# XP display problems NEED help! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 12, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-display-problems-need-help/279502 "2004-12-12T22:29:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-display-problems-need-help/279502/1 "2004-12-12T22:29:40Z")
I am really fed up now so I don’t feel like going into detail. Basically I tried to install the latest nvidia drivers recently. It didn’t work and caused all manner of problems (irq conflicts, “\” in all the gfx properties, no acceleration etc…) Today I tried to reinstall some older driver which I knew to have worked fine before. I couldn’t uninstall the ‘new’ ones as all evidence suggested they weren’t there. Now when I boot to windows the screen is blank (after the loading screen). I can type my password and hear the login sound. It’s as if the computer logs in fine, but without showing me anything. So I got the ‘recovery cd’ that came with the computer, hoping to do a repair install on xp. nope, it just proceded to install another copy of xp alongside the first one. I can log into the second copy fine, and the display is ok (although there are irq conflicts there too) but nothing I try will show up the display on the first copy, and I can’t log in in safe mode (it just reboots) I’ve tried everything I can think of. can anyone with some expert knowledge help? ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-display-problems-need-help/279502/2 "2004-12-12T22:34:53Z")
Did you do the “Last Known Good Configuration” on one of your reboots? If not, check out this page [Last known good configuration](http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prmb_tol_ustn.asp) This mode is supposed to restore XP to the system state when it last had a full error free reboot. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s worth a shot. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-display-problems-need-help/279502/3 "2004-12-12T22:50:20Z")
^ If not that, boot into safe mode, go to your system settings. And under ‘Video Adapters’, you should see one driver. If there is more then one, right-click and disable one of them. If that doesn’t work, disable the other one. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-display-problems-need-help/279502/4 "2004-12-12T23:08:44Z")
Thanks for the replies so far… but there are two problems with the suggestions Windows appears to be logging in as normal and not ‘knowing’ that I can’t see anything. So as far as windows is concerned that _is_ the last known good configuration. also, it won’t log into safe mode. It just reboots when I choose safe mode from the menu. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-display-problems-need-help/279502/5 "2004-12-13T00:11:21Z")
I know this is too obvious, but did you check to see if perhaps the video cable may have worked loose? ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-display-problems-need-help/279502/6 "2004-12-13T00:13:10Z")
> [@Fat Bald Guy](#): > > I know this is too obvious, but did you check to see if perhaps the video cable may have worked loose? Sorry, I just re-read the OP and realized this is not your problem. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-display-problems-need-help/279502/7 "2004-12-13T00:48:37Z")
Try [this](http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=304449) . Windows XP something called System Restore points enabled by default. WIndows will make a system restore point every time there’s a change to the system files, so you have an easy way to roll back in the event of borked driver installations, etc. MS doesn’t give you access to these points at the boot menu, so you need to run the system restore command manually. Of course, if you disabled System Restore points in order to save disk space or for any other reason and then didn’t turn it back on before things went to hell, this restore method won’t work for you. You should be able to start Windows in something called “Safe Mode with command prompt”. This will basically bypass the GUI and boot to a DOS box. You can then run the system restore command to access the points. Follow the instructions and choose a date before things went wrong. \*You may lose any changes made to Windows from the restore point until now. While this may include the problems that we want to roll back from, it will also include any program installs, hardware changes etc. \*