Screen freezes then goes black for less than a second

[Guest]

Something has happened within the past 3 or 4 days which has messed up my
computer.

Randomly, sometimes when I open a new Internet Explorer window and sometimes
when I pick on one of my IE saved favorites, my computer screen will first
lock up for a few seconds and then my computer screen will go black (blink)
for less than a second. After the screen comes back normal but this happens
over and over.

The above situation just happened as I was typing this message.

I have screened my computer for spyware, adware, viruses, etc.... I use
McAfee SecurityCenter. I also have Adaware and Spybot. Also I used the
online scanners from a few different companies. It all comes back clean.

I desperately need your help.

PLEASE FORGIVE ME AS I DID PLACE THIS MESSAGE THE GENERAL FORUM AREA. THIS
IS MY FIRST TIME TO THIS SITE AND I AM LEARNING.

 

[Maurice N ~ MVP]

Hello Onion Man,

Is the problem just only in Internet Explorer? if so, is it most usually only opening a new window or only viewing / picking favorites?

Go to IE main menu, select Tools / Internet Options. Click on Advanced Tab.
Scroll down to
"Enable Personalized Favorites Menu"
if it is checked (enabled) then un-check it.

Scroll down to the Security section. Look at "Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed".
Check (tick) the box to enable it. Apply changes / press OK.
+

Consider getting and running CCleaner (freeware) from http://www.ccleaner.com/

Download it, save it, set it up and run it.

Close all browsers before running CCleaner !

When started, select the Windows tab:

Select these options:

Under Internet Explorer: select Temporary Internet Files, Delete Index.dat files

Under System: select Empty Recycle Bin, temporary Files, memory dumps, Chkdsk file fragments
++
See "Computer Health"
http://aumha.org/a/health.htm

 

[Guest]

Maurice:

It happens pretty much anytime I am in IE. When typing a message (such as
what I am doing now), opening a new IE window, opening a favorite; pretty
much anytime I do something in IE.

It froze up then "blinked" (flashed a black screen) when I went to get into
the internet options by going to the Tool pulldown.

It is getting to become very irritating.

I have and use both Ccleaner and Cleanup! to clean out my IE backup files.

Do you have any other suggestions or can you point me to someone who might
be of further assistance to me?

I

 

[Guest]

Maurice:

Since my last message in response to your message below I was working with
MS Word and my computer screen "blinked" (flashed a black screen for less
than a second, there was not the freezing that occurs when in IE.).

 

[Maurice N ~ MVP]

Before this last update from you, I was going to have IE as the focus. But now, we're going to have to rule out (or rather, review) hardware issues. How old is your system? Do you think it's possible your video card or the monitor are not getting steady (proper) power ---- such as possibly the power dropping for just a short bit?

Try disconnecting an un-needed peripheral (maybe printer or scanner) to see if problem disappears.

How long has it been since you cleaned the inside of your pc case?

 

[Guest]

Maurice:

The system is approx. 3 years old.

As for the video card or monitor getting steady power, I don't know. To be
honest my knowledge of computer workings is minimal, so any step by step
instructions would be greatly appreciated.

I don't think the computer case has been cleaned once since it was bought.

Just during the typing of this note the typing was stopped by the computer.
To get it back to typing I would have to pick another IE window then the
screen would "blink" (go black) for less than a second. I would then have to
pick the IE box for typing this message to continue with my message. I has
done this at least 4 times since starting to type this message. I continued
to type when the message froze to see what would happen when I got back into
this message. It turns out that even though the message appeared frozen on
the screen what I was typing did appear once I got back into the IE session.
I don't know if that is significant.

Mike

 

[Maurice N ~ MVP]

If you've not had the inside of the case cleaned of "dust bunnies" in more than say 2 years, it's likley time to do it.
If you do not know how, you may consider taking to a good local pc shop.

It's a matter of powering off the system; unplugging the main power source; removing the cover; then using a very small vaccum to remove any dust accumulation.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

If you've not had the inside of the case cleaned of "dust bunnies" in
more than say 2 years, it's likley time to do it.
If you do not know how, you may consider taking to a good local pc
shop.

It's a matter of powering off the system; unplugging the main power
source; removing the cover; then using a very small vaccum to remove
any dust accumulation.

Maurice, a vacuum cleaner is a very dangerous tool to use inside the
computer's case. It's very easy to accidentally touch the wrong thing with
the nozzle and get a static electricity discharge that will fry the
motherboard.

It's far safer to take the box outdoors and use a can of compressed air to
blow the dust bunnies away.

 

[Guest]

Hello Onion Man,

Is the problem just only in Internet Explorer? if so, is it most usually only opening a new window or only viewing / picking favorites?

Go to IE main menu, select Tools / Internet Options. Click on Advanced Tab.
Scroll down to
"Enable Personalized Favorites Menu"
if it is checked (enabled) then un-check it.

Scroll down to the Security section. Look at "Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed".
Check (tick) the box to enable it. Apply changes / press OK.
+

Consider getting and running CCleaner (freeware) from http://www.ccleaner.com/

Download it, save it, set it up and run it.

Close all browsers before running CCleaner !

When started, select the Windows tab:

Select these options:

Under Internet Explorer: select Temporary Internet Files, Delete Index.dat files

Under System: select Empty Recycle Bin, temporary Files, memory dumps, Chkdsk file fragments
++
See "Computer Health"
http://aumha.org/a/health.htm

 

[Guest]

Something has happened within the past 3 or 4 days which has messed up my
computer.

Randomly, sometimes when I open a new Internet Explorer window and sometimes
when I pick on one of my IE saved favorites, my computer screen will first
lock up for a few seconds and then my computer screen will go black (blink)
for less than a second. After the screen comes back normal but this happens
over and over.

The above situation just happened as I was typing this message.

I have screened my computer for spyware, adware, viruses, etc.... I use
McAfee SecurityCenter. I also have Adaware and Spybot. Also I used the
online scanners from a few different companies. It all comes back clean.

I desperately need your help.

PLEASE FORGIVE ME AS I DID PLACE THIS MESSAGE THE GENERAL FORUM AREA. THIS
IS MY FIRST TIME TO THIS SITE AND I AM LEARNING.

How can I ask a question?? New here and the site isn't very user friendly. I
am having the same intermittent black screen problem. It happens on pagews
with graphics more like Media Player. I have tried everything to fix
including virus scans, spyware scans, doing this in safe mode, attempting
restore, which is a joke because it ALWAYS fails. I have run CHKDSK, no luck.
I can't get rid of the short black screens! Now I am getting freeze ups. I
once had a message after a scan that said my system had "recovered from a
serious error. Funny, it hasn't recovered from anything. "My email is :
(e-mail address removed) Help!? Thanks