# Screen cuts out. Goes Black, Has static.



## Skeezix (Mar 14, 2006)

My screen is constanly getting like static or stuck pixels. Then the monitor seems like everytime it gets under load or is viewing something it will go blank. I dont know if it is the motherboard of video card. When the screen goes out the computer seems to be responding still. Currently as I type this it is not showing the cursor moving but it will have the words there after the screen comes back. I have ruled it out being the monitor and I have tried updating the drivers for the video card but I dont konw what else to check and I cant figure out what the problem is.

Help!


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

post your specs
http://www.techsupportforum.com/showthread.php?t=105811
how did you rule out the monitor,did you try another monitor on it


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## Skeezix (Mar 14, 2006)

I will get the specs as soon as I can. Off the top of my head its a Dell 400SC, its a server box but it was built as a home / game PC. P4 2.8HT 512 ram with a Geforce4 FX 5200 128mb AGP video card.

I took the monitor (which is about 3 months old) out and hooked it up to a laptop and ran it all day without any problems at all.

I am starting to think that it could be something other than the video card. It is seeming to happen alot more frequently and it does it when I am loading almost any program. When the computer is starting up the windows sound is skipping pretty bad like it is hanging up, which it never did before. 

The screen is almost always hanging except for mouse movement. Applications do not seem to respond quickly and will hang and then the monitor will go out and it will come back with the application responding for a moment before repeating process.

I am currently trying to find a buddy with a spare AGP card I can try. I dont know to fix it if it is something else. I have alot of important files and applications I would like to back up and would be happy if the hard drive is available to plug into another box.

Should I part it out? What should I do? I dont want to be upside down on cost with this PC. I was going to upgrade at the end of the year anyway but I wanted to get all i could out of this box.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

check what is running at startup


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## Skeezix (Mar 14, 2006)

What should I check at startup? The programs? When it is starting up the screen is off and on flashing. It only really goes solid at a idle basicly. 

Another problem has arisen, I tried to use filezilla to start uploading my files to a server to back them up and it starts ok with the exception of the screen flashing on and off but after a little bit the entire computer will shut down and restart.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

tap f8 when booting and go into safe mode


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## Skeezix (Mar 14, 2006)

Now I feel like a complete idiot.

I ran safe mode with networking and everything comes up without the screen flashing on and off. Plus I am able to view websites and such. Currently I am uploading some files to a hosting account for backup.

The screen is a bit 'chuggish' like for instance when scrolling it is somewhat choppy.

Any ideas on what could be causing this all? Or what I can do to fix it?

Thanks for dealing with my lack of knowledge.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

your power supply could be going check the voltages with this
http://www.stvsoft.com/


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## Skeezix (Mar 14, 2006)

Its been a month. Sorry for the delay. I have been through a move and I am all set back up at the new place. I powered the computer up in safe mode w/ networking and downloaded that program.

It did not seem to find voltages in safe mode. I have been trying to reboot now for about 10 minutes. The flickering is horrible when booting up and it seems to be very slow. While loading the screen is off and on and sometimes going as bad as no signal to the monitor.

It gets to a certain point in windows where I can see the desktop but it goes no signal and I cant get it to come back.

I finally got it into windows but I can seem to click on anything and if I try to close the windows that open up (like the might be at risk bubble) it will give me a beep from the computer (the dos system beep)

Im going to try to mess with it for a little bit and see if I can get any progress.

Any ideas?


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## Fr4665 (Nov 18, 2004)

can you try a different video card in it ? also possibly try a different power supply unit


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## Skeezix (Mar 14, 2006)

I could try either but I dont know what I should try first? Is Dell specific on these items ? 

I dont want to spend much if im not sure its what is wrong. I was thinking I would upgrade the AGP video card to something better anyway and possibly upgrade the ram but I dont know how to find out what is wrong and Im hesitant to crack into it for fear Ill break it more.

I have tried a few more times to get it to boot normal into windows and it just flashes a grip while its booting up, I can get it to my desktop but nothing will run and it will show connection lost on the monitor and then it wont come back until reboot which is more of a recent occurance.

I mean my common sense is playing a part here in it either being the video card or power supply. Would it make sense that its power supply because in safe mode it is using less juice? or could it be a issue will the normal mode trying to ask the video card for something it can no longer produce and causing functionality fail in normal boots of windows?

Im lost.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

check your voltage readings in the bios
the idea is not to spend anything if possible until you can isolate the actual cause of the problem


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## Skeezix (Mar 14, 2006)

I tried checking in the Bios and I cannot find any readings for the power supply. Is there another way to check?


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=311


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## Skeezix (Mar 14, 2006)

I downloaded and installed it but it does not seem to work in safe mode with networking.

Is there anything else that works in safe mode?

I cannot boot up into standard windows at all anymore. The monitor will say signal lost and go black like the computer is off. I dont understand why Safe mode will come up properly though.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

see if you can borrow a larger psu to try in it
it sounds like you are running out of power when the bios hands over to windows


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## Skeezix (Mar 14, 2006)

So I bumped it up to a 600W PSU. Nothing, still only worked in safe mode. So I had it opened and looked, the fan was froze solid on the video card. I could have swore it worked before but ok. So I put a new video card in it and its all good now. Didnt really want to throw the money at it but hey now its working and I dont have to mess with it.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

glad to see you got it fixed


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