# The Mysterious Monitor problem

## Doubleletter

Hi all,

I have a problem with my CRT 17" BenQ monitor. A few days ago, I switched it on and I got a blank (black) screen. The LED is on, but it doesn't show anything. Fine, so I tried it with another (older) PC, and I got the same thing.

With the monitor On, and the CPU off, I get a 'No Signal' message which appears 'FUZZY'. I thought there might be some inteference, so I tried it another room and I get the same thing.

Of course, my PC works fine with an older 14" monitor: so I don't think there's any problem with the video card (ATI Radeon 7000 - 64 MB)

The puzzling thing is that the monitor in question works perfectly fine at a friend's place.

What could be the problem ?!?

Any help is greatly appreciated,

- DL

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## valczir

My 20" WSXGA did the same thing when I set my desktop to a resolution of 640x480 (when I was trying to figure out why Quake 4 and UT2004 were crashing X......don't ask).  It turned out that the problem was that the screen was trying to display way down in the bottom right of the room I was in, but there's no screen way down there (and no, that's not what the problem was with Quake 4 and UT2004 - the problem remains, though I have worked around it to where I can play those two games just fine).  So try adjusting the position of the screen or the resolution or something.

I doubt that this is your problem, but there's a very small chance.....  On the off-chance that my suggestions work, I charge $10 per hour.  So you owe me....hrm......nothing.  Yep.  Have a nice day.  =)

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## Doubleletter

Thanks for the reply  :Wink: 

But I doubt if that is my problem, as the monitor does not display the bios or the OS selection screens, or anything else. 

Initially, it was displaying the OS selection screen, and would go blank when I selected an OS....

Regards, DL

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## padoor

it seems like H V syncs are missing . check the cable connecting to vga port

if you hear the relay click sound when swiching on power to monitor and it works in your friends place make me think of loose connection or break in the cable.

sure there is no mains voltage problem?

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## Doubleletter

padoor bhai,

We tried the monitor with the same cable at my friend's place....

Could it be a mains voltage problem ? Then why is it affecting just this monitor and not the other one ?

thanks,

DL

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## padoor

it is still possible your video card has some problem in generating the sync required by 17" monitor. the bios screen does not comeup is usually display card/chip failed. it even can be any chip like network card failure. 

you have moved only the monitor to your friend's place i suppose. means friends computer works with your monitor.

thats not conclusive test for monitor/comp.

try try untill it works.

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## Doubleletter

Its possible... But I've been using this monitor for 2 years .. I wonder what prompted this ?

In any case, what about the 'fuzzyness' in the display of 'No Signal' when I switch it on _without_ connecting it to the CPU ?

Thanks - DL

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## padoor

fuzzy pictures /letters should be attrbuted to no focus or low focus voltage to crt  technically.

or low filament voltage or low emmision frm cathode.

all the above goes away as sson it goes to your friends place.mmmmm!!!

does your monitor have a focus screenbrightness controls at the back of monitor?

i dont know your hardware skill so i will not ask you to open the monitor.

if you have two controls at the back which goes on the LOT -- may be a screwdriver slot or something like that. the fuzzy no signal message can be adjusted to show correctly.

but that is not your problem

multisync monitors have to get the H and V sync from the display card. the LOT drives maximum only when it is synced with correct frequency .

to show this no signal message there may be a default sync of 60Hz and abt 15KHz.

as you need to make more resolution more power drive is driven by the display device.

thats why the display drive card /chip is to be doubted.

only if another 17" monitor of the same type you use works with your comp you can pass your box.

working for 2 yrs is no reason it cannot fail now. any monitor may work for as long as 15yrs or only for the first yr. this does not rule out display card problems.

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## Doubleletter

I should also add that there was no fuzziness a few times when I tried it: But now its fuzzy all the time... 

I'm beginning to think its a problem with the electricity in the flat.... We only moved in a few months earlier.

I will also try to check both the monitor and the cpu at a friend's place....

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## padoor

in that case it is worth trying to blow away the dust settled in both monitor and cpu box.

you must use a vaccuum cleaner in blower mode only. do not open monitor just try to clean from through the air went holes windows of all sides. you can open the one side cover of cpu box and blow the dust away. be sure to remove mains cords first. the vaccuum cleaner hose should not touch any part of the computer mother board.

all chances are you may be successful

all the best  :Smile: 

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## Doubleletter

Ok, so before I could try to vacuum up the monitor/pc, a friend of mine opened up the errant monitor to check it .. he couldn't find any fault.. he, too, thinks its a problem with the electricity.

So I switched on my 14" monitor, went off to do something and when I returned the login screen was frozen and the keyboard & mouse wouldn't work: so I restarted the pc, and lo behold: This monitor was also not working ! It showed a dim grid of 3x3 rectangles with a dark rectangle in the middle ! 

Anyway, I connected this 14" monitor with my older CPU and it worked fine ! Connected it back to the current pc, and it started working again BUT: while working on the PC, suddenly, the screen started going fuzzy in a pattern of thick vertical lines... I restarted the PC and it was okay... 

I'm confused.. what could be wrong ??! Could it be a brownout ? 

The electrician is supposed to drop in soon to check the voltage.

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## padoor

your video drive card is really having serious trouble.

its likely the monitor cannot take the spurious frequency content from this card/chip

you will need computer hardware techy check this comp.

i dont think the monitor is faulty.

the drive especially H sync can kill the monitor if connected for too long .

you cannot do it yourself. get help

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## Doubleletter

Ok, I took it to the technician. We're getting closer to the _problem_:

He connected the 17" to his PC: it wouldn't work:

He connected it again with the resolution reduced to 16BIT, and it worked (Windows XP) ! He set it back to 32bit, and it kept working ... 

So: I took it home, tried it again: it still wouldn't show the BIOS or  startup screens or OS selection. But when I selected Windows XP, it worked (An expired trial version, if you know what I mean) ! I rebooted it and started Gentoo but it doesn't work...

So I can only think of one solution: Configuring Xorg properly ? But if _that_ is the problem, then why won't, at least, the BIOS screen show ? Could it, then, be a VGA card problem as padoor suggested ?

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## Doubleletter

I tried with an older Video card: The problem with the monitor persists....

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## pteppic

The problems you describe sound pretty specific, the fuzzy 'no signal' etc. I'd do a google search for the monitor model number, you may turn up a know and common problem.

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## padoor

if you could repair the problem please post what you did.

i have a technical quest on this.  please.

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## Doubleletter

This issue is on the back-burner for a bit, until someone I know can find the time to open it up. What we're going to do, in his words, "change the condensers".

For the record, the monitor still works with Windows XP but the screen seems slightly fuzzy, almost-flickering. It does not show the BIOS or the OS-Selection screens.

I'll update you as soon as we have a result. At the worst, I'll have to buy another monitor.

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## pteppic

 *Doubleletter wrote:*   

> in his words, "change the condensers".

 

Is this guy like 90, I haven't heard that term used in quite literally decades.

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## Doubleletter

Err, he's an oldie [50ish], yeah  :Wink: 

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## padoor

that defeats the idea that your monitor working with your friends computer.

condensers are now called capacitors .

hardware people are less nowadays. so oldies are needed .  :Smile: 

well lets wait and see.  :Smile: 

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## Doubleletter

The guy uses Windows XP .. he probably switched the monitors while the CPU was booted into XP... that's working for me, too.....  But was it flickering ? I guess I'll have to see/do it myself on his pc...

Season's Greetings & Happy New Year to you all.

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