HP DV 1120us has a black screen at start up

larbec

Member
I am trying to help my mother in law by looking at her lap top. It is an HP DV 1120us. When you turn it on you can see the lights come on and fans turn but the screen is completely BLACK. It does not go to blue screen or even try to light, flicker or anything.

What can I check to see if its the screen (monitor) or what could be wrong with it?

Thank you
 

My Computer

Welcome
Test your monitor
Monitor Test - How to Troubleshoot a Computer Monitor That Won't Display Anything On Screen
If it cannot be repaired, think about a new monitor or new computer if a lappy.
If not the computer try this.

If you create a recovery DVD, you may be able to boot to recovery options
Create Recovery DVD

The Vista recovery disk is used to boot Vista when it won't boot - to run Startup Repair, System Restore, access a Command Line, Recover using a Vista Backup Image, etc.
System Recovery Options

If Vista will not start now, boot the Recovery CD to run Startup Repair which automates System Restore as well as numerous other tests including System File Checker which can repair system files which are not corrupted beyond repair.

If Vista still will not start, try booting into Safe Mode to run sfc /scannow to repair System files.
Special Thanks Given to Seven Forums.



Below is a bulletin distributed by MS to explain the start up procedure when Windows will not boot.
  • Startup Repair. Startup Repair is a Windows recovery tool that can fix certain problems, such as missing or damaged system files, that might prevent Windows from starting. Startup Repair is located on the System Recovery Options menu, which is on the Windows Vista installation disc. If your computer has preinstalled recovery options, it might also be stored on your computer's hard disk. For more information, see Startup Repair: frequently asked questions and What are the system recovery options in Windows Vista? If your computer does not include Startup Repair, your computer manufacturer might have customized or replaced the tool. Check the information that came with your computer or go to the manufacturer's website.
  • Change restart settings in safe mode. If your computer is stuck in a loop where Windows fails, attempts to restart, and then fails again repeatedly, restart your computer in safe mode and select the Disable automatic restart on system failure checkbox. For more information, see Advanced startup options (including safe mode).
  • Reinstall. If no other options have solved the problem, and you are sure that your computer's hardware is functioning normally, you might need to reinstall Windows. A custom (clean) installation of Windows will permanently delete all of the files on your computer and reinstall Windows, so only use this option if all other recovery options have been unsuccessful. After the installation, you will need to reinstall your programs and restore your files from backup copies. For more information, see Installing and reinstalling Windows**.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
Hi,

What might have happened is the external monitor may have been activated & switched off the internal & therefore: -

Boot up the laptop & press Fn F4 & wait 30 sec. If that fails press Fn F4 again hopefully this will re-active the internal screen.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP-Pavilion m9280.uk-a
    CPU
    2.30 gigahertz AMD Phenom 9600 Quad-Core
    Motherboard
    ASUSTek Computer INC. NARRA3 3.02
    Memory
    3582 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory (4 Gig)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS NVIDIA Geforce GTS450
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition 7.1 Audio (HP drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2408 24.0" (Dual monitor)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1200, 1920 * 1200
    Hard Drives
    3*500 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
    Plus 2x USB (160Gig each) external HDD
    BluRay & DVD Weiters
    HL-DT-ST BD-RE GGW-H20L SCSI CdRom (Bluray RW) Device
    AlViDrv BDDVDROM SCSI CdRom (Blueray) Device
    TSSTcorp CDDVDW TS-H653N SCSI CdRom
    Internet Speed
    40 Meg
This is a lap top so its not like I can just try another monitor? The screen will not come up. When I boot up it is black...

Did you try Lottie's suggestion to make certain it isn't somehow configured to use an external monitor instead of the internal monitor? Try that first as it is easy and quick and will rule that out as a cause.

Did you make the Recovery Disk Richard recommended (on a different computer)? Can you boot to the CD or does it go directly to the hard drive? If you can't boot to the CD we need to change the BIOS so the boot sequence puts the CD first. To do that, wait for the screen that tells you the F key to push to access the boot menu or boot setup. Push it quickly. Make the changes, save your work, and exit. Put the CD in the drive and reboot. When prompted, push any key to boot from the CD. (or is the screen black from the very start and you never see anything at all during the boot?) If that's the case try booting and then repeatedly pushing F2. If that doesn't work, try F10, then F11, then F12, then ESC (those are the most common). Reboot between attempts as we won't be sure if we're on a screen or not if we can't see anything. The thing is, I'm not quite sure you'll even know if you are in BIOS unless the process makes the screen work. If you can see BIOS, then that's a great sign and you can make the boot sequence changes.

If you are able to boot to the CD, do you see anything or is the screen still entirely black? Since you have to press a key when prompted to boot to the CD, if the screen is black you won't see that prompt, so a few seconds after you boot, just start hitting the "K" key every 3-4 seconds (but no more than 4 seconds or you'll miss the chance) as that should not interfere with the boot and should cause the system to boot to the CD eventually if it is programmed to boot to the CD first. You'll have a hint this is about to occur if you hear the CD Drive spinup - that means it's being recognized as a bootable disk and should cause the message to press any key to boot to the CD very shortly after that (even if you can't see the message). If you can see things, then follow the instructions Richard provided above. If it is still entirely black, then the best bet would be to find another monitor to attach as an external monitor and see if you can get it to work so you can follow the instructions Richard provided above. If you can't get an external monitor to work - since Lottie provided a keyboard command to switch from an external monitor to the internal monitor, it is likely that command or one similar to it will reverse the process so you can use the external monitor - post if you get to this point and can't find the command and we'll research it and find it for you (or don't have a way to connect it or don't have access to one), then I'm afraid your best option is to take the laptop to a reputable computer repair shop for service (or return it to the manufacturer for service). Without a way to see what we 're doing, there's no way we can assist you with the problem since even if we do get to the right screens, we have no idea where to click or how to select options to do anything = in a way, it would be worse than being blind.

I hope this helps. I realize there aren't a lot of options, but those are pretty much the only ones available.

Good luck!

 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inc. MP061 Inspiron E1705
    CPU
    2.00 gigahertz Intel Core 2 Duo 64 kilobyte primary memory
    Motherboard
    Board: Dell Inc. 0YD479 Bus Clock: 166 megahertz
    Memory
    2046 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM) [Di
    Sound Card
    SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (17.2"vis)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200 pixels
    Hard Drives
    Hitachi HTS541616J9SA00 [Hard drive] (160.04 GB) -- drive 0, s/n SB2411SJGLLRMB, rev SB4OC74P, SMART Status: Healthy
    Case
    Chassis Serial Number: 5YK95C1
    Keyboard
    Standard PS/2 Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech HID-compliant Cordless Mouse
    Internet Speed
    1958 Kbps download ; 754.8 Kbps upload
    Other Info
    Optiarc DVD+-RW AD-5540A ATA Device [CD-ROM drive]

    Dell AIO Printer A940

    Conexant HDA D110 MDC V.92 Modem

    6TO4 Adapter
    Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller
    Broadcom 802.11n Network Adapter
    Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
    Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface

    Router Linksys / WRT54G -01
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