Windows Xp Screen Goes Black Randomly While Using System

I am hoping someone can help before I gut my computer.

First off I have a Dell computer that my wife bought before we got married, its a P4 Intel, 2.3 ghz, 512 Memory, MX440 128MB Video, 2 x 60 GB harddrives, Dell monitor, case etc.

Lately I have been using the computer and randomly it turns the screen colour to black but the monitor and tower still have power according to the lights. I think it might be something to do with the video card or memory or the computer just needs a good cleaning. The fans and everything are working ok.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks

hmm.. well its a DELL , so its bound by the DELL-LAW ..... DELL=JUNK ! .

When ur screen goes blank, does the Hard drive and CD Rom drives remain lit? (sorta like hanging).

Its very likely that ur SMPS/PSU has taken a hit of some sort.

I know its a Dell, I know they are a piece of crap. Computer had bee working fine . screen goes black .. monitor ligth goes orange and tower light stays on. CD ROm drives arent lit because it hasnt happened during that. What is a SMPS/PSU? Sorry I am not a newbie but have never heard those terms.

Thanks four help

Quote:

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Originally Posted by varun rao

hmm.. well its a DELL , so its bound by the DELL-LAW ..... DELL=JUNK ! .

When ur screen goes blank, does the Hard drive and CD Rom drives remain lit? (sorta like hanging).

Its very likely that ur SMPS/PSU has taken a hit of some sort.

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SMPS is the unit which supply power to the entire systems, like urs motherboard, hard drive, fan etc,, just check the SMPS

You tryed hooking up a different monitor?

I have s similar problem. The monitor goes dark randomly and also when the computer (XP) first boots up. I changed monitors but that doesn't help. The monitor lights up for a second or two when I first turn on the computer, and then it goes black. If I repeatedly turn the monitor power off and on, the monitor eventually stays lit for a while.

I am not very sure but then I have found that there is a bug XP where the screen turns black, even though everything else appears to be fine, so you can just try out the below solution:

• Go to my computer and then go in to control panel and then just click on the display and then click on the screen saver tab and then on the monitor power bar
• After that just set turn off monitor to never as well as system standby to never and after changing all this just click on apply and then on ok.
• If you want then you can also click on the hibernate tab and then un check the “enable hibernation box” option and then apply the same and then click on ok.
• Just try it out and see if it is making any difference or not.

I don’t think that this issue is related to the screensaver and all, I think that there is something wrong with the GPU, I mean that it might be overheating, I will suggest you to use “FurMark” in order to stress the GPU and if it does the same then there are possibilities that there is something wrong with the GPU and you will have to get it replaced.

Thanks so much. I changed the screensaver settings and I googled FurMark.