Monitor Problem

[Flyby PC 23]

Hi guys, tech querie.

 

 

 

I recently moved a PC, which may or may not have caused the problem, but we've also had some power cuts here, which may or may not have caused the problem, or it might just have happened all by itself.

 

 

 

What has happened is an existing PC setup has suddenly stopped recognising it's monitor. I've tried another monitor on that PC, same problem, and I've tried that monitor on another PC and it's fine. For some reaon, the PC is not recogising the monitor which it has used quite successfully for about 2 years.

 

 

My gut instinct says it's developed a problem with the graphics card, but there's nothing obviously wrong, and all it's cables have been connected. (I've taken them out, I've tried the DVI option, and the VGA option with cables I know to work).

 

 

 

Do I need a new graphics card or is there some backup setting I can revert to when it all worked fine. I get no dialogue at all, just "DVI No signal " before the monitor switches to standby, so I can't even access the PC setup.

 

 

Anybody got any suggestions before I try a new graphics card? Hate to spend money and find I still have the problem....

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Can you 'Hear' the PC booting normally?....is there an onboard Graphics card port you can try after removing your Addon graphics card?

 

Though, it sounds like

Almost certainly Graphics card is Kaput m8....sorry

Edited November 7, 2011 by UK_Widowmaker

[Shiloh 12]

Plug your monitor directly into the back of your computer (not the graphics card) and if that works I'd say your graphics card is toast. I had the same issue a year or so back. I do have a used ATI Radeon 5770 HD card I could give you a good deal on if you're interested. I upgraded to a 6850 card 4 months back and still have the old one. Good luck!

[Flyby PC 23]

There is a VGA slot for onboard graphics but wouldn't you know it, it's a male to male connection for all 3 of the VGA cables I have. I also have a 256 graphics card, but it doesn't fit the slot. Sigh.... Think calm thoughts, ....It's just one of those Mondays....

[Tamper 9]

You mentioned the PC "suddenly stopped recognising it's monitor"...to be specific, is this to say the unit appears to have no video at all (or) appears not to boot at all (or) the unit will boot, but Windows tries to do something funny with the screen resolution due to not being able to detect the monitor?

 

Depending on the answer, here are some thoughts:

 

Moving a PC inherently means two things happen, which are sometimes overlooked as a potential source of a problem.

 

1. The PC was unplugged, and therefore could've had a problem with the battery that 'holds up' the CMOS memory. Sometimes PC's stay plugged up for years without ever losing power, and when it does get unplugged, the PC *only* has the on-board battery to rely on (plus some 'non-volatile' settings in CMOS). When plugged in, there's actually a 'standby' voltage applied to the motherboard (called '+5VSB' or something similar) even if the PC is turned off, so it never technically 'loses' power.

 

2. Moving sometimes means mechanical vibrations or unintended bumping about. Cards and connectors can develop connection problems over time or during a move. For instance, it might have worked just fine held in the exact same position without moving prior to the move, but that little bit of jarring can work something loose.

 

Couple things to try (even if they don't work, you're not out anything):

 

1. Unplug the computer, wait a few minutes, then pull and reseat all expansion cards, including the video adapter, as well as the power connectors (typically, one 20/24-pin power connecter and one 4 or 8 pin motherboard 12V connector - consult documents for that board). You can safely do all this, and throw in reseating the RAM too; as long as you unplug the unit, ground yourself against static, and be reasonably careful with the mechanical slots/connectors, it won't hurt to try these things.

 

2. While the machine is unplugged, and you're inside doing the connections, locate the board's 'Clear CMOS" jumper. The location and directions for resetting the CMOS to default values should be in the manual. Try resetting the CMOS; sometimes the settings get 'scrambled' by power fluctuations and can cause all manner of confusion.

 

The posts above concerning using the 'on-board' video are helpful ways to help narrow down what's going on.

 

HTH/good luck.

[Tamper 9]

"There is a VGA slot for onboard graphics but wouldn't you know it, it's a male to male connection for all 3 of the VGA cables I have..."

 

I'm not quite sure I understand this comment. All the VGA connectors on every PC I've ever seen (for decades now) have female connectors, so a M-M cable shouldn't be a problem, assuming the monitor also has a female (which it should).

 

The 'on board' graphics shouldn't be a 'slot', it should be a 15-pin female connector, oriented parallel to the mainboard itself (not perpendicular).

 

If you see a male connector on the back of the PC mainboard, chances are about 99.99999:1 that you're looking at a (9-pin) serial port, not a 15-pin VGA port.

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

And Blue in colour (which is a bit of a Bummer if you dont have the DVI-VGA adapter, and your monitor is DVI only :(

[Olham 164]

 

Now you could grief about that disaster, Flyby - or tell your lady, that unfortunately you need a new graphic card.

You could get a better one second hand, maybe?

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

I love that song

 

(this one might help to cheer you up)......not

 

Edited November 7, 2011 by UK_Widowmaker

[Olham 164]

Damn, we were so young back when the "Rats" played that song...

[Flyby PC 23]

OK, so it seems it isn't the graphics card. I've exchanged the graphics card for another, and there's still no signal going to the monitor.

 

 

 

I'll have to get male & female VGA cable and see if the on board graphics works. What a pain in the jacksie.

 

 

 

Getting the DT's from not flying....

[Flyby PC 23]

You're correct Tamper, I was indeed looking at a 9 pin serial...

