second display looses image

Windows 7 Ultimate + NVIDIA GeForce 9400 (latest drivers):

A simple Infocus X16 projector (no drivers) as second monitor looses the image after a view minutes following setup. Till than it works as supposed.

When I try to go into the advanced settings of the 2 display it blacks out for a while, comes back without mouse. Won't restart anymore.

The only remedy till now is to unplug the second monitor and force shut down (pressing power button).

The system works perfectly fine otherwise since a few months under heavy usage.

thanks in advance for any help

First, make sure all cables and the card is securely fastened. If okay, swap the projector with another monitor - or put the projector on another computer and see if the problem moves too, or stays.

Did all of it: changed cables for brand new one, refastened card.

I than measured temperature, tried all possible (and impossible configurationand variations).

The system can at times work perfectly with two monitors for an hour or two with the card which is supposed to work well with two monitors. After that other of the two monitors goes black BUT there is still a signal. Shortly after that the mouse would freeze, unfreeze and freeze again... Next the second/main monitor goes also black but does also not loose the signal. From there on it is only possible to force a shut down via the Power button.

Alternatively, after one screen goes blank, when trying to enter the display setup the system will turn black.

I checked the Event Log and there are (under controlled situation) NO errors reported. Only the forced shut down.

Thank you for any help

???

Then I would make sure the power supply is not failing next, before looking at any other hardware. Below is my canned text for testing PSUs.

***

To properly and conclusively test a power supply unit (PSU), it must be tested under various realistic "loads" then analyzed for excessive ripple and other anomalies. This is done by a qualified technician using an oscilloscope or power analyzer - sophisticated (and expensive) electronic test equipment requiring special training to operate, and a basic knowledge of electronics theory to understand the results. Therefore, conclusively testing a power supply is done in properly equipped electronic repair facilities.

Fortunately, there are other options that are almost as good. I keep a FrozenCPU Ultimate PSU Tester in my tool bag when I am "in the field" and don't have a good spare power supply to swap in. While not a certain test, they are better than nothing. The advantage of this model is that it has an LCD readout of the voltage. With an actual voltage readout, you have a better chance of detecting a "failing" PSU, or one barely within specified ATX Form Factor Standard tolerances. Lesser models use LEDs to indicate the voltage is just within some "range". These are less informative, considerably cheaper, but still useful for detecting PSUs that have already "failed". Newegg has several testers to choose from. All these testers contain a "dummy load" to fool the PSU into thinking it is connected to a motherboard, and therefore allows the PSU to power on, if able, without being attached to a motherboard - great for testing fans, but again, it is not a true load or suitable for conclusive testing.

Swapping in a known good supply is a tried and trued method of troubleshooting, used for years even by pros. If you have access to a suitably sized, spare power supply, carefully remove the suspect supply and replace it with a known good one and see if the problem goes away.

I do not recommend using a multimeter to test power supplies. To do it properly, that is, under a realistic load, the voltages on all the pins must be measured while the PSU is attached to the motherboard and the computer powered on. This requires poking (with some considerable force) two hard and sharp, highly conductive meter probes into the main power connector, deep in the heart of the computer. One tiny slip can destroy the motherboard, and everything plugged into it. It is not worth the risk considering most multimeters, like plug-in testers, do not measure, or reveal any unwanted and potentially disruptive AC components to the DC voltages.

Note the required voltage tolerance ranges:

And remember, anything that plugs into the wall can kill. Do not open the power supply's case unless you are a qualified electronics technician. There are NO user serviceable parts inside a power supply.

Well, there was one other thing left to try out and that's what I did: I changed the gainward 9400gt for a gainward gt 220. For the moment I can't say if that helped, because now the beamer does not find the signal. When the PC is turned of the beamer says "no signal". When the PC is on, the beamer keeps trying to find the signal.

Here also I downloaded all the newest drivers...

What should I try next?

Sorry, but now the cable was not completely plugged in!?

I'll have to wait an hour or two to see if it works.

Yeah, good cable connections make a difference. If it holds, it could indicate the old card was bad, but if could also mean your old drivers were corrupt and installing the new card forced the system to reconfigure. Uninstalling the new and reinstalling the old would force the reconfig again, and might (with a little luck) work. On the other hand, it may not, and confirm the board is bad. BTW, are you sure the 9400's fan worked? Graphics card fans can, and often do fail.

Well, I tried to uninstall the drivers and install the new ones. Do you suggest that someone with a similar problem should try to physically remove the card and than put it back in order to force the system to reconfigure? I didn't try it... but now I have a better card.

Regarding the fan, I watched it with two different softwares, one Expert Tool from Gainward itself and the other one GPU-Z Video card information utility.


thanks

P.S.: after 15 minutes the second monitor is still working

Do you suggest that someone with a similar problem should try to physically remove the card and than put it back in order to force the system to reconfigure?

Pulling it out and putting it right back in does nothing - except perhaps scrape clean the contacts. The action of pulling it out and installing a different card and different drivers is what forces the reconfig.

After several hours the multiple display setup finally works fine.

Thanks