Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - 3 Cables in my Lighting Box

I've seen similar posts dealing with 3 cables, but not directly relating to a light fixture. I'm trying to install a new light fixture in an existing box in my dining room cieling. Currently there is no light hooked up to the box, though I know there used to be. I removed the box cover that was on there, and there are three cables inside. Two whites were capped together. The other white was capped with two blacks. The third black was capped by itself, and all three grounds were capped together. Any suggestions?

Don't remove any of the caps yet. That is where alot of mistakes happen. There is a switch that controls this light. Have you found it yet? Your light fixture will attach to the bundle of whites (white wire) and single black wire (black), and of course the bare wire to the bare wires in the box. Let us know if you need further help.

This is a standard setup. You have a switch loop. ALL the wiring books talk about setups like this.

The white wire connected to the black wires brings power to the switch. The black wire by itself brings switched power back from the switch.

Connect your light to the single black wire and to the wire-nutted white wires.

You guys rock. I'm in business. Cheers.

It proves the best answers come in twos during the same minute.

I face a similar problem but I made a cardinal mistake (not the one that kills you, just the one that costs time). I have 3 sets of white and blacks and when I removed the old light fixture did not write down the configuration (first timer, here)

Set A gives me electricity, but the light switch does not turn off the attached light

Set B SEEMS to have some correlation to an outlet in the room

Set C, the black one when combined with black from A brakes the circuit.

I have tried what seems every conceivable combo...what should I look for?

Thanks

I hope you learned your lesson. The only wires you should have messed with were the ones connected to the light.

You undoubtedly have a switch loop. Verify this by looking at the wires at the switch. if you see only one cable and the black and white from the cable are connected to the switch, then you have the exact same setup as flotfw, and you should wire your setup as described in this thread.