Black Screen

[Rockthesmurf]

Hi there,

I haven't used my Pandora for a few weeks, and I switched it on this morning, but the screen doesn't display anything. I can use the brightness up and down keys to increase/decrease the backlight strength, and I can insert/eject the SDs and see SD activity, but nothing is being displayed on the screen.

I have tried removing the battery, leaving it a while and trying again but so far nothing seems to help. I've also tried restarting with the Pandora key held.

Has anyone else experienced this issue? Can anyone suggest a way I may be able to fix this? I am really hoping it isn't the case my hardware has stopped working! Last time I used it I obviously didn't experience this issue, since then it has been sitting inside the carry case, inside a bag on the floor of my room (which is kept at a moderate temperature, with no humidity problems).

Many thanks,

Steve

 

[Chaser]

Did you previously have a log in password enabled before the desktop is reached?

If so it sounds like the 'screen brightness bug' where, the LCD has saved a setting of ZERO when the system was last shut down. To test this, press enter once (so it skips from USERNAME being displayed to PASSWORD). Then type out your normal password and press enter. You'll be doing this blind.

If it is that bug, the system should then load the OS (you'll see more SD light activity) then you FN+I to boost the brightness back up and your desktop should be back.

 

[skeezix]

That'd be a older firmware (pre hotfixes), too; but even in that case, the brightness keys could bring it up, and he's said he's done that? So probably not that.

I've had a number of times where it just boots up and the screen goes to black and thats that, but reseating the battery and fresh booting always sorted it for me.

Could try to set up an SD to boot from, but thats some word; a reflash would sort it, but is a shame.

I wonder what could've occurred to make it do that on multiple boots? I've only seen it in single isolated boots where some goofy state is stored in the cpu, and a reboot fixes it (or a battery cold start.)

Unless it is just a brightness thing, which would be weird .. but thats back around hf1 I think ED sorted that out?

jeff

But then, I'm brainfried right now

 

[WizardStan]

My LCD cable isn't perfectly seated and occasionally the screen goes black, even though the backlight is still on and can be turned up and down. I would suspect something similar here.

 

[SNESFAN]

I'm seriously not trying to troll and this is a legitimate question, but am I going to have to baby the shit out of the pandora? The video cable connection sounds to be the most common point of failure after the nubs...

is this an old problem that it has been fixed? Or is this still happening? It's got me scared that when I get my pandora I won't be able to actually use it in fear of holding it the wrong way and my video turning purple or cutting out completely

 

[skeezix]

Mine is one of the very first ones (so should have the high risk of LCD cable futzery) and so far so good; I put it into my work knapsack and carry it back and forth and so far so good .. *knock on wood.* I know the LCD problems 'sounds common', but ED usggests its really not all that common, just common of the ones that have issues.

*shrug*

Its a pretty robust machine (clamshells in general are); I worry about that LCD cable now just from the forum, but so far so good for most people, and the newer units are much better than the originals in that regard.

jeff

 

[Rockthesmurf]

Hmm, I tried blind logging in a few times but it didn't seem to be going anywhere. I have one of the latest hot fixes on so I think I shouldn't have the bug. Interestingly, I tried reseting a few more times (with the Pandora key held), and one one of the reboots (only one, and can't make it do it again), the Pandora logo did appear on the screen, then it kind of garbles and vertically disappeared of the screen. It is half comforting as it suggests the hardware is kind of okay, so maybe reflashing it will do the trick. Was there a key combination or something I can hold down to get it to fix itself up? I don't think I have much on there I'm worried about loosing (mainly my colour scheme, which I setup as per instructions on this forum, and just took a while to do), but everything else is on my SD's so that should stay in tact.

Steve

 

[Chaser]

Worth a shot on the bug as a first line but oh well. Sounds more like the cable or more likely that a reflash is your friend. You can follow ED's guidance here http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/54991-ready-to-flash-firmware-image/

I'd wait for Wizard & Skeezix incase they have better advice or things to try first.

 

[skeezix]

I used to reflash 10 times a night while doing hacking, and its much easier nowadays; I'd just do a reflash

(I keep nothing on the nand, beyond basic config that can be redone in the UIs in minutes.)

jeff

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

Hmm, I tried blind logging in a few times but it didn't seem to be going anywhere. I have one of the latest hot fixes on so I think I shouldn't have the bug. Interestingly, I tried reseting a few more times (with the Pandora key held), and one one of the reboots (only one, and can't make it do it again), the Pandora logo did appear on the screen, then it kind of garbles and vertically disappeared of the screen. It is half comforting as it suggests the hardware is kind of okay, so maybe reflashing it will do the trick. Was there a key combination or something I can hold down to get it to fix itself up? I don't think I have much on there I'm worried about loosing (mainly my colour scheme, which I setup as per instructions on this forum, and just took a while to do), but everything else is on my SD's so that should stay in tact.

Steve

this sounds like what i experienced with my lcd cable,garbled then vertically dissapeared off screen and went black.methinks