
If the computer in question happens to be a laptop, what might have
happened is that the built in screen is no longer the default monitor.
To test this, press [FN]-[F4]. Note it may be a different function key.
You will have to press the [FN] key while pressing the function key. On
most laptops on the function key is a simple the same color as the color
on the [FN] key.


Ciao . . . C.Joseph

"A promise is nothing more than an attempt
to respond to an unreasonable demand."

http://blog.tlerma.com/

A Windows professional's view of entering the World of Linux