What windows version is installed ? Is it a laptop ?

Restart the computer and keep tapping the F8 Key, try that a few times and see if it boots to windows advanced boot options menu. Black screen with white letters,

Let us know if it will get that far.

Do you have any discs that came with the computer or you created ?

This post was edited by zep516 on Wed, Oct 29, 14 at 20:20

Hi, Zep - it's Vista, and it's a desktop with a touch screen. We never use the touch screen, just the mouse and keyboard. It came with an operating system disk and a driver and utility disk.

I unplugged everything and restarted. Now the screen is back to white. F8 didn't do anything.

I listened closely when I turned it back on and now I think only a fan is coming on. I don't hear the processor running.

I think a trip to the Geek Squad is in my near future!

Thanks for your help.

Donna

You can do this :) Most users don't have the disk, so you're a lucky dog.....

"If you are having problems starting Windows Vista, then your first step is to use the automated repair tool called Startup Repair. Startup Repair is a diagnostic tool that can be accessed via the Windows Recovery Environment. In order to start the Windows Recovery Environment you must boot your computer off of the Windows Vista DVD that you purchased or that came with your computer."

see here for complete instructions .

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/repair-windows-with-windows-startup-repair/

Thanks again, zep! I won't have time to try this until Saturday, but it's first thing on my list.

The good news is we have an external hard drive that runs backup automatically, so everything should be on it if the PC is toast.

Donna

Most likely this is a hardware problem, something to do with the display system : the power inverter (sends correct power to the screen) or the screen itself.
You might get lucky and find that it's just the little power inverter - which is cheap.

Most likely Startup Repair is not going to fix this kind of thing - unless it's a software/OS related problem. But it won't hurt to try and you might as well give it a try.
If you try to boot off the disk you have, and you still get a blank or white screen, that would be further evidence that it's a hardware problem.

At the very least, most likely your hard drive is still intact and it could be removed to retrieve all the files off of it. That is, if the hard drive is not the problem. Usually white or black screens are hardware display problems.

Btw, the you're not going to be able to "hear" the cpu as there is no noise from it per se, but from the fan that's attached to it, if that's what you mean. There is also a case fan, depending on the specific computer. Some small computers have been made w/o any fans at all.

What you want to be able to hear, especially, as far as booting up is that cpu fan, and a drive spinning sound - which may be difficult to hear. Sometimes you have to open the case, or run it off an adapter to check it.

This post was edited by kbarb on Thu, Oct 30, 14 at 12:09

Thank you, kbarb! I will let you all know if the boot disc helps.

I can hear the processor (or something) running all the time when it's working correctly...rapid little clicking noises that are separate from the fan sound.

Donna

Clicking sounds are hopefully the hard disk seeking - although some hard drive clicking sounds are worrying. Usually they don't cause display problems though, so I doubt there's an issue there.

Yes, the clicking sounds have been there since the beginning. Sometimes I check to see what the heck is running in the background since it makes the clicking sound all the time. :)

Donna

Okay, I started it up using the Vista DVD and it is making normal booting sounds...but the screen is still solid white. It turned black for a second then went back to white.

It's been making all of its usual noises for several minutes but still a white screen. So I'm guessing video card or display issue?

I'm not savvy enough with hardware to pop this thing open and start poking around, but at least I have more data to give a repair person. :)

Donna

It's looking like a hardware problem then.

The usual suspects are bad cable connection (internal), bad power inverter or bad lcd screen. ( in order of expense and somewhat in order of likelihood).
It's very possible with the white screen that it's just a cable connection problem.

It could also be a bad motherboard, and usually you connect an external monitor to rule that out but in this case you can't do that.

Usually when this kind of thing happens, the screen goes black, but you can see the screen using a flashlight.
But you're saying it goes from black to white.
This still indicates one of the above four suspected hardware issues.

Some links :

LCD screen turned completely white
http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop-lcd-screen-turned-white/

Fixing Common Laptop Problems (middle of page)
http://www.pbcomp.com.au/laptop-notebook-troubleshoot.html

There is an online service manual available if you want to have a couple of beers and start taking it apart - check those cable connections - but it sounds like you're not comfortable with that. That's where the beers come in.
;-)

LOL kbarb! I don't mind popping a PC tower open and checking the connections, but with this all in one I don't even see a way to get into it.

Donna

I don't know if this is the right Dell Studio One, but there's a service manual on manualowl.com.

http://www.manualowl.com/m/Dell/Studio-One-19/Manual/353145

It's probably on Dell's site as well - just look it up by the service tag.

All the take apart instructions are in that manual, looks to me.
A fair amount of steps, but not insurmountable.
I take photos as I go along if there's any doubt.

There're probably youtube videos of all of that as well.

-Kent

msmeow-
I have a Sony All-in-one that I needed to get into recently. It required putting it face down (on a towel to protect the screen), popping off the full-size back cover, removing 6 screws to take off the stand, removing 6 screws to take off the hard drive cover, and removing 21 screws of 5 different sizes that held the back on, and popping the back off. Then I could get started!

It was hard to find the manual for it, but it was pretty straightforward once I had it because each screw location was identified in the photos in the manual. I found it handy to have a number of paper cups nearby to keep the different screw sizes identified and sorted. Also, make sure you have exactly the right size Phillips head screwdrivers handy: some of the screw heads are pretty small and you could have a real problem if you stripped even one of the heads. Those sets of mini screwdrivers are probably what you need.

Update on the Dell Studio One...

Two different repair guys told me that a white screen on a Dell usually means the motherboard. Since it would be $300-$400 to replace the motherboard (according to the Geek Squad) we decided to purchase a new PC.

Bought an HP all in one with Windows 8.1 (ugh, what a learning curve on that - in spite of a Windows phone!). All the data from the Dell is on our external hard drive so we can download what we need.

I will be breaking into the Dell soon to get the hard drive out before it goes to the boneyard.

Thank you all so much for your help and advice! If nothing else I'll learn how to get into an all in one computer for whenever the HP decides to croak. LOL

Donna

Oh interesting. Storing all your stuff on the external hd! Hmmm, I may need to do that as I am migrating soon to another PC and was going to let Crabonite basically restore my files into the new PC but, sigh, I hesitate/freeze thinking that migrating to the new PC is going to be a pain even with Carbonite. I could save the files there too.

Kent, thanks for the link! I opened it up and removed the hard drive. Now if I only knew what all that other stuff was in there... :)

Donna

Most of the time it's just a bunch of wires and stuff they had lying around - they try to make it look complicated.
;-)

I'm glad to hear you conquered it.

-Kent