Acer monitor broken

DarkHououmon · **on:** May 05, 2009, 10:00:26 AM

As of today, my Acer monitor has stopped working for an unknown reason, however the computer itself is fine. The orange light is still glowing on the monitor, but no picture is showing up. Anyone have any idea why the monitor will not turn on?

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #1 on:** May 05, 2009, 12:42:31 PM

Are you 100% sure it's the monitor? Have you opened up the computer and checked the graphics card? Once I had that little problem myself.

However, if it is the monitor, all you can do is get yourself a new one. Sorry!

Mumbling · **Reply #2 on:** May 05, 2009, 12:48:23 PM

you could try connecting it to another computer if possible. if not I would suggest to take it out for a while and plug it in again, maybe the connection wasn't too stable.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #3 on:** May 05, 2009, 01:23:23 PM

I don't know how to check the graphics card and no one in this house can figure out how to open up the computer case.

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #4 on:** May 05, 2009, 01:32:37 PM

Quote from: DarkHououmon,May 5 2009 on 11:23 AM

I don't know how to check the graphics card and no one in this house can figure out how to open up the computer case.

In most cases, you just need to slide the side panel. However, some may be held by screws in the back. Also, for a few, you need to take off the top first before you can slide the side off.

Try that and you should get into it in no time.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #5 on:** May 05, 2009, 01:35:27 PM

I should probably try to see if it's a monitor problem first before I mess with the inside of the computer. I'll ask Kylie if she can hook the monitor up to my Vista computer (the one I'm using now) and see if it'll load up. Hopefully it's just a monitor issue.

The strangest thing is that the computer and monitor were working just fine last night. No indication that anything at all was wrong. No blinking, no beeping, no ticking, nothing.

action9000 · **Reply #6 on:** May 05, 2009, 03:48:20 PM

Almost sounds like a graphics card or related problem to me but let us know how it goes with the monitor!

Good luck.

Malte279 · **Reply #7 on:** May 05, 2009, 05:36:20 PM

Strangely enough I had a fairly similar problem with an Acer laptop in August 2007. All of a sudden the screen was covered with many small purple rectangles so it was very difficult to recognize anything. I immediately saved all data I had on that computer elsewhere. A little later the screen died for good

I had to get a new laptop and in doing so had to realized that for some reason there are almost no laptops available anymore which have dull screens. Personally I find the new shining screen dreadfully annoying. Unless you are working in relatively poorly illuminated conditions you always have your own face's reflection goggling back at you from the screen. I wonder who decided to give up on the non reflecting screens and why they were apparently thought to offer any advantage over the dull ones.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #8 on:** May 05, 2009, 08:54:24 PM

Update: It wasn't the monitor after all. It was the computer itself. It was very dirty and was interfering, or preventing I should say, the performance. After dad cleaned up the inside of the computer, the computer did load up just fine. However it now reboots constantly. I'm getting a "Windows has encountered a serious error" message and these files are included:

Mini0509-02.dmp
Sysdata.xml

Tobe · **Reply #9 on:** May 07, 2009, 01:40:22 PM

Boot loop of death.

Try Safe Mode to see if it's a driver causing it.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #10 on:** May 07, 2009, 01:43:04 PM

Oh I forgot to give an update. Sorry. ^^; The computer's fine now. Dad believes that the rebooting was caused by the inside of the computer being too cold, since he used the spray on it. After a night of not being used, Jana used it and it was just fine.

So in conclusion: the initial problem of the computer not starting up was caused by dust. Not a virus, not a fried computer component, not a dead monitor, but dust. Just dust.

Well since we now know how to open up this computer, I suspect dad will be cleaning the inside of this computer more often.

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #11 on:** May 07, 2009, 02:12:49 PM

This is why I always keep a can of compressed air handy.

Compressed Air! It can save your computer from choking on dust.

Geez! That just came naturally!

Keep it clean. We don't want it happening again.

See ya later!

Tobe · **Reply #12 on:** May 07, 2009, 02:15:33 PM

Dust is evil. I though you said it was going into the loop of death AFTER it was cleaned out.

Ya lucked out.

~Tobe

Kor · **Reply #13 on:** May 07, 2009, 02:19:22 PM

It can be surprising how much dust can get into a computer and coat the various components.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #14 on:** May 07, 2009, 02:54:16 PM

Yeah. I had a look inside before dad used the compressed air and everything was coated in dust. o.O It looked like it was locked up in an attic for many years and was finally brought out.

action9000 · **Reply #15 on:** May 07, 2009, 05:27:32 PM

Good to hear, DH!

Quote

I wonder who decided to give up on the non reflecting screens and why they were apparently thought to offer any advantage over the dull ones.

Just a quick comment here..the reason the matte (non-reflecting) screens are no longer used nearly as much is because they require more power to get the same brightness. Glossy screens are more power-efficient, which is a popular demand in laptops.

Kor · **Reply #16 on:** May 07, 2009, 09:53:40 PM

I try to remember to clean the inside of my pc on a regular basis. It can be a hard thing to remember. I try to do it at least once a month or so.

NeptuneNavigator2001 · **Reply #17 on:** May 08, 2009, 01:11:57 PM

Yeah, it can be tough to remember.

However, upon opening this laptop, I was surprised that, for being four years old, there was hardly ANY dust at all...

It was interesting to find that out, and believe me, I dug deep into this thing. xD

Kor · **Reply #18 on:** May 08, 2009, 09:10:16 PM

Do laptops gather dust less the pc's? It could be also that it was cleaned or was stored somewhere when not in use where dust could not get to it.