If the screen truly remains totally blank, it is virtually always either
power or a video problem.  I work with those models a lot and have seen this
issue a few times before and 99% of the time it is a simple thing.

Make sure the video cable is not loose or plugged into the wrong vga
connector (like if you moved the machine).  Many GX260's (like the one to my
left) have an independent video card and it is very easy to plug into the
main board vga by mistake.  Or like the one to my left, to plug into the
wrong plug of the dual head video card.

Check that the power indicator in the middle of the power switch button
remains green after power up.  If not you might have a bad PSU or (much les
likely) switch or mainboard.  If it does remain green, look at the 4
diagnostic lights above the USB ports on the back of the machine.  If they
are not all green, go to
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/opgx260/en/ug/solvprob.htm for
an interpretation.

Sorry, just looked at clock and I need to go.  Will check back later to see
if more is needed.

On 5/6/07, tuna@supertunaman.com <tuna@supertunaman.com> wrote:
>
> It sounds like a software thing to me. So if it is, what would one do if
> their BIOS died?
>
> > Sounds like one of a few things.
> >
> > 1. Your power supply died. Does the cd/dvd tray run in
> > and out when the button is pushed?
> >
> > 2. Your bios died. But then I would think the monitor
> > would do something besides black screen.
> >
> > 3. Oh, boy, now what! Possibly the video card?? If you
> > have a spare video card, or on another machine of the
> > correct type, try that.
> >
> > 4. Monitor is not coming up..dead or ?? Try a
> > different monitor. Plug monitor into another machine
> > and see if it light up and works? Check the power cord
> > for the monitor, yeah, I know you already did but do
> > it again.
> >
> > 5. Bad monitor cable? Never seen one, but always a
> > first.
> >
> > A truly blank screen says that the box isn't talking
> > to the monitor.
> >
> > Did you check the video cable to make sure it didn't
> > wiggle loose..should be 'screwed' in but sometimes...
> > people just push them on. Is the video card (if a
> > seperate card) seated?
> >
> > Ed
> >
> > --- Josef Lowder <joe@actionline.com> wrote:
> >
> >> .
> >> I have a Dell GX260 with Intel P-4 2-Gig processor,
> >> 512mb ram,
> >> 40-gig HD, and XP installed.  After I booted from a
> >> Linux live
> >> CD and started to install, I defragged and then used
> >> Knoppix
> >> QTParted to resize the HD to 22-gig for XP and the
> >> remainder
> >> (about 16-gig) to be used to install Linux.
> >>
> >> However, when I tried to restart the computer to
> >> begin the
> >> installation, I have only a blank screen and cannot
> >> even
> >> get to the bios.  I can't boot from HD, CD, or
> >> floppy.
> >>
> >> How can I restore access to the bios and get this
> >> thing
> >> back on track?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
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