monitor issues (again)

[queenbookwench]

My monitor has mysteriously stopped showing a picture. Yesterday morning it was working. Yesterday afternoon it was not. It just sits there with its little orange light. Very annoying. I _bought_ this monitor about six months ago b/c I was having problems with the old one. Why do computer problems always happen in the middle of the school year? Sigh.
If anybody out there has some thoughts on what the problem might be, I send out a pitiful appeal to your collective wisdom.

Things I have already tried:

--checking to see if the computer was on (It was.)

--checking all of the cords to make sure they were securely attached/plugged in. (They were, or at least they appeared to be.

--turning off the monitor and then turning it on again (The little light is green for a second, then shifts to orange)

--turning off the computer and then turning it on again.

Le sigh. My thesis is on that computer. Fortunately it is possible to revise poems by hand. But I really do not want to have to by another monitor (I'm typing this at school right now)

Comments

[two-star.livejournal.com]

It could be a video card problem instead of a monitor problem. You could try opening the box and making sure the video card is seated properly.

You could also find someone willing to let you plug your monitor into their computer, which should conclusively prove whether the problem is the monitor. (Likewise, you could plug their monitor into your computer.)

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

Yeah, do what he says and try it with another monitor. It may be some kind of weird power-saving setting has gotten changed--Windows, if that's what you're running, does that sometimes. I don't remember the fix for it, but it should be pretty easy to find.

[ariadnesthread.livejournal.com]

Have you checked your standby settings? Under Control Panel, Display. Make sure it's not timing out on you....set it to 30 minutes or something long like that.

Try a cheaper fix--are you sure there isn't a problem with your monitor cable? Does Ginger have one you could swap in to check that? There could also be some kind of problem with the computer's monitor cord socket, or a connection from the socket to the internals of the computer.

[queenbookwench.livejournal.com]

Thanks y'all.

two_star: where would I find the video card? And how would I check it? Is this something a totally non-computer literate person can do?

wintersweet: That's a really good idea, but I don't know where I'd get another monitor--my roommate has a laptop. I didn't know that about windows--good information to have. Still, I can't figure out how I would fix it since I can't see screen

ariadnesthread: I'm pretty sure it's not that, because I don't put it on standby, and I have a pretty good knowledge of how long it takes for the blank screen to come on. Although, if that malfunctioned somehow, could it cause the screen to never come back on at all? Which is what is happening. I have tried repeatedly to get it back.

Re:

[two-star.livejournal.com]

If you open up the computer case, the video card is the card that the monitor cable plugs into. The card should be plugged into a slot on the mainboard. Make sure it's firmly plugged into the slot as far as it can go.

You don't have to be computer literate, but afterward you will be a little more so. The only way you can hurt anything, (well, without really trying :) ) is if with static electricity. It's a good precaution to ground yourself by touching the case before touching anything inside, and try to touch the video card only on its sides and don't touch the metal connectors where it plugs in to the mainboard.

If it's something in windows, you should still be able to see the BIOS screen when you turn on the computer. (The first screen that comes up before windows comes up.)

[just-the-ash.livejournal.com]

Mac or PC? If the former, I have an extra monitor. If the latter, chrisv is sure to have one.

Re:

[queenbookwench.livejournal.com]

It's a PC. Thanks though. I would feel bad asking Chris b/c I haven't talked to him in quite awhile, and I would feel guilty turning up just to ask a favor.

Re:

[just-the-ash.livejournal.com]

But Chris is too gallant not to do a favor for a beautiful creature such as yourself, and you can tell him I said that! :D