Tittles

Hey all

The past week or so my computer has been acting up

Like the other day I came home and I turn on my monitor and the screen is black

Then yesterday it just randomly went black and my music keep repeating the same 3 words but the computer was running.

Then today it just randomly went black again and now it went to 640x480 and the only other option is 800x600.

Each time it does it the monitor goes off and never comes back home untill i restart. The monitor button blinks green when it goes off like always when the computer normal is off.

I am starting to think it might be my video card but I just wanna see what you all think before I go and buy a new one and it not work.

I wasnt sure if I should post in hardware or not since I wasnt 100% if it was a hardware problem.

Any suggestions?

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kcnychief

I would suspect the video card as well, but those symptoms are a bit strange. I would say the monitor should be OK, but if you have access to another one of those in your house or if a friend has one, give that a shot as well.

In regards to buying a video card and not having it work, most places have a 14 or 15 day return policy on hardware

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Tittles

Its not that I cant return one if I get one its the matter of me returning it since the closest place is 15 minutes but o well

I know my monitor is fine and I really think its the video card too

Sucks cause it did it today while I was downloading windows 98 for my ex's grandpa cause I gotta reinstall windows on it and its taking longer then it should be.

Thanks

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Hipster Doofus

Have you got onboard video? If so take the card out, enable it in the bios & see how you go.

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LeeJend

Before you replace the card.

Shut down, pull the vid card and reinstall it to make sure it's seated properly. Make sure the monitor cable is plugged all the way in the card connector. Use the hold down screws on the monitor connector and the vid card if you aren't. I've had similar problems that turned out to be a loose connection on the video.

While the case is open blow the dust off the fans and then reboot and make sure they are turning.

Run something like ATItool (for Radeon) or ? (for Nvidia) that will monitor card temps and fan speed while doing 3d imaging. Make sure fan speed goes up as the card heats up.

Wouldn't hurt to do a Sandra burn in on the CPU and RAM for 30 minutes also
though this does sound like a video issue.

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Bman

To me it sounds more like a monitor problem, but I'd try a different monitor first, and then the video suggestions stated.

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Tittles

I dont not have onboard

I mess with it yesterday so we will see how things go

It can't be a monitor problem cause my music keep repeating the same few words when it happend while I had music on.

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kcnychief

Monitors control music sometimes too

/runs

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Tittles

If the speakers are part of the monitor yeah

Also...lately after POST my computer freezes right before it gets to the xp boot screen and I can only fix this by taking the battery out for a few minutes. I am maybe thinking something keeps attacking my Bios or something is going bad or something.

Sometimes it doesn't detect my 2nd drive or just takes forever to detect all the drives.

I hardly use this damn thing anymore besides for going on here,myspace, and chatting to people.

Got new rims and tires for my car so it all evens out my anger towards this damn computer.

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Admiral Michael

Well I would first test it by taking all hardware but the basics out. Also maybe try memtest86 and the utilities for your drives just in case. That boot CD I suggested in the Win98 thread has most of these integrated into it.

After I would try to get a different card to see if that's the problem.

That's it for now, I'm off to bed

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Tittles

Yeah I was just about to do the hardware trial and error test but I gotta wait till later. Have work and going to get my car.

It hasn't done it since before I posted. The boot problem also doesnt happen all the time either. I do plan on getting a no video card anyway since I wanna play my NFS: Most Wanted without having studders when there are more then 3 cars around me.

I shall get back with what happen by the end of the weekend hopefully.

Thanks

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bobsalot

i have been having the same sort of problem over the last couple of days http://forum.osnn.net/showthread.php?t=83036. execpt my monitor light doesnt blink,it stays on.

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lancer

i would hazard a guess that the mobo is the culprit.

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Tittles

I figured that. Since both of my problems started happening within 2 days or so.

I will see what happends for now. Right now actually my 2nd drive isnt detected cause I had to reboot for an update. When it does get detected it can stay detected the whole time the computer is on but when I reboot or whatever sometimes it isnt.

That drive could also be the reason its doing it. Damn seagates :P

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lancer

i wonder if you just need to reset your bios, have you tried taking out the battery for a few minutes and/or just putting a new cmos battery in?

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Tittles

Already did reset my bios

Thats the only way to fix my boot problem for a bit

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