Can't get monitor to work unless safe mode

[sanders4617]

Computer:
Cheap ECS A780GM-M3 AM2+/AM3 AMD 780G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard. Video is going onboard through VGA
2 GB of PC6400 Ram
AMD Athlon II X3 435 Rana 2.9GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Processor

So here is the problem. My mom brings me her computer (i built this cheaply for her a while back) and says that her monitor says that it can't find a signal.

So I hook it up to my monitor.. and right away, it gets signal. It shows the BIOS and then the Windows loading screen.. Then the screen goes blank. All the lights are still going. I try CTRL+ALT+DEL and got nothing. I tried all kinds of stuff.. still nothing.

I then tried to turn off the monitor.. The monitor wouldn't even turn off. Only by unplugging from the VGA would I be allowed to turn it off (or unplug the monitor - not using the button).

I can boot into safe mode.. but nothing else. At first, I thought since her harddrive was really old, that it was probably going out and the Windows install was bad. So I bought her a cheap 250GB hd and installed windows. It installed.. but wouldn't start up to desktop. It was doing the same thing again. I could see the windows installation and all of that.. but I can't get Windows 7 (not safe mode) to show.

Now... If I leave the computer running.. after a long time (not sure how long because I leave the room and come back at a later time).. Windows will finally pop up. But it takes a long long time.

It has done this on 2 different hard drives and 2 different installs. It didn't do this at first.. it has just happened recently.

Could this potentially be a VGA port problem?? I have a VGA to DVI adapter, but it won't fit the DVI port on the motherboard because its a DVI-D and the adapter is DVI-A.

 

[DominionSeraph]

I like how it's a monitor problem and you tell us everything but the type of monitor.

 

[sanders4617]

It isn't really a monitor problem. If you noticed, I mentioned that she couldn't even get a signal on her monitor(s).

To add to the post.. She went and bought a new monitor and new cord and still the same thing.

It has to do with the computer not giving signal to the monitor when trying to run Windows. I am going to try a cheap PCI-E card tomorrow and see if it changes. Using onboard right now.

And the monitor that I have here is a Gateway 19" CRT that I use every day.. works fine. I also have an Acer 22"

 

[diredesire]

She may have had a bad/custom resolution change, for whatever reason. if you can get into safe mode, try VGA mode. If VGA mode works, switch down to a "known good" resolution (such as 1024x768) and reboot, see if that helps at all. Safe mode will be using a basic VGA driver, so VGA mode should work.

JD

 

[diredesire]

Also, you might want to re-install the graphics driver if this does help... Also, any common variables between monitor switches? Did you swap cables?