I have an old IBM Thinkpad which still has many programs and files I would like to use. I began experiencing problems with the LCD going blank at times so I set the diplay to both LCD and External Monitor. I had not used it in a while, and when I booted up the laptop today, Windows 98 booted OK, but at the point where the Windows 98 Logo and music come on, both the LCD on the Thinkpad and the screen on my external monitor are blank. Is there any sequence of keystrokes I can use once Windows 98 is loaded to access the Control Panel, then Display, and then select dual or external monitor?

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Please explain why it is that you believe Windows has booted correctly. If you have no screen function, how can you tell?

It may be some other problem.

Do you get a screen display when you boot to DOS?

Ed




On Friday, November 9, 2007 at 11:46 am, John Conte wrote:
>I have an old IBM Thinkpad which still has many programs and files I would like to
>use. I began experiencing problems with the LCD going blank at times so I set the
>diplay to both LCD and External Monitor. I had not used it in a while, and when
>I booted up the laptop today, Windows 98 booted OK, but at the point where the Windows
>98 Logo and music come on, both the LCD on the Thinkpad and the screen on my external
>monitor are blank. Is there any sequence of keystrokes I can use once Windows 98
>is loaded to access the Control Panel, then Display, and then select dual or external
>monitor?

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Ed, To test if Windows booted correctly, since I cannot see anything, I booted up and waited. After 5 minutes, my Aquarium screen saver came on. I could not see it, but I could hear the bubblling up noise the fish make. So I am certain Windows has booted correctly. --John


On Saturday, November 10, 2007 at 9:43 am, Ed wrote:
>Please explain why it is that you believe Windows has booted correctly. If you have
>no screen function, how can you tell?
>
>It may be some other problem.
>
>Do you get a screen display when you boot to DOS?
>
>Ed
>
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Further response to Ed: I also put in a commercial DVD and it started up. Though I cannot see anything on the screen, I am listening to the Preview for the film. --John


On Saturday, November 10, 2007 at 10:40 am, John Conte wrote:
>Ed, To test if Windows booted correctly, since I cannot see anything, I booted up
>and waited. After 5 minutes, my Aquarium screen saver came on. I could not see
>it, but I could hear the bubblling up noise the fish make. So I am certain Windows
>has booted correctly. --John
>
>
>
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

|when I booted up the laptop today, Windows 98 booted OK, but[...]
|both the LCD on the Thinkpad and the screen on my external monitor are blank.
| John Conte

When something worked last time, the FIRST thing you try is SCANREG/RESTORE.

Have you tried starting in Safe Mode?

cache of http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/multires.shtm
++MultiRes++command.line++batch.file

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Since I cannot see what is happening on my screen, how do I start in Safe Mode. I assume I have to press a function key as my Thinkpad is booting up. Even if I can start in Safe Mode, once in it, how do I type in Scanreg/restore. I can't see anything. By the way, I tried attaching my newer laptop to my external monitor and it works perfectly with the screen on the external monitor showing exactly what is on the laptop. --John


On Saturday, November 10, 2007 at 1:02 pm, gewg_ wrote:
>|when I booted up the laptop today, Windows 98 booted OK, but[...]
>|both the LCD on the Thinkpad and the screen on my external monitor are blank.
>| John Conte
>
>When something worked last time, the FIRST thing you try is SCANREG/RESTORE.
>
>Have you tried starting in Safe Mode?
>
>cache of http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/multires.shtm
>++MultiRes++command.line++batch.file

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

|By the way, I tried attaching my newer laptop to my external monitor
|and it works perfectly with the screen on the external monitor
|showing exactly what is on the laptop.
| John Conte
|
The sooner you do SCANREG/RESTORE on the bad unit,
the less likely you will have to reinstall Windoze on it.
After 5 boot-days (by default) following your last successful Windoze startup,
you lose your last chance to use your last remaining valid backup. 
cache of http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/win98/t1045357908
++5-backups.by.default++as.soon.as.possible


|Since I cannot see what is happening on my screen, how do I start in Safe Mode[?]
|I assume I have to press a function key as my Thinkpad is booting up.
|
Yup.  That's the easy way.  The most direct route:
http://www.google.com/search?q=to.start.in.safe.mode+F5

If you know what is supposed to appear on the screen, you could use F8 or Ctrl.
http://www.searchengines.pl/phpbb203/pliki/picasso/virus/safe8.gif

A method that gives you a useful screen without requiring device drivers
seems the least vexing.
Using a DOS boot floppy gets you that.
http://www.google.com/search?q=safe.mode+win.d.m


|Even if I can start in Safe Mode, once in it, how do I type in Scanreg/restore.
|
The Safe Mode suggestion was just a lower-level diagnostic try;
the 2 are not related the way you jammed them together.

