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View Full Version : The Haunted Monitor - Please Help!


jiggles
04-10-2001, 08:32 PM
Ok here the situation i have, i'm running a Asus CUSL2-C MB, brand new, the video card is an ati radeon 32mb ddr card. The monitor is a brand new Viewsonic 17" PF775. Now to the problem:

I'm running windows2000 pro sp1, under the power management area, i have the "always on" and everything else off except the option for the monitor to shut down or suspend 5mins after no activity. So what happens is this, if i don't touch the pc for 5mins the monitor shuts off, but the pc still runs. When i tap the mouse/keyboard the screen comes back up. NOW this the MAIN PROBLEM --> when i leave the computer alone for 5+ hours, i come back, touch/tap the mouse/keyboard to get the screen back up, IT DOESN'T COME BACK UP, the monitor is on, but blank screen, the indicator lights on the monitor are orange flashing. So the first thing i did was try reseating the video card, that didn't work, added the new drivers for the card, that didn't work same problem occurs, so its not the video card (i could be wrong) Another thing i did was turn the monitor off and back on, the llights on the monitor turn green then go back to orange flashing, same problem, Pull out he monitor cable, plug it back in, still same thing. Grabbed another monitor and plugged that in - same problem. take the viewsonic monitor and hook it up to another pc, it turns on automatically NO PROBLEMS, so its not the monitor.

Next step was to go look into the bios, NOW this is where i'm not sure about. In the bios it the default settings for all the things that might affect this are the following defaults:

1 Power Management: default = User Define (other option is diabled)
2 Video Off Option: default = Suspend -> Off (other option "Always On)

now i decided to go with option 2, but i'm sure if what i'm thinking sounds correct but in the asus manual it states the following for what this option does:

"Video Off Option: This field determins when to activate the video off feature for monitor power management. Configuration options: [Always On][Suspend -> Off]"

Does this mean that even though i have the windows power management for the monitor to shut off every 5 mins of no activity that since i don't touch the pc for a couple hours this option of "suspend -> off" in the bios means that if the pc goes into a suspend mode, the video card will turn off?...does that make sense? and if i were to switch the setting for that video off option to "Always On" will it still send a signal to the monitor even though windows has told the monitor to shut off after 5mins of no activity?...will this solve the problem?...i know i'll have to wait another 5+ hours but thats too damn long...or is my other option as in option "1" to just disable the bios power management option and let windows handle the power management?...but i'm more interested in my option "2" to know if that makes sense or will work or is that the cause of the problem

THANKS - I KNOW ITS A LONG MESSAGE BUT IF YOU TOOK YOUR TIME TO READ IT PLEASE HELP http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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Jiggly Jiggly

hiredgoonz
04-10-2001, 09:48 PM
Alot of video cards have a problem recovering from suspend/system standby mode...if you disable system standby in both the bios and power settings in the control panel, you shouldn't have this problem...

If burning out your computer is what you're worried about, let the monitor and hard disks turn off after whatever time period you specify in the power settings in the control panel...but I think your problem is caused by returning from system standby...

Have you checked the vid card support site? I have seen more than one card with this exact issue...and it may very well be addressed by the card manufacturer...good luck

jiggles
04-11-2001, 02:04 AM
Originally posted by hiredgoonz:
Alot of video cards have a problem recovering from suspend/system standby mode...if you disable system standby in both the bios and power settings in the control panel, you shouldn't have this problem...

If burning out your computer is what you're worried about, let the monitor and hard disks turn off after whatever time period you specify in the power settings in the control panel...but I think your problem is caused by returning from system standby...

Have you checked the vid card support site? I have seen more than one card with this exact issue...and it may very well be addressed by the card manufacturer...good luck

I'm not really worried about burning out anything because the system i have or the fans i got are pretty good...i can actually stick my hand in there and touch anything and its actually cool...not even warm...as far as the standby stuff...in the windows power management only the suspend monitor after 5mins of no activity is when it will shut down the monitor...in the bios the settings are that the "video off option - is set to Suspend -> Off", so i've already taken the steps to just shut off the bios power management altogether to remedy the problem...so far so good but it has been the 5-8hours of inactivity, which is when this problem will happen.


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Jiggly Jiggly

tjaymadison
04-11-2001, 04:09 AM
If you have your BIOS set that way, I think you have to treat the monitor as if you had actually powered it off with its own switch -- that is, you have to physically switch it back on. There is an excellent section right here (http://www.pcguide.com/care/care/gen/power_PM.htm) in The PC Guide about the ins and outs of power management

jiggles
04-11-2001, 04:18 AM
as it stands, and btw that article/link you gave me was quite interesting...i've decided to turn off all power management as the article did give some good valid points..however as i said, i didn't have anything on in the windows power management except for the turn of monitor after 5mins, everything else was either "Always On" and "Never", however in the bios i had it at [User Define], meaning i have to make the settings...but from what i've noticed, even to what i set it at, it just doesn't wanna do its job...so/hence i've disabled the "user define" option in the bios under POWER MENU to just "Disabled", in the morning i'll be able to find out if it work, cuz if i come back to the pc and tap the keyboard/mouse and get no display again, i'm gonna be majorily pissed that i have to reboot just to get a display...i wonder...would touching the on/off button on my case power up the system, thats if I push the power button ONCE without turning off the computer?

Thanks
http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

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Jiggly Jiggly

jiggles
04-11-2001, 07:12 PM
Well i tried the bios thing last night b4 i went to bed...got up this morning and the display was still on...i guess what i did actually worked...this goes to show that letting the bios handle Power Management SUXS!

http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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Jiggly Jiggly

sea69
04-14-2001, 02:16 AM
one other thing, I leave my computer on running all the time, and have all Power (mis)Management disabled- and everything "Always On" or "Never"... so at night when I go to sleep I just turn my monitor off

also I have NO- screen saver on at all (set to 'none')

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*another 'toaster' bites the dust*