Is this a problem with my or monitor?

[c.ruel]

I turn on the computer and monitor, the power LED comes on and so does the HDD LED, the hard drive is obviously spinning, so is the cpu cooler and case fan, and the green light on the motherboard is also on. However the monitor despite being plugged in and the green light flashing on, it is not displaying anything, not even a no input detected message...it is completely black. I do not have a spare monitor to test the computer with to isolate that as the problem. Therefore I can only think that it is one of 3 things, a problem with the gfx card, a problem with the vga cable or most likely the LCD monitor is broken, it is 7 years old now. I don't want to buy a new LCD monitor unless I am near certain that that is actually the problem. Does anyone know with some certainty that it is the monitor, or it that impossible without testing the computer with another monitor. Just like 80% chance it is the monitor would be good enough for me I reckon.

Thanks in advance!

[killie99]

do you have a laptop (or able to borrow one)? Is so connect the output from the laptop to the monitor and see if you get a display (you usually have to press the Fn key and one of the function keys on the laptop to switch the output). Either that or unplug your monitor and take it to someone else you know that has a computer and try it.

[scaryjim]

Sounds to me more likely to be the graphics card or computer, if the light on the monitor is flashing - that's usually the sign that the monitor is waiting for input. Monitors are generally pretty hardy, so assuming you've not actually done anything like drop the monitor, I find it very unlikely that it'll suddenly have stopped working. The other components of your PC are generally a lot more sensitive.

As killie says, your best bet is testing the monitor with a laptop (yours or a friends) - failing that either take it round to a mates to try on their computer or see if you can find someone with a computer small enough (perhaps someone who's bought an Acer Revo or similar) that they could bring it round to your to try out...

[Zhaoman]

I had the exact same problem last year. Tested with a different monitor and it was the same. Tested with different graphics card and still no signal. Then I RMA'd my mobo thinking it couldn't possibly be the CPU. Got a brand spanking new mobo in and still no cigar. So finally narrowed it down to the CPU. In your case it could be monitor or cable (unlikely as scaryjim said), or GPU, or mobo (unlikely imo), or CPU (very unlikely imho but not for me that time lol) so just test every component till you've narrowed it down.

[Salazaar]

I turn on the computer and monitor, the power LED comes on and so does the HDD LED, the hard drive is obviously spinning, so is the cpu cooler and case fan, and the green light on the motherboard is also on. However the monitor despite being plugged in and the green light flashing on, it is not displaying anything, not even a no input detected message...it is completely black. I do not have a spare monitor to test the computer with to isolate that as the problem. Therefore I can only think that it is one of 3 things, a problem with the gfx card, a problem with the vga cable or most likely the LCD monitor is broken, it is 7 years old now. I don't want to buy a new LCD monitor unless I am near certain that that is actually the problem. Does anyone know with some certainty that it is the monitor, or it that impossible without testing the computer with another monitor. Just like 80% chance it is the monitor would be good enough for me I reckon.

Thanks in advance!

How long has this been happening?

What motherboard have you got?

Have you tried turning it off at the mains/PSU for a few minutes and then starting it again, or have you just been using the power button?

[c.ruel]

Basically it is not actually my computer it is my girlfriend's and she lives abroad, hence why I can't bring my massive 19" CRT round (tbh if she lived down the road I wouldn't want to bring it round lol). She asked me what I thought was wrong and I said probably the monitor. I thought I would ask you guys because you always seem to have some pretty good ideas . Killie99 she does have a laptop, do laptops usually have VGA ports? If not what cable would she need to connect it up? Salazaar it is an old samsung model, 17" syncmaster i think and it's TN I would assume. I told her to unplug the monitor and computer at the mains and what not, and also check that all the cables are in properly, she assures me that they are, she also assures me that she hasn't dropped it. However it was an old computer and monitor of mine and I did take it over to her on the plane that might have caused it, but it worked for a good few weeks after the plane journey.

I will get her to try out the laptop if she is able to when she gets back from work, if it works fine then I will have to consult you guys on how best to identity what is causing the problem and if it is worth the effort/cost to fix it given the age of the computer (it's a p4).

Thanks for all of your suggestions.

Edit: The monitor light is flashing green NOT orange just to clarify.

[c.ruel]

She tried the monitor with a laptop and the monitor works fine. So your right scaryjim it is clearly something to do with the computer and not the monitor or cable. The computer when turned on and plugged into speakers makes the xp windows sound. Presumably that means the power supply, hard drive, mobo and cpu work fine right? So basically it has to be the graphics card right?

Thanks in advance.

[c.ruel]

Bump.

Is my assumption in the above post that it is the gfx card correct or could I be wrong?

[Zhaoman]

Yeah you're right: the windows xp sound suggests that the OS is able to load so your major components seem to be working fine. Although it sounds like it may be a duff connector at the back of your graphics card. If the GPU was outright dead then you wouldn't even hear the windows sound because the OS would fail to load.

[c.ruel]

There is also a DVI connector on the back of the graphics card, might that connector still work? If I bought a VGA to DVI adapotr might that fix the problem? Is it possible for only one connector on a gfx card to be broke!?

Thanks for you help.

[killie99]

There is also a DVI connector on the back of the graphics card, might that connector still work? If I bought a VGA to DVI adapotr might that fix the problem? Is it possible for only one connector on a gfx card to be broke!?

Thanks for you help.

That could be possible but I wouldn't be surprised if it still didn't work as basically you're taking the same analog signal and just re-routing it via the DVI connector - if the VGA connector was damaged this would be a solution.I think you need a new video card.

[Zhaoman]

It is possible for the VGA to be broken on its own; it's very unlikely but maybe through prolonged use some of the pins have lost contact...

Since a VGA-DVI connector is usually just a few pounds it's no harm to get one to test it out before you fork out for a new gpu altogether.

[c.ruel]

I'll try re-routing it via the DVI connector if not, new GFX card and hopefully that will solve it all. Thanks for all your help guys ... been really great!