Hi,

My PC automatically downloaded the Windows XP SP2 (service pack 2) last night and ever since all I get to after boot up is a black screen.

I am not very skilled at safe mode boot ups etc so if anyone out there could help me get past this so I can actually use my PC again it would be appreciated.

Thanks
Melissa

Hi Melis.

I had the same issues with one of my systems. I'm gonna take a guess and say that your running an old Geforce 2MX series vid card? Or maybe some other type of old video hardware. Anyways to say the least I had to reload from scratch back to SP1. Something about SP2 that has issues with the older vid cards.

Good luck at trying to get into your safe mode. I had no luck at all with that.

Hi,
Thank you for your good advice. I actually waited to call Microsoft on Monday and after 6 hours odd we managed to get it to work. You were correct in saying it was old video card drivers that caused the problem. I have sinced reloaded SP2 and it seems like things are OK.. not the same but better than a black screen !!
Thanks again
Melissa

Hi Melissa, Please could you tell me what you did to your computer to fet it going again, the same has happened to mine after service pack 2 Cheers ;(

All of this is ridiculous... So are you telling me because you have an older vid card you can't update your system!!?!?!?!?

That is the most absurd notion I have ever heard!!! When are you ppl going to wake up and see that there are other options... you don't have to deal with an Operating system that forces you to up grade your video card just to get much needed updates to patch up a horrible excuse for an operating system...

The solution that worked for to fix this problem is to uninstall windows all together and install a Linux distribution. I recomend Fedora Core3 for ppl that have not used Linux before. Then graduate to Gentoo when you think you are ready...

but to settle for an inherently flawed piece of software because you can't imagine anything else is short sited and reminds me of talks I have had with drug addicts.

For more info check out: http://distrowatch.com/

Then you have to hunt down the linux drivers for everything. Oh, and if you can't get online, you are stuck until you get to another computer to find out how to setup networking in unix...er I mean linux.

And if you are using a gui to install linux, or worse use that KDE junk. Then you don't really understand unix...er I mean linux. Try installing and configuring Unix (Solaris/HPUX) on a real box(non x86). All command line.

This post was targeted at the unix poster.