• Registered: 2012-01-12
  • Posts: 8

Topic: Control Panel Will Not Show Up and Screen Is Blank

I have a blank screen.  When I turn off the Chumby and turn it back on, the screen is fine and everything shows up to set the wireless network stuff.  Then when it gets to the part where it is loading the control panel, all goes blank. 

I touch the screen and nothing happens.  I click the top thing and nothing happens. 

I am so sick of this and ready to return my Chumby as I have not had it for 2 weeks yet....  I sent support an e-mail 2 weeks ago and have had not reply.  Will someone please help me!!!???

Also, I read where someone suggested to restore it to the factory settings.  Well, how can I do that when the screen is blank?

  • Registered: 2012-01-12
  • Posts: 8

Re: Control Panel Will Not Show Up and Screen Is Blank

I forgot to mention, my Chumby is a brand new Chumby One.

  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
  • Offline
  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-08-24
  • Posts: 8,200

Re: Control Panel Will Not Show Up and Screen Is Blank

Please describe "blank" - is it black, with the backlight off, or is it white?

If it's black, you probably have the brightness set all the way down - if you go into "safe mode", the brightness should be full on, and you can restore factory settings.

If' it's white, then something else is wrong.

Duane's Website

4 Reply by davjabo (edited by davjabo 2012-01-12 11:42:09)

  • Registered: 2012-01-12
  • Posts: 8

Re: Control Panel Will Not Show Up and Screen Is Blank

Thank you for your reply!  The screen is black (dark gray), definitely not white.   How do I go into "safe mode" when the screen is black???  Also, another weird thing is - the alarm is set to go off every morning and it went off this morning at the right time and even played Pandora Radio as it was set to do - and the screen lit up to where I could choose to Turn Off Alarm or Snooze.  As soon as I tapped Turn Off Alarm, the screen went blank again!  Never to return EXCEPT when I turn it off and turn it back on.  Then it lets me go through the set up of the wireless - all things showing on the screen - and then as soon as it says it is loading the Control Panel, all goes blank again.  Until the next day when the alarm goes off!  So I don't think it's the brightness. 

BUT when I set the alarm settings a couple of days ago, I did click on "go to dim" after the alarm goes off.  That could be the problem.  BUT it will never ever go to Control Panel for me when I click the top thing.... so I can't change the alarm setting to NOT go dim when the alarm goes off.  I hope this makes sense to you.

  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
  • Offline
  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-08-24
  • Posts: 8,200

Re: Control Panel Will Not Show Up and Screen Is Blank

Well, this totally sounds like the brightness is set too low.  It sounds like the device is otherwise working fine.

Reboot while holding your finger down on the screen, and hit the "restore factory settings".  It should not go dim when in safe mode.

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2012-01-12
  • Posts: 8

Re: Control Panel Will Not Show Up and Screen Is Blank

I held my finger down on the screen for a long time and nothing happened.  There is no place to hit "restore factory settings" because the screen is NOT lighting up!

  • Registered: 2012-01-12
  • Posts: 8

Re: Control Panel Will Not Show Up and Screen Is Blank

Never mind.  It worked.  All is well.  Thank you for your help!

  • Registered: 2009-12-21
  • Posts: 44

Re: Control Panel Will Not Show Up and Screen Is Blank

I got a similar problem with my C1 out of a sudden - well, not quite so, but see below.

Symptoms, type 1: C1 reboots into non-channel mode, only the blue-ish clock will be displayed, network connection is lost.
Type 2: screen goes black, but backlit, no more reaction to anything but power off/on.

The thing that changed is my WiFi. I had a rather weak router before, that lost connection to the C1 frequently - with no visible problems on the C1 (except the net being gone). Now I installed a stronger one that constantly holds the connection alive, at a steady 54Mbit/s.

If only the alarms would work when type 1 or 2 happen... I overslept twice already sad

  • Registered: 2012-04-17
  • Posts: 1

Re: Control Panel Will Not Show Up and Screen Is Blank

I had this problem too.  Rather than reset everything, I:
- cleaned the screen
- went into a dark room
- pointed a flashlight at it
I was then able to see the display, go into the settings, and increase the brightness.

I suggest a firmware modification in the future:  Upon restarting, if the brightness is all the way down, bring up a dialog box (with the brightness turned up) to ask if the brightness should be reset.  Have a time-out if for some reason zero brightness is required and the device is just restarting upon power failure.

  • Registered: 2010-11-30
  • Posts: 22

Re: Control Panel Will Not Show Up and Screen Is Blank

Hello, I have same problem as davjabo above. Somehow I set the screen to dark for daylight and night time. I have tried your suggestion of rebooting to get to safe mode a number of times, but I do not get the message asking to restore to factory settings. Finger on screen whole time. I get the normal start up process, then a blank full lit screen with nothing on it, then black. Any ideas what I might be doing wrong? Thanks.