Monitor / VGA Card

[Craig]

I'm having a problem with my monitor. It's not as bright as it used to be,
even with the brightness and contrast turned all the way up.

When I boot the machine the POST screen is barely visible. I tried an older
monitor that I still have. When it boots the POST screen looks fine, but
when windows tries to load, the screen goes blank. If I can boot up with the
computer is safe mode and the monitor works ok.

Most testing software for video cards just seem to test how fast it can draw
objects. Is there any way to test to determine the output levels?

 

[Michael Hawes]

I'm having a problem with my monitor. It's not as bright as it used to be,
even with the brightness and contrast turned all the way up.

When I boot the machine the POST screen is barely visible. I tried an
older monitor that I still have. When it boots the POST screen looks fine,
but when windows tries to load, the screen goes blank. If I can boot up
with the computer is safe mode and the monitor works ok.

Most testing software for video cards just seem to test how fast it can
draw objects. Is there any way to test to determine the output levels?

Your monitor is dying of old age. To use the older monitor, when you
start in safe mode, just change the display settings to 800x600 and refresh
to 60 Hz. When you reboot into normal mode you can find the best settings
for that monitor.
Mike.

 

[Mofaz]

It sounds as though you have a bad monitor. If you have a laptop you
can connect your desktop monitor to your laptop. Once you do, boot up
the laptop and observe what is displayed on the desktop monitor. Both
monitors (desktop and laptop) should show the same thing up to the
Windows logo screen. That's when your desktop monitor will go black.
Once you enter Windows, using your laptop right click on the
wallpaper. A small menu will pop up. Next, select 'Properties', then
click on the 'Settings' tab. You'll see below the small window
displaying what appears to be two monitors, labeled "1" and "2" is a
drop-down box that has your laptop and desktop displays listed.
Select the desktop display, then click on "Apply" and "OK". Your
laptop monitor should go black as your desktop monitor displays what
you normally see on your laptop monitor. If you don't see anything on
your desktop monitor, then that monitor is at its end.

If you don't have a laptop, ask a friend if you can borrow his
computer monitor for about 2 hours. Just swap out the monitors. If
your friend's monitor clearly displays everything, but yours doesn't,
then your monitor needs to be replaced.

Lastly, your video card could be at fault for your troubles. Swap out
video cards or if your motherboard has onboard video, then remove your
video card and connect your internal video cable to your motherboard's
onboard video processor.

 

[Craig]

Thanks I'll try that.

Your monitor is dying of old age. To use the older monitor, when you
start in safe mode, just change the display settings to 800x600 and
refresh to 60 Hz. When you reboot into normal mode you can find the best
settings for that monitor.
Mike.

 

[Craig]

I've got an old agp 4mb video card around some where. I'll give that a try
also.

Thanks