Black screen of Death

[baglady201]

Bought a second hand Acer all in one touch screen desktop. Was very pleased, was told it was only 2yrs old, it preformed perfectly. Then one day I powered it on, power button lit up as usual, but screen black, no curser. Have read many tales of wisdom, and woe. Anyone here have any opinion? Could it possibly be the OS? Windows home premium? I had assumed that it was a hardware, possibly electrical issue, but one suggestion made to me was a corrupted OS, and I should re install
I do not have a Win7 disk, and want more advice before i make that costly purchase. And here, I am told, are the experts on Windows 7. Any advice? Trying to avoid costly repairs. Thank you!.

 

[TrainableMan]

Do you have any image at all when it powers on or does it simply stay black? If it shows the BIOS introduction on the screen then your monitor isn't burnt out. If you get absolutely nothing at all then a W7 disk won't help.

If you do have some display at first then ...

You can use another computer to download and burn W7 Home Premium to a blank DVD using the links HERE (You didn't specify 32-bit or 64-bit but you will need to download the correct match for your all-in-one).

The issue could be a failed hard drive or corrupt OS files. You could start by booting to the W7 DVD and attempting a "system repair" from the W7 Installation screen.

If no hard drive is detected then your hard drive probably failed (crashed) and will need replaced.

If the hard drive gets replaced then you will need the product key to reinstall W7 from the DVD you burned. Do you know the W7 Home Premium Product key? (Do not post it here or anywhere online, I'm just looking for a yes or no). It may be on a sticker somewhere on the back of your computer.

 

[Shintaro]

Mate,

We need the Model number.

 

[baglady201]

Sry, Acer model Z3101, and there is no image on start up, no curser, no beeping, and the OS reinstall disk, nor the boot repair disk have any effect. I tried different wireless keyboard and mouse, no change. After letting it sit a few weeks, it now lights up the power button as before, but now the power button blinks in random pattern. Another suggestion I got was to open the back, locate and re seat the CMOS battery. Sounds dumb, but after removing the 4 visible screws, I cannot remove the back panel. I am reluctant to force it. Just can't afford the cost of repairs at this time, and not sure if the expense is justified, or should I cut my losses now?

 

[TrainableMan]

If you cannot get any image at all then it is unlikely the problem is the hard drive or the OS installed on it.

Since you hear absolutely nothing, no fans or beeps, my best hunch would be the power supply (or a faulty power button).

 

[baglady201]

Power button lights up, as well as the blue ribbon of light across the bottom. Power button blinks off, on

 

[TrainableMan]

I have a desktop computer so my monitor has a different power switch than the computer itself. I don't know how it works on an all-in-one but what it sounds like is that the monitor has power but no video input because the computer is not on. I would still guess it is a hardware issue, possibly power to the motherboard.