Sorry I need some help. I turn on my computer and all I get is a BLACK SCREEN. The computer light is on. The CD and DVD opens and closes. I switch monitors to see if that was it and they work fine.

Computer Info:
Gateway E-4100 - 2003

Processor:
Intel Pentium 4, 2800 MHz 200MHz external bus

Bios:
Intel Corp. BF86510A. 15A.0045.P08.0309261344 9/26/2003

Memory:
2560MB physical
90% free resourses
4 memory slots, 0 free (256+1024+256+1024)

Video
Graphics Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 (gateway)
Screen Area/Colors: 1024x768 pixels, 16 million colors
MONITOR: Samsung 265

DRIVES
C:\ (NTSF) 156327MB total, 25499MB free

Hard Drive
Maxtor 160-GB 7200 RPM 80GPP SATA Hard Disk Drive

Operating System
Windows XP Professional Media Center Edition 2004
w/SP3DirectX Version: 5.03.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-0845)

Monitors
Delta Analog Input LCD Black Flat Panel Monitor with 17-inch Viewable Area

Motherboards
Intel (Midway) Pentium 4 Motherboard No CPU

Optical Drives
HLDS DVD-RW/+RW Rambo 3 Drive R1

Optical Drives or DVD Decoder Cards
HLDS 16X DVD Drive 02ID
 
Power Supplies
160 Watt Power suppy Lite-On
 
Processors
Intel (Northwood) 2.8GHz/800MHz CPUMAC R0
 
Sound Cards
Sound Blaster Audigy II Audio with IEEE 1394 Sound Card
 
TV Tuner Cards
Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-250 TV Tuner Card
 
Sound Blaster Audigy II Sound Card Driver CD

I think that is it....PLEASE HELP  Remove both 256 sticks and re-boot....took them out and still black screen. took all of them out and still black screenThis is almost identical to a problem that a friend of mine had with an eMachines.

Couple questions:
1. Have you had lightning, or a power outage recently?
2. Is the computer and any other devices attached (ethernet, printers, etc.) plugged into a surge protector?

If 1. is yes, or 2. is no, then there is a possibility your motherboard may be toast by means of a power surge/brownout.

But let's consider best case:

Questions:
1. Have you moved your computer AROUND recently? Or jarred it?
2. Have you made any modifications within the case recently?
3. Does the BIOS beep?

Try this:
1. Go and reseat the graphics card, and make sure (if it's a PCI-E) that the power cable is plugged into the motherboard.
2. Have you tried a different monitor connector? (DVI, etc.)
3. Have you tried a different monitor with the computer?

I don't have MUCH experience personally with a Gateway, but I've heard of these solutions working.

Good luck!

Signed,
Sharkfin1) Yes we did have a power outage. and thats when it starts giving me trouble of freezing up.

2) Yes they are in the surge protector

Questions
1) No
2) No
3) Yes

Try this
1) Already tried the Graphic Card its fine
2) Yes I tried another monitor
3) Yes


Borrow a known good PSU of the same or greater wattage and swap it in there...
If this machine has a modem card remove it first.Remove your memory and clean it by using an eraser (pencil eraser). Then put it back. Try to turn on your computer again.If still the same, try to use other memory that suits your main board. Borrow from a friend. Try to turn on your computer again.