# [SOLVED] Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds



## carld2002

Good day.

I have a desktop computer that I built 3 years ago. I went away for the summer and did not take my computer. It was transported by car for a few hours too aside from being in storage for 2 months. Could be the source of the problem though I believe that it is a software issue.

When I turned it on for the first time a few days ago, it worked fine except for a flashing in the monitor. It will go completely black from a period of 0.5-10 seconds then turn back on. It does this at a variable rate and the flashes could be anywhere from one second to 30 seconds apart. I have full control over the computer while the screen is black but just can't see anything.

My guess is that it is a software issue as it only occurs once I am logged into my account on windows.

Any ideas what the problem could be? What to check for?

Running Windows vista 64bit with a Geforce gtx 260 216 with newest drivers.


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## oscer1

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

Hi, welcome to TSF

i would start by re-seating the video card. Try another monitor or try your monitor on another computer.


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## carld2002

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

Thanks for the reply

I reseated the video card and tried the monitor on another computer.

The monitor works fine and the reseated video card did not fix the problem.


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## oscer1

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

try updating the video drivers.


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## carld2002

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

Drivers were updated yesterday in an attempt to fix the problem. It did not help.


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## oscer1

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

could you list the specs of computer mobo, cpu, gpu, power supply make and wattage.
have you tried a different cable?


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## carld2002

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

Different monitor cable? If so, I have not but do not have one at my disposal currently.

If it was a hardware issue though, shouldn't it be occurring through the whole startup process and not just starting when I log into windows?

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P
Cpu: Intel Quad Core Q9550 @2.8ghz
GPU: Geforce gtx 260 216
Power supply: OCZ gamexstream 850w


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## oscer1

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

just trying to rule out things. does it do it in safe mode?


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## carld2002

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

It does not do it in safe mode.


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## oscer1

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

then thats telling me might be a driver problem or software conflict. ok try this go to run type msconfig and startup tab uncheck everything and see if it still go blank. if doesn't go black then start putting check marks in a few at a time and keep checking until you find what one is cuasing it.


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## carld2002

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

Sorry for the long reply time.

I tried what you said, and the problem was not fixed even with all the startup pats unchecked.


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## oscer1

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

ok, try lowering the resilution down alittle and see if that helps. After that go back to msconfig and put a check on dianostic boot and see if the screen works properly.


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## carld2002

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

Tried both. Neither of them work unfortunately.


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## oscer1

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

so it has no problems when in safe mode, this is kinda stumping me will see about more help for ya.


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## IT-Barry

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

EDIT: seen your motherboard doesnt have built in vga.

Flickering with the card would suggest a faulty card or driver issue, your pc cant have a new driver if it was sitting unused so that leads to a faulty card.

If you have installed this exact driver NVIDIA DRIVERS 280.26 WHQL then I would push more towards faulty card.

Try buying a very cheap card to test.


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## oscer1

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

is this the driver you installed? NVIDIA DRIVERS 280.26 WHQL
also could you list the volts and temps from bios?
have you tried changing ports on card? also try wiggling it a little and see what that does.
also if you have another slot you can try the card in, i would try that too.


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## carld2002

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

I just rechecked the safe mode thing and found that it actually does occur in safe mode. No clue how I missed it before. Sorry. Also that the flashing does occur during startup, completely stops for the login screen then restarts after login. Hardware issue probably then?

Those were the exact drivers that I installed but the problem was occurring before the new drivers were installed anyways.

Ports can't be changed on the card, there is no room in the case as the card is huge.

List the volts and temps of what in particular?


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## oscer1

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

list all the readings from the bios for voltage and temps. maybe under pc heath or something like that.

EDIT: i see your motherboard don't have on board graphics does it?

EDIT 2 does your card not have another port on it?


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## carld2002

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

Crap. So I retested safe mode and found out that not only does it occur in safe mode but that it also occurs during startup. (occurs during startup, stops doing it at the windows account login screen, starts again after login.) No clue how I missed that but I apologize for it Hardware issue?

Yes, that is the exact driver that I installed.

What part do you want the volts/temps of?


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## oscer1

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

no apologize needed 
list everything bios has. plus i would see about barrowing a card from someone to test with.


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## carld2002

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

Hopefully this is what you are looking for:

vcore 1.220v
ddr18v 1.920v
+3.3v 3.264v
+12v 12.175v

current system temperature 38C
Cpu temp 39C
cpu fan speed 1205 rpm

Don't think I would be able to borrow a card unfortunately. I guess I may have to risk it and buy one if it comes down to it.


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## oscer1

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

your volts and temps look fine. so i think i would try a cheap card until you can afford another better one. i say cheap one is besuase it will be for testing and it could be for a back up card.


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## carld2002

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

How sure are you that it is the video card?

The reason that I ask is that I'd rather replace my geforce 260gtx with a similar range or slightly better card ($100-200 range) than buy a really cheap one and have to buy a new one later.


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## oscer1

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

i can't be 100% curtain, but it looks to be that. you never answered my question about trying the other port on the card, your card should have 2 ports on it have you tried the other one? and you said you can't move it to the other slot on the motherboard since their is no room. one reason i would see if you can barrow a card to test with before you go out and buy one.


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## carld2002

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

Sorry, missed that one but it's a good thing that you reminded me.

Interesting results. When plugged into the other port, the screen is almost fully scrambled. You can just barely make out the outline of what is occurring on the computer. The same thing occurs... I start it up, it is fully scrambled until the login screen where is is perfectly normal. Then as soon as I log in, it goes to a scrambled screen completely again.

The computer seems to function perfectly itself, it's just the display that is messed up.


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## IT-Barry

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

If it happens in safe mode its either the motherboard or the card.

Both are quite expensive to replace.

I would personally suggest a cheap card buttons worth. $20 dollars a thing thats pretty crappy but works for video.

This way you can test the mobo and card at the same time, rather than you having to buy an expensive card when it could be the motherboard that has the problem.

I'd personally go for a cheap card rather than an expensive mobo that isnt needed, or an expensive card that might not be needed.

If you have another computer in your house or a friend you can test your card on, this is a free way to see if its your card or mobo.


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## oscer1

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

i would have to agree with IT-Barry here.


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## carld2002

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

Problem solved. After borrowing another graphics card and doing some testing, I figured out that it was not the problem of the graphics card or the motherboard, it was the dvi port on the monitor. 

Currently using the dvi port on the graphics card hooked into a vga/dvi adapter. and onto the vga port on the monitor. My question is: Am I going to notice a loss of performance by using the vga port on the monitor or by using an adaptor between the two? Should I look at getting a new monitor or will the adaptor into the vga port work just as well? 

Thanks for all your help, it is greatly appreciated. Will mark the thread as solved once the question is answered.


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## oscer1

*Re: Screen Goes Black Every Few Seconds*

your welcome, 

well give it a try for awhile see if you notice any differance in performance, i never used a dvi so i can't say if you will see any differance. if you find that you do not like it then its up to you if you want to get another monitor.


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