 

 

So that means the only graphics I have on my PC is the graphics card, 2 of which don't work, which is either really unlucky, or the problem is something more complicated.

 

 

 

I wonder if a small tap with a hammer might help....

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Any further forward m8?...I'm now suspecting the PSU

Edited November 12, 2011 by UK_Widowmaker

[Flyby PC 23]

Any further forward m8?...I'm now suspecting the PSU

 

 

No, I'm not.

 

 

I might be agreeing with you now. Initially I disconnected everything else from the PSU, all the dvd drives etc, and it made no difference, although all of these bits of equipment appeared to function normally.

 

I tried to run these devices from an alternative PSU, but it made no difference. However, I couldn't just swap the PSU because it doesn't have a SATA type connection for the hard drive, but futhermore the connection to the motherboard is not compatible either.

 

I suspect it could be the power supply, by a process of elimination, but I don't want to shell out on a new PSU without being sure it's not the motherboard itself.

 

I have noticed however that the fan inside the PSU seems to be running rather slowly, so this does imply something could be wrong with the PSU.

 

 

I've been OFF less for a month, and getting the DT's. My OFF install disk seems corrupted and hangs up on installing, and a straight copy of my existing install doesn't survive the hard copy from XP to Win 7. Sigh... (Don't worry guys, I'm not needing duplicates, I have a MAW and a CFS3 working on the work PC, but it's not so easy to hard copy an OFF).

 

 

 

Is there a cheap way to fire up a SATA based PC with an ADI power supply?

 

I've already ordered an adaptor to interchange SATA and ADI hard drives, but I've only just discovered the PSU's are different too.

 

Sould I just bite the bullet and buy a new SATA PSU?

 

I think I may have answered my own question.

 

 

 

I haven't located the Cmos re-set yet either...And you know when you mention manuals,.... err how can I put it, we try to operate a paperless workplace if you know what I mean. Will my motherboard have a code I chack online?

Edited December 3, 2011 by Flyby PC

[Flyby PC 23]

Aha! Some success!!

 

I took off the PSU, and gave it a blast of air from the compressor to clear away all the crud.

 

Wired it up again, and my monitor is back, but the fan in the PSU isn't working at all now.

 

 

So it looks like I'm fixed for now, but living on borrowed time without a fan working in the PSU.

 

Obviousy what's going to happen now is it's going to work perfectly until one minute past closing time on Christmas eve so I can't fly OFF throughout the Christmas period because can't get a new PSU until the new year. Old and wise me says get a new PSU anyway, but I also have the rebel in me who likes to live dangerously.

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

You can buy any standard PSU m8...all come with at least one SATA connection these days...if you need two or more...you can buy the cable adaptor easily enough

[Flyby PC 23]

The PSU I had in mind was one from a previous PC, 450W but no SATA power output, but the 20 pin connector to the motherboard didn't fit either. I didn't count if there were more pins these days or the plug was simply smaller, but it wasn't going to fit.

 

I don't actually mind so much now, I'll see how we go, and if I see or smell smoke, (and not a moment before lol), I know it's the PSU.

 

 

 

If you don't hear from me for a while, CUT THE BLUE WIRE!!! WHATEVER YOU DO DONT CUT THE RED ONE!!! ITS THE BLUE ONE!!!

[Flyby PC 23]

Still here.

 

Cut the red one. You'll be fine.

[tranquillo 10]

Yep, I cut the red one and all is well. I'm not even getti.....................................................

[Von Paulus 8]

The PSU I had in mind was one from a previous PC, 450W but no SATA power output, but the 20 pin connector to the motherboard didn't fit either. I didn't count if there were more pins these days or the plug was simply smaller, but it wasn't going to fit.

Nowadays it's 24 pin.

 

I don't actually mind so much now, I'll see how we go, and if I see or smell smoke, (and not a moment before lol), I know it's the PSU.

The problem with a failing PSU is that it can damage the motherboard.

I've read all your posts and still I'm not convinced totally that's a PSU thing. It can be, but no 100% sureness. However, if the fan is not working, you really need to replace that PSU. So go for it. Don't risk. Play safe.

I've seen too many damaged boards caused by PSU failures.

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Have to agree with VP m8...A damaged PSU can cause havoc with Memory, Graphics cards (if they are powered by the PSU)

 

For £30 odd...could save you a whole world of pain!

[Flyby PC 23]

Reolved my PSU issues, but I've also added a second hard drive to my PC but I'm having problems getting it to work.

 

 

 

All I did was connect up the power and data, the PC recognises it as new hardware and installed a driver for it, but it has no volume allocated and it isn't initialised. I'm guessing that I need to format this drive, but how do I do this? It doesn't appear as a drive to simply format.

 

My best guess is to disconnect the original drive, and restart the PC with the new drive only and a boot disk. Would this work?

 

 

Help greatly appreciated....

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

In XP.... got to Control Panel / Disk Management... see if it shows up in there..If so, assign a Drive letter, Initialise disk, and format

 

HTH

[Von Paulus 8]

Tutorial: http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/prepare_second_hdd/prepare_second_hdd1.shtml

[Flyby PC 23]

Heart felt thanks fellas, formatting now...

 

One question, - it's referring to the type of volume as 'Dynamic' whereas the other drive and the dvd are 'basic'. Is this a problem or something I can ignore?