Blank Screen May Be Caused By Corrupt Video Driver

 Last reviewed: November 15, 1995
Article ID: Q139615
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5 and 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5 and 3.51

SUMMARY

If you start Windows NT and notice a blank screen, the video driver you are using may be damaged. This article describes how you can verify that the video driver is damaged.

MORE INFORMATION

To verify the video driver is damaged:

  1. Boot Windows NT in /basevideo mode. If the video driver is not the standard VGA compatible driver (VGA.SYS), this operation should work.

  2. If the video driver is VGA.SYS, do not boot Windows NT in /basevideo mode. Instead, start Windows NT "blind." For additional information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

          ARTICLE-ID: Q103615

          TITLE     : Recovering From an Incompatible Video Driver


  3. Shutdown Windows NT "blind" and reboot your computer. To verify
   that the Windows NT has restarted, attempt to connect to a network
   share on this computer from another computer.

    

After you verify that the video driver is damaged, do one of the
following:


  • Boot your computer using the Windows NT Setup Boot Disk (for your
   version of Windows NT) and select R for Repair. Enable the "Verify
   Windows NT system files" option, and continue with the Repair
   process.

    
   -OR-


  • Copy VGA.SYS from the I386 directory (for Intel platforms) on the
   Windows NT Server or Workstation CD-ROM disc to the following
   directory:

    

          %SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS

    



	
			
	















	






KBCategory: kbdisplay kbui kbtshoot

KBSubcategory: ntboot ntdriver ntui

Additional reference words: prodnt 3.50 3.51 corrupt black








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	Last reviewed:  November 15, 1995
	

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