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finickyfinding
4 Posts
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March 13th, 2022 06:00
XPS 8950, blank screen when booting safe mode
I was trying to diagnose a Windows Update issue and used msconfig.exe to enable booting in to Safe Mode. However, after rebooting I was met with the Dell BIOS logo and nothing else. It took me a while to realise that on every attempt to reboot I could hear the Windows 11 "chime" which occurs when the lock screen appears and if I entered my logon Pin then, Win + X, U, U the machine would shutdown. At this point I thought that maybe the default video drivers in safe mode wouldn't work with the RTX 3060 Ti I have installed so tried plugging in the onboard graphics. However, that didn't produce any signal at all on boot up and I also checked the BIOS settings for any signs of "enable onboard graphics" but found nothing.
In the end I had to blindly enter commands (Win + R, msconfig.exe, Enter, Ctrl + Tab, Alt + F, Alt + A, Alt + Y, Win + X, U, R !!!) in order to turn safe mode off and get back to normal.
For now I'm steering clear of wanting to use safe mode at all but thought I'd pose this issue here to see if anyone has any clue why the 3060 and onboard graphics don't work.
Cheers,
Phil
finickyfinding
4 Posts
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Posted March 14th, 2022 12:00
@Mary G is this true if I wanted to boot in to safe mode? I've solved my original Windows update issue now by performing an in-place Windows 11 upgrade but I had, at one point, plugged in to the onboard graphics and the video was working but it hadn't worked in safe mode.
I've noticed some as raised this issue in another thread : https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-Desktops/XPS-8950-onboard-Intel-UHD-Graphics-is-disabled/m-p/8164902#M69969 so I'll close mine in favour of that one but I'll wait to confirm your answer as the accepted solution to know if that's only required for safe mode.
@finickyfinding wrote:
booting in to Safe Mode.
1. At this point I thought that maybe the default video drivers in safe mode wouldn't work with the RTX 3060 Ti I have installed
2. so tried plugging in the onboard graphics. However, that didn't produce any signal at all on boot up and I also checked the BIOS settings for any signs of "enable onboard graphics" but found nothing.
1. Right. A very basic video-driver is usually loaded for Safe-Mode. This should be the same in Windows-11, but can't say I've ever tried this combo yet (Windows-11/Safe-Mode/Nvidia RTX-30x0 ).
But I have seen something like this over the years. It was because the monitor was connected via HDMI, instead of a more "computer centric" video-port like DVI or DP. It apparently has something to do with low-level "supported video modes" .
2. It's usually there somewhere, but options might change depending on type and quality of video cards connected to chipset and the time you look. If it's hidden (but set to Auto) you might get some confusing results.
Normally, when you have a dedicated video-card installed, you only use it's video-ports. The on-board "video card" is left enabled, but is normally only used as a co-processor for light GPU duties.
Dell Rockstar
Microsoft Windows and Apple iOS Developer (Retired)
- Like many of you, I can appreciate a good game-engine.
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- Consider giving posts you like a "thumbs-up"
- Posting models-numbers and software versions speeds trouble-shooting.
- Click "Mark as Accepted Answer" on any post that answers your question best.On my XPS 8950 the RTX3060Ti will not show video when booting to safe mode either. It will also not show graphics if it boots to safe mode and then I try to switch to the on-board graphics. I have to be using the integrated graphics when it is booting into safe mode. Mine lets me switch to the integrated graphics while windows is running and then I do the reboot.
Mary G
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20095 Posts
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Posted March 13th, 2022 09:00
You must physically remove the discrete video card from the motherboard to get integrated video to work.