Solved No display after a minute, works in safe mode.

[ownedandout]

Hello,

Earlier today I set a some videos to convert and I when I returned the computer was off and the front LED's were flashing. I restarted the computer and there was a loud whirring noise from the graphics card as if it had overheating. After the restart the computer lasted around a minute before the display went off, the fans and LED's were still on but there was no video output. I restarted a number of times but the same thing happened.

I then tried putting another graphics card in the computer but the same thing happened. I then booted the computer in Safe mode and everything works fine. This then lead me to think that this was a software issue rather than a hardware issue.

I then put the hard drive in another computer and everything has been working fine so it must be a hardware issue? The video seems to cut off after the same amount of time each boot, is there some driver/service that is causing something to fail?

I am a bit unsure what to do next?

Any help would be appreciated,

Thanks.

 

[archer]

Hi,

Do check for GPU temps. Clean out any dust from it. For checking the temps, you can use MSI Afterburner.

Download the latest drivers for the card from AMD webiste. Remove the old drivers. Reboot in safe mode and run Driver sweeper (you have to download this before you uninstall the drivers). This small utility will remove leftovers of the old driver. Reboot to normal mode and then install the latest driver. Reboot again and check.

Keep us posted.

 

[ownedandout]

Thanks for the reply archer.

I have done what you suggested and still no luck, updated from 13.9 to 13.12 and still cutting out. I have timed it and it happens after around 1 minute 20 seconds from logging in.

I have put another hard drive in the computer and it's working fine so it must be a software issue.

I'm going to create a new partition and install a fresh copy of Win 7 and see if that works, if so I may just format the drive and start again.

Thanks for the help.

 

[matts6887]

sounds to me like there is some sort of issue going on with the graphics card driver(s). But since you said you already tried updating the drivers for it and you still have the same issue; there is probably a issue within some of the windows files. So yes installing fresh should hopefully solve the issue. If it doesnt after reinstalling windows; then you probably have a hardware issue in which case you may need to try a different card.

 

[ownedandout]

Thanks matts6887,

So I decided to format the drive and re-install Windows, the problem is that as soon as it gets to the 'Expanding Windows Files' the same thing happens. I then put another hard drive in the system and the same thing happened when I tried to install Windows on that.

Is there any good free diagnostic software that I can put on a CD and run to help isolate the fault?

Thanks.

 

[BugMeister]

it may work in safe mode because the load it has to bear is lower
than when it's running in normal mode - it only takes a slight rise in heat
to open up a faulty or cracked solder line on the card's mobo..


(?) could it be that some solder lines need repairing:




a friend baked one of my 6870's back to life..
not something I'd have done alone - hate using that thermal paste stuff..
- but having watched him do it, it's really not that difficult

..and it worked..!!


PS - obviously if the card is still in warranty - RMA it for a replacement..!!

 

[ownedandout]

Thanks for the help everyone. I pretty much narrowed it down to the motherboard. Since then I have bought a new MB and CPU and everything is working fine.

Needed an upgrade anyway so can't complain.

Thanks again, much appreciated.