Black screen on startup

[S1W]

On startup the lights come on for keyboard & power button, I can hear the fan at normal speed.  the HP logo appears but then the screen stays black.

i need to save all my data from the hard drive if the computer is unusable.  preferably i would like to fix the problem.

i am not good with opening the PC, so in this case would take it to be repaired (out of warranty).  how much should i expect to pay in UK?

thank you.

[mdklassen · Accepted solution]

> On startup, the lights come on for keyboard & power button, I can hear the fan at normal speed. 

> The HP logo appears but then the screen stays black.

The symptoms suggest that the power-supply is OK.

On the screen, is there any text like "press ESC to .....' ?

If so, press that ESC key on your keyboard.

Is anything displayed?

If not, then it could be the motherboard that has failed.

If there is a display, it could be your disk-drive that either is completely dead, or the first few files that launch the "boot" process are missing/corrupted.

> i need to save all my data from the hard drive if the computer is unusable.  preferably i would like to fix the problem.

Disconnect the computer from all the external bits (power, keyboard, mouse, network).

Place it face-down on a soft cloth on a hard, level, surface.

You should be able to unscrew the "base" from the back of the case.

Then, look for several screws that are holding the plastic "back" of the case into its place.

After removing all those screws, take something like a plastic credit-card and wedge it somewhere around the edge of that back-plate, to start to gently separate that back-plate from the rest.  There may be some small "pop" sounds, as plastic tabs in the edge of the back-plate get "unstuck". 

Eventually, the back-plate can be lifted away, to expose the disk-drive.

There may be one or two screws holding it in its place.

Remove those screws, and slide it a short distance along its longer side, to disconnect the disk-drive from its socket.

Then, lift it out.

The disk-drive can then be connected as a "secondary" disk-drive in some other desktop computer, where you can try to access & copy all your Personal Files.

> i am not good with opening the PC, so in this case would take it to be repaired (out of warranty). 

> how much should i expect to pay in UK?

A technician probably has an hourly rate.

So, about 5 minutes to "experiment" -- to see if your computer can "boot" from a CD disk or from a USB memory-stick.

If it can, then if it cannot boot from your disk-drive, then the fault is either "physical" (disk-drive's electronics/mechanics have failed) or "logical" (scrambled files on the disk-drive, instead of the correct "boot" files).

Another 15 minutes to do the "partial disassembly" that I described, above.

Another 5 minutes to connect the disk-drive to a "shop" computer.

Another 5 minutes to connect a brand-new "external" disk-drive to the shop computer, to become the "target" of any file-copying.

Another 5 minutes to boot the "shop" computer, and to see if the disk-drive is at all "readable".

If it is readable, then 10 minutes watching, while the shop computer changes the "file-permissions" on your files, to make them accessible.

Another 5 minutes to start the "file-copy" process, from your "source" disk-drive, onto the "target" external disk-drive.

At this point, the file-copy can run "unattended", for up to an hour -- the technician does not need to monitor it -- and should not bill you for this time.

Another 5 minutes to "reassemble".

Another 5 minutes for paperwork -- billing & selling of that "external" disk-drive to you.

[S1W]

thank you for your comprehensive reply, D.Prof.

No text appears on screen, NOT EVEN THE HP LOGO NOW (it did initially)...but i tried pressing escape > NOTHING HAPPENED.

in view of the HP Logo NOT appearing, would your suggestions be any different?

[mdklassen]

>  in view of the HP Logo NOT appearing, would your suggestions be any different?

Yes.

An automobile with one flat tire is bad.

An automobile with two flat tires is worse.

When your computer stopped at the "logo" screen, that was bad.

Now that your computer has stopped before that screen, that is worse.

Suggestions: you are beyond the point where you have the technical skill to do anything -- it is time to take the computer to a "professional".  He/she can remove the disk-drive (which is highly-likely to still hold all your personal files).

There might be some residual value in some of the parts: screen, CD/DVD drive, RAM.

Maybe, a computer store will take those parts as a "consignment".

Maybe, it's time for a new computer.

You should be able to copy your files from the current disk-drive to the new disk-drive.

[S1W]

you were on the money RProf.  the PC is toast 😞

thank you.

[mdklassen]

Welcome to this forum.

Please click "Accept As Solution" to the message that was most useful, to allow all others who read this thread to find the "solution".