Windows 7: Black Screen BEFORE Post Screen on Restart

Just purchased 2 new (refurb) PC's for my wife and I. It's all I could find with Windows 7 still available.
They are both HP Pavilion p7-1233w 64 bit Desktops running Win 7 Home Premium SP1.

During Windows setup of PC #1, it asked for a restart. When the PC powered back up, it had a black screen from the start (before the Post screen). I power cycled it several times with no luck. Even switched monitors and video cables. The next morning it started normally with perfect video. I assumed the Refurb PC had a problem and set it aside for return.

Been setting up PC #2 for a few days now with lots of restarts. All was well, until I did a restart just now. There was the identical problem. Power cycled the unit twice, and still had the black screen.



Then I unplugged the PC, and pressed the power button to discharge the capacitors (fans ran for a few seconds). When I returned power and started the PC again, it functioned normally. I've done 10 quick restarts since to try and replicate the problem, but it only happened that once.

I love these PC's, and I love Win 7, so I hate to give them up. But I don't want the video freezing up on me every time I do a restart. I assume now, that PC #1 is not necessarily defective.

Since this is occurring before the post screen, I wasn't sure if it could be windows related.

Has anyone run across this? If so, and suggested solution?

Thanks very much... (sorry for the long post)

That does sound quite strange that they both do it
The answer to your question is no, windows has nothing to do with post, power on self test as the name suggests is controlled by the bios and is the motherboard checking hardware etc when the post is complete the bios will start the boot sequence as set in the bios ie 1st boot device then 2nd device then 3rd if necessary until an OS or bootable device is found, I can think of no reason for a machine to not post other than the wrong display output being selected if the machine has more than one ie on board gfx and gfx card installed or multiple display ports present or finally an overheated gfx card that has shut itself of until cooled but having said that if it works it works so I would see how it goes

You can check bios settings for gfx outputs and I would monitor temps as well don't really know what else to suggest

Try Recovey BIOS OR Check Motherboard

Thanks Pauly. The graphics is integrated. I also tried both the DVI and VGA outputs during black screen. Since it only happens during a restart, I would assume it's not heat related. Of course I don't really know. The thing that worries me the most is that it happened on both PC's. Makes me wonder if this is the reason they were returned to HP and sold to me as Refurbs. Lab testing would probably not bring up this problem. It is quite intermittent. I sat in front of PC #2 yesterday and just hit restart about 50 times trying to get it to hang up, but it's working perfectly right now. Thanks so much for the detailed response...

Repairing Comp: Can you elaborate a bit on your suggestions? Thanks

I just looked at the Event Viewer, Administrative Events. Over the past 5 days (since I started Windows setup), there are about 200 warnings and 24 Errors. I viewed the details of each, but they're above my pay grade

Most of the "errors" occurred in the 1st 2 days of operation. I believe this was before I got the black screen. I already have 2 warnings immediately after I turned on the PC this morning (DNS Client Events). Something to do with an email address I've never seen before.

Since I have never looked at an Event Viewer before, I have no basis for comparison. Is this number of errors and warnings normal? I would think not ???

Thank you all.


PS: Just looked at the Event Viewer on my 1 year old HP Desktop purchased new and operating flawlessly. It is loaded with errors and warnings. So maybe I shouldn't be too concerned about the Event Log in the Refurb ???

I wouldn't be to concerned about event viewer, critical errors are the only important ones IMO and you have none of them

That's good to hear. Just remembered a diagnostic tool that HP provides with their PCs. A bootable CD that (supposedly) tests ALL the systems in the PC. Still running it now. Almost finished and no errors.