Screen goes black, then on again.

bigseb · 18 Feb 2014

Yesterday, out of the blue, my screen goes completely black. then 3 seconds later its on again. It has been doing this since then at irregular intervals from a minute to 30 minutes apart. When it come back on it does not show the Phillips logo (as it normally does when the screen is switched on from an off state). Also when it comes on again I get the 'device plugged in' notification.

This is very annoying. I design for a living so I need this to work. Any ideas re troubleshooting are appreciated.

The screen is connected with a HDMI cable. The rest of my system specs are on my spec sheet.

bigseb · 18 Feb 2014

^^ Just occured to me that it may the graphics card and not the screen itself. Dunno. Or a virus? Please help.

sygnus21 · 18 Feb 2014

Ironically I'm getting the same issues under Windows 8.1. Been researching it on the net and some speculate it's a Windows update, especially in Windows 8.1

In fact I was going to post it in the Windows eightforums, but haven't as of yet. BTW I'm not sure it's the GPU.

Anyway I'm as baffled as anyone else as mines seems to happen when I'm on net listening to or watching media content.

Britton30 · 18 Feb 2014

If possible try a different monitor, or the problem one on a different PC/Laptop.

Also a different HDMI cable or try using the DVI or VGA adapter.

bigseb · 18 Feb 2014

Its not an update as Windows only notifies me when updates are available. Haven't installed any in a week.

Its been really hot here lately, about 38 degrees 3 days straight. Was wondering if that couldn't cause it. But then even if I leave the PC off overnight it does it first thing.

I thought it might be the cable but how will the cable become defective just like that?

Confused .

Britton30 · 18 Feb 2014

Have no idea, but you have to do something to test.

bigseb · 18 Feb 2014

True have nothing to test with at the moment though.

Also just noticed that whenever the screen thing happens my NumLock switches off...

madcratebuilder · 18 Feb 2014

bigseb said:

Its not an update as Windows only notifies me when updates are available. Haven't installed any in a week.

Its been really hot here lately, about 38 degrees 3 days straight. Was wondering if that couldn't cause it. But then even if I leave the PC off overnight it does it first thing.

I thought it might be the cable but how will the cable become defective just like that?

Confused .

I recently had this same occurrence, short period of black screen, artifacts on initial boot. The gpu eventually died within a few weeks. It was the master card in a crossfire install so easy to diagnose. The new master gpu (former slave) runs 8-10C cooler than the one it replaced.

Britton30 · 18 Feb 2014

bigseb said:

True have nothing to test with at the moment though.

Also just noticed that whenever the screen thing happens my NumLock switches off...

Hmm, that would seem to mean the system is shutting down and USB is powered off.

Do you have a friend/relative with a PC you can test on?

Mellon Head · 19 Feb 2014

Britton30 said:

Hmm, that would seem to mean the system is shutting down and USB is powered off.

I think that would cause the PC to reboot, wouldn't it?

I was thinking if there is a USB connection to the monitor (for audio maybe), the monitor could be cutting out momentarily and taking the USB with it.

I have a monitor at work that does this (less the USB/NUM lock problem). Something inside it gets too warm and the screen goes blank. After a while, when the thing cools off, the screen comes back. The cooler the room, the less it happens. bigseb's monitor might have an overheating component which is affected by the hot weather and is doing the same thing. I'm darned if I can explain the NUM lock though...