Problem with LCD monitor power

I've have a problem with an LCD monitor. The on/off button will freeze in the on position (green light on), such that when I push the button, it will not turn off. Most of the time I'm not even aware that it's happened, until I reboot the computer. When the screen goes black, just after the Windows XP logo and just before the "welcome" screen, it remains black with the power light still on. When I unplug it and plug it back in, the screen comes up just fine. This seems to also happen randomly when the screen goes black just before switching to a screen saver. I've tried to disable all running programs with msconfig to see if a program was causing this. I was almost convinced that my Trend Micro Anti-Virus was doing it, as I seemed to be able to replicate and stop the problem by enabling or disabling the program. So I uninstalled the program, but now I noticed that it's happening again. Although I can't pinpoint the problem, it seems to be just predictable enough that I'm reluctant to think that it's an electrical issue. Any ideas?

 

This is when the graphics drivers are loaded. It would seem to be a graphics driver problem. I would find the version of drivers that is recommended by the manufacturer of the graphics for your model. You can get information about the graphics card by running dxdiag. Type dxdiag in the Run command line. Check your version of DirectX while you are there. Unless you are running an early model graphics card, get DirectX 9.0c.

Check if the manufacturer has instructions for the best way to upgrade the graphics drivers (whether the old ones need to be uninstalled first). Reinstalling graphics drivers can be a real pain sometimes.

To be on the safe side, open the computer case and check that the fan for the graphics card is spinning freely (if it has a fan). It would be a good time to clean all the dust out while you have it open. Loosen the dust with a soft brush, take it outside and blow the dust out (you can get cans of compressed air at an electronics store like RadioShack if you are in the US). Note, if there is dust in the fins of the heatsink/s, don't unclip/remove the heatsink from over the chip, but you may be able to detatch the fan and clean out the fins.

Matt

 

reply

Wow, I think you nailed it. Thanx. Particularly since Gateway was recommeding that I reformat the harddrive .

Results were as follows:


Card name: Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip type: Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller
DAC type: Internal
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2572&SUBSYS_4043107B&REV_02
Display Memory: 96.0 MB
Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (75Hz)
Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor
Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200
Driver Name: ialmrnt5.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.3889 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 8/20/2004 19:11:36, 37951 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: ialmnt5.sys
Mini VDD Date: 8/20/2004 19:26:00, 737874 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B78E66-6632-11CF-FA7C-4960A3C2CB35}
Vendor ID: 0x8086
Device ID: 0x2572
SubSys ID: 0x4043107B
Revision ID: 0x0002
Revision ID: 0x0002
Video Accel:
Deinterlace Caps: n/a
Registry: OK
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Not Available
Draw Test Result: Failure at step 7 (User verification of fullscreen bouncing): HRESULT = 0x00000000 (error code)
D3D7 Test Result: Failure at step 32 (User verification of Direct3D rendering): HRESULT = 0x00000000 (error code)
D3D8 Test Result: Failure at step 32 (User verification of Direct3D rendering): HRESULT = 0x00000000 (error code)
D3D9 Test Result: All tests were successful.

It was at these failure points that the screen repeatedly and predictably went and stayed blank (black) while the on/off button froze in the on position.

I went to the Gateway website a while ago and tried to download the updated drivers for my monitor, but the computer said that I had the most recent drivers already installed.

Any advice? Appreciate your help!

 

This is the driver that you should try to reinstall:
Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller

I found some instructions, but they refer to original installation.
http://support.gateway.com/s/PC/TVMediaCenter/2900007/2900007si3.shtml
http://support.gateway.com/s/MOTHERBD/Intel2/2520914/2520914slWindowsXP.shtml

Try those and look for information about "reinstalling" the driver.

Check if there may be updated drivers for the Graphics Controller.

Post back with the computer's model number (series number) if you can't get much further. There may be documents relating to how to reinstall them.

Matt

 

Monitor driver?

Do you think it's the graphics controller that I should reinstall, or should I update the monitor driver? The monitor driver that is installed right now is the MSFT default monitor driver. There is an updated driver for my monitor at the Gateway website. I should point out, if I wasn't clear before, that this is not a Gateway computer. It's an Emachine that came with an Emachine monitor. I'm trying to upgrade to a Gateway LCD.

