# Screen Goes Black Help!



## pink-tinkerbell (Jan 17, 2006)

hi im new to this website...dont really know how it works but heres my problem...

i have a elonex exentia and when i switch on everything is as normal but then when i get onto the screen it keeps going black stays black for a while and then goes normal and repeats this process...

any ideas?????


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## UncleMacro (Jan 26, 2005)

Did this bahaviour start recently or has it always done this? If the behaviour just started, what changes did you make just before the problem appeared?

Is it just going black a few times and then once the machine has booted, the screen is normal and everything works properly? If that's the case, then that's normal behaviour. Many video cards blank the screen temporarily when the display driver and control panels are being initialized. I remember one person whose video card did that four times every time he booted Windows. I think we managed to get it down to two or three times by uninstalling and reinstalling the display driver. The number of black flashes vary depending on the video card, the display driver, and the number of video outputs on the card.

If, on the other hand, your screen is staying black once it boots, then that could be any number of things. It could be any number of software problems or possibly a problem with the LCD backlight.


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## JohnB (Jan 23, 2006)

I have started having the same problem with my exentia about 2 weeks ago. It started while playing Half Life 2, the screen went black for a few seconds, flicked back on for a couple of seconds, went off again, but was OK in normal windows. It has gradually got worse until now I can barely use the machine at all as the screen is going black for much of the time, if not permanently


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

For both of you I recommend an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) as soon as possible. Has anyone else heard of that brand? It's new to me.


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## UncleMacro (Jan 26, 2005)

An elonex exentia is a British all-in-one design. From your description, your LCD backlight may be dying. The backlight is behind the LCD panel. Its light goes out through the LCD panel to make the image visible. If the backlight goes out then the screen looks black. You can probably tell if that's the problem by looking closely at the screen when it goes black. If you look at the LCD from an angle you may be able to see a very faint image still on the screen. You can also try shining a light on the screen and looking from various angles. The LCD panel is usually still working fine but you can't see the image because the backlight is out.

If your backlight has died then you'll probably have to get Elonex to fix it for you. It's a hardware problem which is very difficult to fix yourself. LCD backlights are usually cold cathode florescent tubes and they can die on you. The power supplies for the tubes can also die. Either way, it's a hardware problem which they have to fix for you.


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## pink-tinkerbell (Jan 17, 2006)

JohnB said:


> I have started having the same problem with my exentia about 2 weeks ago. It started while playing Half Life 2, the screen went black for a few seconds, flicked back on for a couple of seconds, went off again, but was OK in normal windows. It has gradually got worse until now I can barely use the machine at all as the screen is going black for much of the time, if not permanently


This is my exact problem!


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## pink-tinkerbell (Jan 17, 2006)

UncleMacro said:


> An elonex exentia is a British all-in-one design. From your description, your LCD backlight may be dying. The backlight is behind the LCD panel. Its light goes out through the LCD panel to make the image visible. If the backlight goes out then the screen looks black. You can probably tell if that's the problem by looking closely at the screen when it goes black. If you look at the LCD from an angle you may be able to see a very faint image still on the screen. You can also try shining a light on the screen and looking from various angles. The LCD panel is usually still working fine but you can't see the image because the backlight is out.
> 
> If your backlight has died then you'll probably have to get Elonex to fix it for you. It's a hardware problem which is very difficult to fix yourself. LCD backlights are usually cold cathode florescent tubes and they can die on you. The power supplies for the tubes can also die. Either way, it's a hardware problem which they have to fix for you.


Thank you for your information i checked and found that i can still see a very faint image if you look closely so will get in touch with elonex thanks!


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## JohnB (Jan 23, 2006)

I got through to the Elonex helpdesk and was told this is due to a wiring fault of some sort, so they are taking it back for repair. I have to say I got the impression I wasn't the first person to experience this. My advice if you try to contact them is to start early and just keep ringing. Not the best help line in existence especially if they say they will call you back.


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## pink-tinkerbell (Jan 17, 2006)

JohnB said:


> I got through to the Elonex helpdesk and was told this is due to a wiring fault of some sort, so they are taking it back for repair. I have to say I got the impression I wasn't the first person to experience this. My advice if you try to contact them is to start early and just keep ringing. Not the best help line in existence especially if they say they will call you back.


thanks for the advice, i need to check if mine is still under manufacturers guarantee!!


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## JohnB (Jan 23, 2006)

Well, after nearly 4 weeks (promised to only take 2 weeks) i've got my computer back and it works fine now. Awful service from elonex though. The service dept there are about as rude and unhelpful as possible. Never ring you back and if you ring them they get really offended that you might want to know whats going on. I don't know what the problem was, they wouldn't tell me, but it did involve changing the mother board to fix it. I wouldn't have too much confidence in them though as they wanted to reformat my hard drive to get it to work and it wasn't until I kicked up a fuss about this that they decided all they really neeeded to do was re-install the screen drivers. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that nothing else goes wrong as I can't face going through this again


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

if you think their sevice is awful,hyundai australia uses a company synnex for repairs and my monitor did the same a on xmas eve,i still have not got it back and they cannot give an eta


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## monsteraf (Dec 30, 2007)

PinkTinkerbell/ UncleMacroray:

Please take a look at this page as it will give more light as to the extent of this problem...

http://www.petermoore.net/blog/wordpress/?p=162

I myself am seeking a solution to this problem and I think it is the dust build-up inside and sticking to fan - causing it to intermittently switching off and the subsequent overheating causes cable supplying power to the LCD panel to overheat and the PC to switch off???

When this actually happens, the "green" led light indicating power supply is still lit but no noise comes from the running of HDD and the LED light (next to the green power indicator light) also does not come on any more. 

The way I reset the machine is by pressing and holding down the silver power switch until the "green" light goes out (PC is now properly switched off). I then undo the power cord at rear of PC and leave for 30min or sometimes a few hours. Once reconnected and press silver power on button - pc comes alive and I can work for hours on end (left it on standby last night and it it still worked the next day...for how long, god only knows). Sometimes even after few days PC left disconnected it does not want to work, but after caressing and kissing it, it eventually comes alive!!! (I am NOT joking!)

Hope this helps !:grin:


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