Black Screen

[Guest Helen]

My computer started doing this thing where my screen goes black. It used to

be that I could turn the monitor off and on a couple of time and then the

screen would stay on. Now when I do that the screen goes black a second

later.

 

I am thinking about using my recover disk and see if that will work.

 

Any ideas?

[Guest Malke]

Re: Black Screen

 

Helen wrote:

> My computer started doing this thing where my screen goes black. It used

> to be that I could turn the monitor off and on a couple of time and then

> the

> screen would stay on. Now when I do that the screen goes black a second

> later.

>

> I am thinking about using my recover disk and see if that will work.

>

> Any ideas?

 

It sounds like hardware failure. Using your recovery disk is a software

solution and will not help at all with bad hardware.

 

First, connect the computer to a different monitor. If that all works well,

then you know the original monitor is failing and needs to be replaced.

 

If the problem continues with a different monitor, your video card may be

bad. Uninstall it and swap it out for a known-working one.

 

Other hardware components could be faulty. There's no way for me to know

because you don't describe what happens with the computer when the screen

"goes black". Does the computer shut off? Or does it sound like the

computer is still running?

 

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Hardware_Tshoot

 

Standard disclaimer: I can't see and test your computer myself, so these are

just suggestions based on many years of being a professional computer tech;

suggestions based on what you've written. You should not take my

suggestions as a definitive diagnosis. Testing hardware failures often

involves swapping out suspected parts with known-good parts. If you can't

do the testing yourself and/or are uncomfortable opening your computer,

take the machine to a professional computer repair shop (not your local

equivalent of BigComputerStore/GeekSquad). If possible, have all your data

backed up before you take the machine into a shop.

 

Malke

--

MS-MVP

Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

[Guest Helen]

Re: Black Screen

 

 

 

"Malke" wrote:

> Helen wrote:

>

> > My computer started doing this thing where my screen goes black. It used

> > to be that I could turn the monitor off and on a couple of time and then

> > the

> > screen would stay on. Now when I do that the screen goes black a second

> > later.

> >

> > I am thinking about using my recover disk and see if that will work.

> >

> > Any ideas?

>

> It sounds like hardware failure. Using your recovery disk is a software

> solution and will not help at all with bad hardware.

>

> First, connect the computer to a different monitor. If that all works well,

> then you know the original monitor is failing and needs to be replaced.

>

> If the problem continues with a different monitor, your video card may be

> bad. Uninstall it and swap it out for a known-working one.

>

> Other hardware components could be faulty. There's no way for me to know

> because you don't describe what happens with the computer when the screen

> "goes black". Does the computer shut off? Or does it sound like the

> computer is still running?

>

> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Hardware_Tshoot

>

> Standard disclaimer: I can't see and test your computer myself, so these are

> just suggestions based on many years of being a professional computer tech;

> suggestions based on what you've written. You should not take my

> suggestions as a definitive diagnosis. Testing hardware failures often

> involves swapping out suspected parts with known-good parts. If you can't

> do the testing yourself and/or are uncomfortable opening your computer,

> take the machine to a professional computer repair shop (not your local

> equivalent of BigComputerStore/GeekSquad). If possible, have all your data

> backed up before you take the machine into a shop.

>

> Malke

> --

> MS-MVP

> Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

> FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

>

>

Yes, I hooked it up to another monitor and the computer is working just

fine. The monitor, when it goes black, the computer is still operating fine.

I turn the monitor off/on and I can see for a moment.

 

Thanks for your help!

[Guest Paul]

Re: Black Screen

 

Helen wrote:

>

> "Malke" wrote:

>

>> Helen wrote:

>>

>>> My computer started doing this thing where my screen goes black. It used

>>> to be that I could turn the monitor off and on a couple of time and then

>>> the

>>> screen would stay on. Now when I do that the screen goes black a second

>>> later.

>>>

>>> I am thinking about using my recover disk and see if that will work.

>>>

>>> Any ideas?

>> It sounds like hardware failure. Using your recovery disk is a software

>> solution and will not help at all with bad hardware.

>>

>> First, connect the computer to a different monitor. If that all works well,

>> then you know the original monitor is failing and needs to be replaced.

>>

>> If the problem continues with a different monitor, your video card may be

>> bad. Uninstall it and swap it out for a known-working one.

>>

>> Other hardware components could be faulty. There's no way for me to know

>> because you don't describe what happens with the computer when the screen

>> "goes black". Does the computer shut off? Or does it sound like the

>> computer is still running?

>>

>> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Hardware_Tshoot

>>

>> Standard disclaimer: I can't see and test your computer myself, so these are

>> just suggestions based on many years of being a professional computer tech;

>> suggestions based on what you've written. You should not take my

>> suggestions as a definitive diagnosis. Testing hardware failures often

>> involves swapping out suspected parts with known-good parts. If you can't

>> do the testing yourself and/or are uncomfortable opening your computer,

>> take the machine to a professional computer repair shop (not your local

>> equivalent of BigComputerStore/GeekSquad). If possible, have all your data

>> backed up before you take the machine into a shop.

>>

>> Malke

>> --

>> MS-MVP

>> Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

>> FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

>>

>>

> Yes, I hooked it up to another monitor and the computer is working just

> fine. The monitor, when it goes black, the computer is still operating fine.

> I turn the monitor off/on and I can see for a moment.

>

> Thanks for your help!

 

If the monitor is an LCD type, the symptoms mean the inverter in the back

of the monitor, is not working right. It generates power for a couple seconds,

and then shuts off.

 

This is an example of an inverter, and the CCFL light bulb it drives. The CCFL

is a cold cathode fluorescent lamp, and is a long hollow glass tube with

electrodes on each end. A typical CCFL uses about 3W of electricity. Large

format LCD displays can use a large number of these, in order to get uniform

lighting.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/2007-09-02_CCFL_lamp_driver.jpg/800px-2007-09-02_CCFL_lamp_driver.jpg

 

Paul