# Solved: Installed new hard drive but blank screen PLS HELP!!



## ravsta (Oct 1, 2007)

Hi all

I have just bought a new SATA Hard Drive and installed Win XP on it from my laptop via a caddy, which installed successfully, but when i fitted the new hard drive into the PC and turned it on expecting the BIOS i just get a blank screen and a message " no input signal". 

Is there something im missing? im pretty sure there isn't no PSU issues.

Any help on this matter would be much appreciated.


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## Mosquito555 (Apr 25, 2007)

Are you getting any "beeps" from your computer? 

You may have accidentally moved something while installing the HDD. Make sure that the graphics card, memory and power cables are secure.


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## ravsta (Oct 1, 2007)

yes getting the initial beep and all seems to be plugged in correctly.


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## Mosquito555 (Apr 25, 2007)

If you are getting the initial "beep" then the computer seems to be booting up fine...

- Check the VGA cable of your monitor. Maybe it's not correctly installed on your monitor or graphics card.

- If your graphics card requires an extra power connector (PCI-E or molex for older AGP cards), make sure it isn't loose.

- Install your old hard drive (I assume there's an operating system installed on it). If you still can't get video, let the computer boot with your speakers turned on. Can you hear the operating system startup sounds?

- If your graphics cards has a second display port, try using this instead (it may require an adapter).

- Does your computer has an onboard graphics card? Please post your specs.


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## ravsta (Oct 1, 2007)

It is a NVidia GeForce 6 Series graphics card. only has one power connector which is already plugged in. There is no secondary display port.

Installed the old drive which was blue screening but still no joy; blank screen again.

Going to try the speakers...


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## frankjohn (Nov 20, 2005)

Disconnect the hdd and reboot tapping f8 to see if you can get into bios. If you still get a blank screen i would say its a video>connection [power to the board]>monitor>or power supply


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## frankjohn (Nov 20, 2005)

Sorry tapping f8 is wrong! Use your manuel to see what key>could be f1>f2> del key


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## ravsta (Oct 1, 2007)

Could it be anything to do with not using a SATA drivers disc during the Windows setup process? I did not think that this was nessecary as there was a SATA drive previously installed.

I am currently checking if the BIOS runs without HDD connected...


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## Mosquito555 (Apr 25, 2007)

ravsta said:


> Could it be anything to do with not using a SATA drivers disc during the Windows setup process? I did not think that this was nessecary as there was a SATA drive previously installed.


No...Drivers are loaded with the operating system. There's no way a driver could affect the BIOS screens as the operating system isn't running yet.


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

You can't install on one machine and boot on another. You need to install on the machine that you will use the operating system on.


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## liquidfox (Jan 14, 2010)

Yes, Elvandil is right! You cannot install Windows on one machine and then just simply move the hard drive and boot on another one. Install your HDD in your laptop and reinstall windows and it should run properly.


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## ravsta (Oct 1, 2007)

Yes, but the problem still lies where;

The BIOS is not kicking in with the HDD disconnected.

So basically i am not getting any type of signal to the monitor. As soon as i power on the machine there is nothing.

Could there still be a signal to the monitor if the HDD was not installed properly/disconnected?


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## Mosquito555 (Apr 25, 2007)

ravsta said:


> Could there still be a signal to the monitor if the HDD was not installed properly/disconnected?


That's what normally happens. You would have gotten an error message regarding your disk configuration, maybe your computer could have frozen at some point.

But other than that your monitor should function as usual.

IMO the problem has something to do with your graphics card, display or VGA cable.


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## bigbear (Apr 27, 2004)

This post has kinda lost me.
Why was the drive not installed in the pc and then windows loaded?
Having the drive installed in the machine (even with windows incorrectly installed) is not going to stop POST.
You should still be able to get into bios.
Check to see to see if all cables are pushed in correctly


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

I must be seeing things. I could have sworn I saw a note about NTLDR, but I guess not.

Well, the machine will not boot to Windows, anyway, since it was installed on a different machine.

But as far as the other problem, it is clear that something got moved or dislodged during fumbling around with the hard drive, probably the graphics card. Check the back of it especially if it does not have a lock on that end. Moving a machine with the cable attached often dislodges that card.

Check all connections, remove and replace PCI cards to be sure they are well-seated, check drive cables on both ends, make sure memory modules have not been moved from their slots, etc.


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## ravsta (Oct 1, 2007)

bigbear said:


> This post has kinda lost me.
> Why was the drive not installed in the pc and then windows loaded?
> Having the drive installed in the machine (even with windows incorrectly installed) is not going to stop POST.
> You should still be able to get into bios.
> Check to see to see if all cables are pushed in correctly


I could not load XP onto drive as blank screen issue so i thought i would try installing form a laptop then install new drive thinking this was the problem but it wasn't.


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## ravsta (Oct 1, 2007)

I just tested the monitor on a laptop and it works fine, picks up the signal and everything.

Will try the graphics card...


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## ravsta (Oct 1, 2007)

you know what guys i am such an idiot i didn't see the secondary VGA port and this seems to be the correct one; monitor has turned on 

I am now going to re-install Win XP from this machine correctly.

Thanks for all your help.


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## Mosquito555 (Apr 25, 2007)

ravsta said:


> you know what guys i am such an idiot i didn't see the secondary VGA port and this seems to be the correct one; monitor has turned on


Hehe, no worries, it happens to me all the time...Panic is a bad thing, it really is... 

Anyway, glad you figured it out!

Remember, you can mark the thread as solved by clicking on the "Mark Solved" button!


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