Safe Mode uses a GENERIC device driver;
that may have given an indication of what's happening.

A bootable floppy (your "Startup Disk")
is the sure way to get to DOS.



|I can't see anything.
|
Gee thanks, Microsoft.
Making everything GUI-driven works so well when folks are really up against it.

BTW, did you ever click on the link in my first post?

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

If you hold a flashlight on an angle to the screen, can you see anything at all on 
the screen?  If so, you have a backlight problem and there is nothing you can do 
but get it repaired if it's worth it.  If you don't see anything on the screen, then 
the graphics adaptor is bad and the machine is probably junk.

Older machines have to boot up with the LCD display and then if you have a function 
key combo on the keyboard (usually labeled as such) to switch to an external screen, 
you can use that to go to an external monitor.  If you don't have a labeled function 
key access for an external monitor then you have to check the documentation to see 
how you can change it once started.







On Friday, November 9, 2007 at 11:46 am, John Conte wrote:

>I have an old IBM Thinkpad which still has many programs and files I would like 
to 

>use.  I began experiencing problems with the LCD going blank at times so I set the 

>diplay to both LCD and External Monitor.  I had not used it in a while, and when 

>I booted up the laptop today, Windows 98 booted OK, but at the point where the Windows 

>98 Logo and music come on, both the LCD on the Thinkpad and the screen on my external 

>monitor are blank.  Is there any sequence of keystrokes I can use once Windows 98 

>is loaded to access the Control Panel, then Display, and then select dual or external 

>monitor? 

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

From the o/p's previous postings, the external monitor is still working. He can get it working by using a different computer.

Since he can't get a display on the faulty laptop with either the built in screen or on his external monitor, which will use different software drivers, he would appear to have a hardware failure on his motherboard.

This would mean buying and fitting a replacement motherboard. With a laptop, fitting the replacement is probably a job best left to his local computer repair store.

Ed




On Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 9:19 am, C K wrote:
>If you hold a flashlight on an angle to the screen, can you see anything at all on
>the screen? If so, you have a backlight problem and there is nothing you can do
>but get it repaired if it's worth it. If you don't see anything on the screen, then
>the graphics adaptor is bad and the machine is probably junk.
>
>Older machines have to boot up with the LCD display and then if you have a function
>key combo on the keyboard (usually labeled as such) to switch to an external screen,
>you can use that to go to an external monitor. If you don't have a labeled function
>key access for an external monitor then you have to check the documentation to see
>how you can change it once started.
>
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

I thought I may have misunderstood what the OP wrote so I went back and read it again.





On an older laptop, they usually don't start with both the LCD and an external on 
at the same time, or if they do and an error occurs, the external will default to 
disabled/off.  I suspected this might be the case here if the external works on another 
computer.  Now, if the graphics adaptor has failed, then most of the time, the machine 
will not boot, but this depends on where the failure has occured in the video output 
chain.  Also, I have not worked on any portable that has two actual seperate video 
drivers installed.  Can't because it's only one graphics adaptor in this case.  Two 
monitor profiles(.pif files), yes, but that isn't a video driver.  The driver has 
been written to properly support the monitor(s) and graphics card options and IME, 
that is built-in to one driver.

IME, if you can't see anything on the screen using the flashlight method I described 
and any keystroke combo's that may enable the external monitor after Windows starts 
won't work, (or while in the BIOS) then you are right that the adaptor has probably 
failed and that usually means a replacement of the motherboard.

However, if you can see graphics on the screen by using an off angle source of light, 
it usually means a hardware issue of some type, possibly a bad backlight, or it's 
control circuitry.  Possible that's software, but have yet to see that IME.  I have 
however observed a bad BIOS flash disable the backlight on Dell portables though.

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