White Screen or White SCREEEAAAM!!!

How To Fix White Screen Problem

White screen, black screen, blue screen… all three cause panic stations when we are using our computers and all seem to occur at the worst possible time in the midst of the most important this or that which we are presently working on.  There is no good time to have a screen or a system failure.  White Screen, however (unlike what is purported online by so many ill-informed electro-geek-want-to be fusspots) is NOT any kind of ‘screen of death’, like the blue and oft-times the black screen, both of which appear when our system has crashed or died completely.

White screen is generally one of two things; a) a monitor problem which may be a loose monitor cable or b) (and more commonly) spy-ware, spam-ware, mal-ware or some other form of virus which has been downloaded onto your computer whilst you were streaming online video or has ridden in on a wave of Windows or other program updates. (Windows and Real Player in combination can be particularly nasty at doing this!)

The solutions expounded online are many and varied, however the simplest solution is to perform a System Restore.  Simple, yes, possible? NO – not if you cannot access your screen to do so!  However, there is way to do this…by getting in at the back-end of your computer and giving it an electronic enema!  You just need to know how to do it.  Requirements: Patience & Order & Method.  (Screwdrivers not required.)

What is A System Restore / Recovery?

System Restore or Recovery simply ‘backtracks’ (restores) your computer to an earlier time, deleting anything which installed itself into your computer after the date you select to restore to.  It only affects programs and updates on your computer; it does not impact on or change any of your files or personal data.

How to Perform An Electronic Enema. (Accessing your computer from the back-end in Safe Mode)

If you have a white screen which is preventing you from being able to access anything on your computer, you will not be able to initiate a system restore in the usual manner and will need to access your system via the back-end.

Following the steps outlined below will allow you to access your system in what is known as Safe Mode in order to be able to perform A System Restore.

• Unplug the internet and/or disable wireless internet (if you can).  If not, worry not.
• Turn off your computer completely by pressing the main on/off button, holding it down for around six seconds.
• Wait thirty seconds. (This gives time for all previous commands to clear themselves from your machine.)
• Press the start button and as it is firing up immediately press the F2 key repeatedly for around fifteen seconds.  Lines of white text will appear.  Keep pressing the F2 key repeatedly.   A buzzing tone may sound; don’t panic, just keep pressing repeatedly for another 10-15 seconds.
• The screen will say ‘Please Wait’ or something similar at the bottom of the text.  Take your finger off the button and let it do it’s thing until a new screen appears.
• On the new screen it will have a list of options, one of which says; ‘Start using Command Prompt’ (or similar).  Select this option.
• When this option loads, type in after the command prompt:  explorer.exe
• Hit enter.  Wait.  Your system will start-up in Safe Mode. (This is a bigger, more pale screen so don’t panic because it looks different; your computer will return to its normal state after the restore is complete)  Now you can perform a System Restore.

How To Perform A System Restore

To perform a System Restore select Start >> then select Control Panel >> move your cursor down to System and select ‘Restore System Files and setting from A Restore Point’.

At this point you will be asked ‘do you want the following program to make changes to this computer: select YES.

System Restore will appear.  Hit NEXT.

Now you will be given a list of previous restore Points which your computer has already made automatically.  Tick the little box in the bottom left hand corner to ‘show more restore points’.

Select a restore point which is at least three weeks prior to the date your problem first occurred. (if possible – if not just go back as far as you can to an earlier date).

Hit NEXT.

The system will commence the restore.  DO NOT touch your computer while it is doing this (it will warn you not to do this itself).  Your computer will put up a message box when it is complete which says: ‘system restore successful’ (or similar).

When it is done you may access your computer as normal.  Immediately perform a ‘Restart’ (using your computer’s ‘Log Off’ button).  This will ‘lock in’ your new settings.

Your computer should be clean of the virus and your screen no longer white.