2005FPW - Cant see white text on boot.

Just to add - my specs are as follows:

Motherboard: DFi LanParty UT nF4 SLI-D
Processor: AMD 64 3700+
Graphics Card 1: nVidia 6800-Ultra
Graphics Card 2: nViida 6800-Ultra
PSU: 550w Tagen
Sound Card: Sound Blaster Audigy 2ZS 

Thanks all.

(several dead pixels, but what can you do?)  I would have sent it back.

I assume dell sent you one of the new ubeaut 2407 s. These are supposed to work ok on d-sub (what an upgrade;))

I have never heard of this problem booting & I have been using computers from dos 3.1 onwards. Maybe try booting from a floppy? The booting sequence is really only useing the graphics card as a bog standard card until windows loads the drivers - it's running in dos until then. Worked ok before this monitor? I don't know how the monitor could be the culprit though... Bios chip, memory. etc must be ok or you would not get very far. Maybe also try booting from the windows cd. You could try on booting pressing del key to get into bios if you can see the bios is another thing. Otherwise, its got me stumped:(

 

I've read other reports of this problem. I think it happens with monitors that can accept analog and DVI input - they sometimes don't properly detect the signal at bootup. Don't know whether a graphics driver upgrade could fix it. I'm not into overclocking, but I thought motherboards had Windows utilities that you can use now.

gpro

Possibly you did not read my post properly - specific graphics drivers are NOT loaded until the OS.

You are maybe onto something with your mentioning dvi & d-sub linked up at the same time. This has never worried my viewsonics & 244t. If this fixes it for him, great.

Why I suggested a boot disk is that a real dos type way of booting MAY cause things to go ok so he MAY be able to access BIOS. I would use a boot disk that boots into C:/ though & then use ctrl-alt-del a few times if it fails.

cheers

Message Edited by KevinR100 on 08-12-200612:24 AM

of course...  brain not working well today.

Just read another post suggesting it is a problem displaying the EGA text mode used at bootup

Thanks for the replies guys.

I didnt think they had a 0-dead pixel policy? Else I would have - the 1st monitor was perfect (until it's random demise).

Both monitors have displayed the BIOS and the boot (white text) data in the past - this is something new that has just "happened". No matter what, I can't VIEW the BIOS (I know that it's in the bios though as there is very little activity after that - I have also tested this on a standard CRT (since the issue started) and it displays all data perfectly - both BIOS and POST).

If it is an issue with it not knowing where the input is coming from, is there a way of getting round this? You cant access the monitor menu until fully into Windows either, says it's in Power Save mode?

Thanks guys.

My brain must not be working either. You are talking about a 20" not a 24".

If your crt works perfectly it seems like a monitor signal issue as gpro stated. Personally never heard of this though. I am not sure but I think gpro was refering to people with d-sub & dvi connected at the same time (should not really be a problem as some people have all inputs rigged up without problems - as should be the case).

I know from reading this forum that the 2407 is much better on analog then on digital (stupid) so running this may be the answer (crt s are d-sub). I think you stated that your vidio card has 2 dvi outputs only so to do this you would need a dvi to d-sub adapter. You may have this since you tried it on a crt.

Otherwise, try dell support.

About the dead pixels, I meant within the 14 days period which should apply even on a replacement monitor.

cheers.

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@KevinR100 wrote:
I think gpro was refering to people with d-sub & dvi connected at the same time

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no, that wasn't my understanding from what I read. Actually it's been reported that this solves the problem. POST is displayed over VGA, then the monitor switches to DVI.

Here's some background:
From a Viewsonic White Paper:
To facilitate the implementation of automated sensing and startup capabilities, all DVI-compliant monitors are required to support an industry standard low pixel format (i.e., 640 x480 pixels, 60 Hz refresh rate, pixel clock of 25.175 MHz, and a horizontal frequency of 31.5kHz). During system startup, the host BIOS and operating system automatically accesses a display’s EDID data structure for information regarding monitor type and capabilities,including pixel formats and interfaces supported.

This is from an old Dell DVI Technology Brief:
As DVI-enabled flat-panel displays with both digital and analog interfaces proliferate, PCs will need a way to identify at bootup which interface is being used in order to correctly initialize the display. There is no standard way to do this today.

Currently, PCs use the VESA EDID standard to initialize the display. Under this standard, the display transmits a single EDID file to the PC. The file contains display characteristics such as identification, interface type (either DVI or VGA), timing, capabilities, color parameters, and so forth. The PC uses this information to initialize the display on the VGA or the DVI-D interface.

But new dual-interface displays may be attached to either the VGA or the DVI-D interface on the PC. So, how will PCs handle this situation? The methods will vary until an industry standard is established to address the issue.

Meanwhile, Dell has filed a patent application disclosing a method for solving the problem. One example of the method involves specifying two EDID files, one containing the VGA characteristics of the display and the other, the DVI characteristics. The patent application also describes how the appropriate EDID file is selected and transmitted to the PC. Using this method, the PC initializes the display using the correct EDID file. This solution is currently implemented on Dell systems equipped with a dual-interface graphics card and a dual-interface flat-panel display.

A possible cause of the problem is that the graphics card is not detecting at bootup that the monitor is DVI.

TheFLC,
Check when the monitor comes out of standby - before or after the POST (the Power button should change color).
Check if a BIOS update is available for you card. It seems to have been more of a problem with ATI cards.

Message Edited by gpro on 08-13-200608:19 AM

Hi mate - literally when Windows is up and running and you can see your desktop. (You cant see the black screen with "Windows" and the loading blue bar at the bottom, like you should, just before it).

TheFLC