Resolved Screen goes black

I don't know if this is a Windows XP problem or a PC issue but for the past few weeks I've been having a problem with my computer screen just turning black. It seems it only happens when I click on IE and sometimes Google. I can remember only once it doing the same thing when I clicked on "My Documents" folder. To try to clarify the problem let me say the screen goes black instantly and I have to shut the power down by the on/off button on the front of the tower. The first few times the computer did this I got a message saying no drives detected. I tried to enter Acronis but it too said no drives were detected. I finally got into the BIOS and noticed my settings had changed and instead of IDE it had switched to RAID. After putting it all back to what I thought was proper the computer loaded properly. I checked my drives and found I had a problem with my D drive (used for back-up) so I removed it from the system to see if this cured my problems completely...It didn't. Four or five times since removing the "D" drive my computer still went black and I had to "panic" start it and then it loads normally. I've run all the deep scans and just about everything I can think of. I did find a toolbar that I didn't authorise and have since removed it completely. The "C" drive checked out out as good and I can't seem to find any problem with it at all which is why I think it may be Windows issue or maybe a hardware issue

My system is:

Windows XP Pro
AMD Athelon 64 Processor 3200+
2.20GHz 3.00 GB of Ram

 

I've booted in safe mode and the display/monitor comes on normally. The monitor is a Samsung Syncmaster 215TW/216TW and the video card is NVIDIA GeFORCE 6600. All updates have been performed on a regular basis and are up to date. I was wondering if this may be a power supply problem and if so how would go about detecting it? As for the mother board battery I just replaced it three weeks ago but the computer has since gone black twice so it wasn't that either.

 

I updated the drivers from NVIDIA from their site recently and I just checked to see if they had any new updates which they didn't. I did try another monitor but as I stated in my original message the screen doesn't go black all the. I never know when this will happen. One thing I know for sure is it always seems to happen when open IE or Google but it has happened only once when I open the My Documents folder. So far it hasn't gone black on me for about five days but I am certain it will within the next day or so. This is the pattern for this machine. It goes black (but everything else is still running) about three or four times in one day and then it runs for about a week and it starts all over again. I just shut down the compute on the front of the tower and let it reboot from there and all seems well until the next time. I guess I'll just have to wait until it does it again.

 

Did the other monitor ever go black when you had it attached?

 

So far it is running smoothly. However it has only been a couple of days since I hooked up the other monitor so only time will tell. Remember this only happens when I try to go on line with IE or Google. In retrospect I must say when I had the original monitor installed I did notice that it has been taking longer to open up. In the past I would turn it on and the monitor took less than a second to come on. Now it takes about three to five seconds. The replacement monitor is an old standby unit that I have and it turns on in about two seconds or less. Is there anyway at all to test the monitor other than trial and error?

 

To test the original monitor, simply hook it up to another computer. If you then see the same "screen goes black" issue, the monitor is titsup.

 

So far both monitors have been on and in use for about four days with no issue to report. Also the computer hasn't gone blank or black in that same amount of time. The only issue I find is the original monitor seems to be very slow in "lighting" up. I timed it with a stop watch earlier just to get a basis and it took 4.54 seconds to come on. When it was new or even just a few months ago it would come on immediately when I pressed the panel button. Monitor or Power supply is where I'm leaning now.

Oh yes...the tool bar that somehow got installed when all of this trouble started is named CLARO. I found it hidden throughout the registry a few days ago and I have since ran scans and other items to remove it. At least I can't locate any files or links to it anymore.

 

I had one that took almost three minutes to get bright enough to see the mouse cursor, (no matter what computer it was hooked to), and it was slowly getting worse. Got tired of it and chunked it.

 

Okay....I've changed screens/monitors. I've cleaned the drive of all un-necessary software and hardware and performed a deep scan of the drive itself (no threats found). I've changed the power supply. I've changed the battery once again (just in case). I've performed all required updates of the video card, Microsoft, and everything else required to operate the system. I've checked the hard drive and it is working fine as is the MB. I checked and rechecked all the operating temps (hard drive, processor, video fan, all other fans) and they are all far below the thresh hold limit and guess what......The screen went black twice within four hours of operation (after clicking on IE or Google). Again all I had to do was reboot and it ran fine. I'm at my roads end with this one. Have I missed anything that anyone can think of?

 

I guess its back to the computer store for a new video card. After that, if it continues to give me a black screen when I connect to the Internet then the garbage man will have a complete unit to do with as he wishes.

As for the power supply it is a Corsair Gold AX 1200/1200 watt

 

Sorry about the delay but I had to fly out of the country on business and just got back today. I know the power supply is overkill but I took it from my other PC (the one failing is my wife's) just to try it out. The computer screen still went black a few times after doing this so I just dumped the entire system and performed a complete reload before I left. It was in use the entire time I was gone and my wife said it never failed once. I still believe the problem was a virus I couldn't detect or it was some software gone haywire. Anyway I think it's fixed now. I'll close this event but if it does creep back into my world I'll re-post. Thanks to everyone for their input and valuable insight.