I have a IBM Thinkpad i am trying to fix. When booting up windows XP, just after the XP logo screen goes by, screen goes black, like it loses signal. Now i have had this problem before, but with a desktop, the problem was the monitor, simply replaced it and worked. Monitor was sent away to manufacturer and they replaced the internal power supply unit. But this is a notebook, can be same problem. Any ideas what else might be causing it ?

Maybe some help in this --- http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314... Computer stops responding with a black screen when you start Windows XP

Doesn't help me, screen goes off after windows logo not before

After it blacks out does it continue to load or does it lock up? If it continues to load, it might have been accidentally set to use an external display. Try pressing FN+F7 to cycle through the display settings (LCD, LCD & Ext Monitor, Ext Monitor) until you get to the setting you want. If it locks up, try removing any USB devices connected, check RAM (swap), or try resetting BIOS to default (F9 after you enter BIOS). If that fails, try booting from a CD. If it goes through then it's something with the drive or your install of XP.

Have you tried to get into SAFE mode? Do you have an external monitor that can be connected to test the display? Does the laptop sound like it is still booting with the display off? Various problems come to mind with the symptom you are describing. 1. Failure of the hard drive - if the drive electronics fail the BIOS can not see it as a boot device correctly, the result is an extensive delay while the system tries to find a boot device. Go to the BIOS and see if the hard drive is detected. 2. Corrupt video driver - at the point the BIOS turns video control over to the OS a failed driver will cause the screen failure as one symptom. During boot once the logo is displayed press the F8 key to get the XP startup menu, select VGA mode to see if the system will boot. If it boots then remove the video driver software and reinstall it. Richard

If you can get into safe mode, try lowering the 'resolution' and 'refresh' display settings.

I can get into safe mode, tried vga mode, so resolution not the problem. Sounds like the PC fully boots up, HD icon on LED display flashes for a while after screen goes out. FN F7 i tried also, changing bios settings to default, and display change from crt to lcd to both, or 3 dont work. I put another HD in, and installed windows. IT boots up into XP, haven't loaded drivers yet. Sounds like driver problem or corrupt windows i think.