Display Issue With Laptop

[BaltimoreTerp]

Gateway MT6840 laptop. Windows Vista. ~3 years old. Recent battery replacement.

This is my sister's computer. Recently, both before and now after the battery was replaced, it would start to load only to stop on a blank screen with just the cursor visible. This happens in both normal and safe modes.

From doing some Internet research, it sounds like this may be a hard drive issue. Unfortunately, she doesn't like to heed the sage advice of her big brother and back up (to be fair, she is only semi-employed and just out of school, so it isn't as though she is drowning in cash), so I'm hoping against all hope that I don't have to break that news to her. Please do what you can to make sure I don't :o :pray:

[padave44]

So, when you boot up, you get the BIOS screen, then a blank screen with the cursor blinking in the upper left hand corner?

I had that exact problem - it ended up being a virus that overwrote the MBR (Master Boot Record).

If that is the issue, let me know and I will let you know how I solved it. There are utilities that you can use to:

1. Verify that the hard drive has no hardware errors
2. Verify that your directories are still on the hard drive

I ended up booting from the Windows CD, then with into the Recovery Console and issued the fixmbr command. Be careful with this - if the MBR is good, overwriting the MBR may make the PC useless.

But if she didn't do any backups, she may lose it all.

[BaltimoreTerp]

So, when you boot up, you get the BIOS screen, then a blank screen with the cursor blinking in the upper left hand corner?

I had that exact problem - it ended up being a virus that overwrote the MBR (Master Boot Record).

If that is the issue, let me know and I will let you know how I solved it. There are utilities that you can use to:

1. Verify that the hard drive has no hardware errors
2. Verify that your directories are still on the hard drive

I ended up booting from the Windows CD, then with into the Recovery Console and issued the fixmbr command. Be careful with this - if the MBR is good, overwriting the MBR may make the PC useless.

But if she didn't do any backups, she may lose it all.

Actually, I meant the mouse cursor. You can move it around and everything, just otherwise blank.

[lordbrook]

I would try booting from your windows disc and choosing repair windows. It doesn't always work, but you may get lucky with it. There is also a great utility disc called Bart PE you can boot from, and if you have an external hard drive you can back up the necessary files and then rebuild windows.

[BaltimoreTerp]

From another source I figured out that it is definitely either a Windows or HD issue, by booting a different OS from a flash drive.

I tried to repair Windows through the Recovery Console, but it wouldn't let me. So now I think I'm going to just reinstall.

I'm going to try booting up the other OS again and see if I can back things up first.

[lordbrook]

If it's a hard drive issue (it doesn't really sound like it to me) pm me. I think I have a 40gb spare lying around somewhere that may tide her over until she can afford a bigger/newer one.

[BaltimoreTerp]

If it's a hard drive issue (it doesn't really sound like it to me) pm me. I think I have a 40gb spare lying around somewhere that may tide her over until she can afford a bigger/newer one.

Thanks. She was looking around anyway before her battery issues, so if it's the hard drive she'll probably just dig deep through the couch cushions and bite the bullet :p

And I'll get on her even more than I was about backing up. Maybe find a multi-computer account for both her and my parents since they'll need it too.

Thanks for the help, guys.

[lordbrook]

Thanks. She was looking around anyway before her battery issues, so if it's the hard drive she'll probably just dig deep through the couch cushions and bite the bullet :p

And I'll get on her even more than I was about backing up. Maybe find a multi-computer account for both her and my parents since they'll need it too.

Thanks for the help, guys.

I just checked and I have a 60 gb sitting here if you want it. I got it out of an old laptop so I don't want anything for it. I've been short on funds in the past so I understand being tight, especially this time of year. Let me know.

[sbauer]

I also have a 250GB drive. I may have a 320GB drive as well. I typically take the 5400rpm drives out of my laptops and replace them with a 7200rpm drive, which is why I have so many sitting around.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the offers.

I reinstalled Windows after backing up what I could how I could, and that appears to have worked. Hopefully it was just a messed-up OS.