I have no video on the monitor - (it's fixed)

"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot) 12/16/2014 at 20:05 • Filed to: Help, technology, I hate technology

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Update update: for some reason, the order of which hard drives get boot up first got messed up. It's all working now, thankfully. The lesson learned, I still hate Kingston flash drives, and I will blame it until another culprit is found.

Update: The monitor is working, but only one at a time. Also, with two harddrives, it can't find the main one with the operation system (window's 7) on it. I tried to mess with the BIOS to rearrange the order, but the main harddrive isn't even an option. *le sigh*

Came home, discovered that neither of my monitors work for my desktop. I plugged then into a laptop, it's not the monitor or the cords. So I'm now stumped.

My wife says they were working fine earlier today. It wasn't until she plugged in her brother-in-laws flash drive did she discover the problem. She only went on 1 new site today, a crochet magazine site (for a contest).

The desktop is about four years old, and it's a Gateway. Neither the graphics card nor the motherboard connections for the monitors work.

I'm at a lost of words as to what may be wrong. Any ideas oppo?

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 20:09

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Sounds like a dead video card

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 20:10

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Try pulling the video card, then see if the video connection at the motherboard works. If not, then it sounds like mobo to me.

MrPseudonym > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 20:12

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Okay, age old tested advice, I'll say it in steps to make it easier:

1.)Slap your monitors a couple of times with them plugged in.

2.)Slap your computer a couple of times.

3.)Google it.

4.) If none of these worked, assumed the "fucked" position.

The Transporter > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 20:12

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Install Gentoo.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 12/16/2014 at 20:13

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seconded, sometimes the MB will disable on-board video ports when it detects a display adapter.

Joshua "Dr. Science" Gilbert > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 20:15

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It may not be entirely dead - but it might have shorted from overheating and/or dust.

Too test. Remove everything.

Clean the motherboard and the video card and all the RAM contacts with a toothbrush.

Find an air can and dust the hell out of the thing.

Try again.

VGA will more likely work than DVI/HDMI if the video card is damaged.

Clown Shoe Pilot > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 20:16

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do you get any picture when the OS isn't running? can you watch the machine boot and then the video dies after the OS starts? you want to figure out if you're looking at a hardware failure or a software failure

Montalvo > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 20:19

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The problem is either driver, GPU or motherboard related. Your drivers could be doing weird things and causing errors to prevent the display from working properly. Your GPU or Motherboard could have a fault or a short but this is far more uncommon. I would try to boot up in safe mode and see if your monitors will display on the desktop. If they show up then it is more than likely driver related.

jariten1781 > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 20:21

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I would guess driver then card in that order. Do you see it POST?

Boxer_4 > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 20:31

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What are the specs on that Gateway (model number could be helpful, too). Are you getting anything on the monitors at all?

Something to try in the meantime: have you tried unplugging the computer and removing the watch battery, and letting it sit for ~10 minutes? This would reset the bios in case that was the problem.

'Wägen, EPA LOL > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 20:32

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RAM issues frequently kill video.

Sweet Trav > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 20:36

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if it is truly busticated, I have a computer you can have.

zeontestpilot > Sweet Trav 12/16/2014 at 20:45

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We'll see....

zeontestpilot > Boxer_4 12/16/2014 at 20:47

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DX4840-11e. I did the CMOS battery earlier.

I got the monitor working (somehow?), but bor some reason, it can't find the harddrive....

zeontestpilot > jariten1781 12/16/2014 at 20:49

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POST? What's that?

zeontestpilot > Montalvo 12/16/2014 at 20:50

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I got the monitor working, but seemingly only through the graphics card.

zeontestpilot > Clown Shoe Pilot 12/16/2014 at 20:59

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I had no response. I do now, but its not too promising. I have to tell it to load the main harddrive now, but its not in the options to boot up first.

zeontestpilot > Joshua "Dr. Science" Gilbert 12/16/2014 at 21:01

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*sigh* I guess after work tomorrow I'll be buying toothbrushes and a air can....

Tohru > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 21:02

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The motherboard monitor connections are automatically turned off when there is a GPU present.\

Download and install drivers for your GPU. Yes, even if you've done it before.

zeontestpilot > MrPseudonym 12/16/2014 at 21:03

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....if i set it on fire, will that help?

zeontestpilot > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 12/16/2014 at 21:04

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I hope not. I have three on them and this is the best one. Though I shouldnt complain, i got all three of them for free.

MrPseudonym > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 21:05

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Yes.

Perhaps attach it to a heavy firework?

Clown Shoe Pilot > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 21:08

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well, at least you know all your display hardware (monitor, video adapter, cable) is working. good luck resurrecting your drive.

zeontestpilot > The Transporter 12/16/2014 at 21:16

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Ha, why not Ubuntu? My old laptop has it on it. I've been trying to build a 2nd desktop with linux on it. I just want one computer with windows, for games and such.

The Transporter > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 21:19

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It's a bit of an inside joke. Ubuntu is an excellent gateway into Linux and a very usable alternate OS for daily use.

zeontestpilot > Clown Shoe Pilot 12/16/2014 at 21:21

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its there, i can access it, but i have to press f12, choose what device to boot, and boot it up. it's tedious.

zeontestpilot > MrPseudonym 12/16/2014 at 21:22

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Lets not forget the gasoline.

zeontestpilot > The Transporter 12/16/2014 at 21:50

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it's pretty much what I use it for! At work I use red hat, :).

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 22:41

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Go into the BIOS, you should be ably to modify the boot order for the drives.

zeontestpilot > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 12/16/2014 at 22:58

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That's what I needed to do. But it wasn't apparent on what to do. I just clicked on stuff til I found what I needed to do. Thanks though.

jariten1781 > zeontestpilot 12/16/2014 at 23:25

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POST is the power on self test. Skimming through the other responses it looks like it POSTs fine.