Display Screen Shuts Off

[Rusty]

Ok, for the past couple of days my Dell screen has been turning off on its own and then 5-10 seconds later it comes back on just like nothing was wrong. Is my screen about to go k-put?

[Thom]

Rusty:

May not be this simple but sometimes the maintenance settings change for some reason.

In the lower left hand corner click on START. Then click on CONTROL PANEL.

Then click on POWER (lower right hand corner).

These are the settings that regulate your screen status and the windows fairy sometimes changes them "we know not why"

Hope it is that simple.

Sorry I left out a step. Click on:

Start

Control panel

display

screen saver

then Power

[Rusty]

I just checked that and that part is set right. In the past, if the PC wasn't used, the screen would shut down like it is supposed to do when not in use. But the last couple of days, while using the PC, the screen will go black, then in 5-10 seconds will work like nothing was wrong.

[strangercreek]

Do you have another monitor you can try? That will at least eliminate it as the cause. If it does it on another monitor you could have a video card problem. If your PC has a built in video, you can still purchase another card and install it (there are very inexpensive cards available if you don't need anything fancy).

Other causes could be Windows itself (not as likely) but if you have had any other strange activity that might be an angle (virus, corrupt video card driver, rogue application causing problem). There are certain programs that I have seen make the video "act up" including Google earth, gotomypc, gotomeeting, logmein.com (all of these are really good programs but sometimes there is video incompatibility). I'll also mention something that I forget to do myself sometimes, which is check to make sure all cables are tight, and maybe disconnect and reseat them, which you might have already done)

I'm glad to give whatever advice I can....I do this stuff for a living....I hope this helps...sorry for the wordy answer as I get in the mode of explaining things alot

[Danoinark]

Russ you might do one of those system restore things where you go back to a date say before it starting doing it and restore to that date.

Dano

[Rusty]

Located the problem. The pup had chewed on the power supply cord, so I cut out the bad area and spliced. It only took me a little over two months to figure it out.

[Terry Beeson]

Rusty,

Does the power cord plug into the monitor or is it hard wired? I would suggest getting a new cord if it plugs in... If it is hard wired, I would take it to a Dell shop and get it fixed...

[davekeim]

Sounds like you're about as motivated as I am! Takes me two monthes to get on the treadmill!

Signed,

Cardiac

[Terry Beeson]

Hey Cardiac... I'm thinking of taking up roller blading as a form of exercise... and doing it on a treadmill...

[Thom]

Hey Terry great idea. I tried it and it worked out great.

Well actually I didn't roller blade on the treadmill but I did watch the video several times and forwarded it to my email friends. That actually took several strokes on the computer.

This week while I am eating a piece of the pumpkin chiffon pie I might do the thread mill roller blade watching thing again.