If it is the monitor driver that needs to be updated, do you know how manually do that? I knew at one time, and I've forgotten. If I try to update, the Wizard says that it's not able to find a more recent driver, even when I direct it to the folder where the new driver was downloaded. If I sign on as administrator in safe mode, the properties box on the monitor driver tab is greyed out. If I uninstall the driver, the properties box is no longer available, and the computer automatically selects the default driver when I reboot.

- Scott

 

I still would make sure that a good set of graphics drivers were installed correctly. Windows can only communicate with the monitor through the graphics system, I think that is why it will not install the correct drivers for the monitor. The graphics also need to send a signal to the monitor to "resume" after the screen goes blank, which it is not doing (you are giving it the signal by powering off and on again).

When you get the correct drivers for the graphics installed, on reboot you see the monitor detected correctly.

Is the Gateway monitor part of a complete system? With Emachine and Gateway you may be trying to push a square peg into a round hole.

Matt

 

Well, it took me awhile to get back to this. But I have successfully uninstalled, and reinstalled the latest version of Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller (version 4693). And, as you suggested, the computer automatically updated the monitor driver from the default Windows driver to the Gateway driver which had extracted itself into the C:\Cabs directory.

But, I am still not able to pass the DXdiag tests. Oddly, the DirectDraw test(User verification of fullscreen bouncing) worked the first time, and then failed the second time I ran it. Direct3D test failed in all three modes. It's this sort of random response that really confuses me. Works one time and then not another. In the past, I've had Direct3D work in "8 interfaces" sometimes (never in 7 or 9), and not others. This sort of random thing is what makes me wonder if it is an electrical issue, or a hardware/software issue.

Anyhow, to answer your previous question, my understanding is that this monitor (Gateway FPD1830) can be sold separately, to work with another brand of computer. Gateway rep said that it should work just fine with my Emachine.

Appreciate any help you can offer! I've been googling, but assistance with Dxdiag seems to be pretty sparse.

- Scott

 

It seems like you have had partial success.
I would go higher up the driver ladder and try to reinstall the chipset drivers. If you look in Device Manager -> System Devices, you will see something like Intel CPU to AGP Controller (or Bridge). You can uninstall any that relate to AGP, they will be automatically reinstalled when you reboot. Hopefully, with a good set of graphics drivers installed, that will get everything running correctly.

Check at the Emachines website for any updated drivers for your model. Emachines don't have a very much support at their website, so you may be better off going to the "unoffical" website (run a Google search for "unofficial emachine(s) website "). If you have a drivers disk for that computer, reinstall all the drivers.

It will be a drivers problem from the results of the dxdiag tests (unless DirectX has a problem, whereby you need to reinstall that). Unless you come across updated drivers, you will need to uninstall and reinstall the current ones.

Matt

 

Well, I'm going to show my ignorance here. I don't see anything in Device Manager that looks like AGP. There is the Intel Celeron CPU 2.80GHz driver under Processors, and there is the Intel(R) 82801 PCI Bridge - 244E under System Devices. Are either of these what you are referring to? Just want to make sure I'm erasing the right thing here

- Scott

 

Not your ignorance, mine . I only have one P4 machine here and it is not working. I looked at one today at work. Your right, there is no listing for AGP.

You can uninstall the listings titled Intel under System Devices. They should be automatically reinstalled, but if the hardware wizard asks you where the drivers are, they will be on the Win XP CD (although, check if the Emachine might have a special drivers disk). Another place I might get it to check is your SP2 installation files if you upgraded to SP2. As you can see, I am a little unfamiliar with Intel chipset drivers. They are included on the Win XP CD (for normal machines). If you suspect that the computer uses special OEM (Emachines) drivers, you will need to find your installation disk (and I hope that is a Win XP disk, otherwise the only way to get the correct drivers will be from Emachines).

If the computer is made to run a normal retail version of Windows XP you will have no problem uninstalling and reinstalling the chipset drivers. If they are special Emachines drivers, you may need to find out how you can reinstall the drivers first, just be careful that you don't end up needing to format and install Windows again.

Have you ever tried installing another graphics card? If the drivers for the other graphics card are still installed, they will probably be causing the Intel graphics problems. Check in Add/Remove Programs for any listings for other graphics/display apart from the Intel ones you just installed.

If you still can't get the drivers installed correctly, go into Safe Mode. Uninstall any software related directly to the graphics in Add/Remove Programs. Go to Device Manager and uninstall any/all listings for Display Adapter. When you boot back to normal Windows, when the Hardware wizard runs at startup, click Cancel. When you get to the desktop run the Intel graphics drivers installation.

Matt