My screen goes black:

[Awyon90]

I installed Windows 7 RC a few days ago and I am very happy with it except for one thing, and that's when playing games.

When I have played for some time (it's totally random) the screen goes black and it refuses to display the image again, tried unplugging it from graphics card, turn off power and nothing helps. The sound continues but nothing else respons.

This happens in all games i've tried this far (Prototype, Overlord II, Call of Juarez - Bound in Blood). It never happens when I'm simply using Windows or programs, only when I play games. Windowed Mode also seems to work without the screen going black, but unfortunately all games doesnt have an option to play in windowed mode.

I have all updates from Windows Update installed, latest graphics drivers and DirectX. The graphics card is quite hot when I touch it, so is it possible that Windows 7 is very sensitive to this? I never had this problem in Vista and it appeared right after i formated the harddrive and installed Windows 7 RC.

Any help is appreaciated, cause this is really starting to annoy me.

/Robin

 

[holo88]

i had the same problem with prototype, and ghost-busters. from what i've read, something in the game is causing the video driver to reset (overheat maybe?), thus the black screen.

sorry, i dont know of any fix for this. i just gave up and uninstalled them (they were *demos* anyway ). hopfully someone can shed some light on this. kinda sucks, Prototype seems like a bad-ass game.

 

[Awyon90]

Re:

I have now installed Nvidia Monitor and and my GPU temp is at 85c. That can't be healthy?

I have no idea if this is whats causing the games though and I have no idea on how to lower the temp. I have the GPU fan on 100% and I have even tried with a table fan directed into the chassis but with no success. I never had this problem in Windows Vista and I have no idea why the temp would be higher in Windows 7.

 

[AstaLaVista]

85c while gaming or at idle? if at idle... WOW :shock:

Have you checked under Device Manager/Monitors if you have the Generic PnP drivers or your Monitor's dedicated drivers? This could play a major roll on whether the screen goes black when gaming.

Sorry, no logical explanation as to the why it happens, just personal experience when it happened to me, getting a correct monitor driver got that issue fixed for me.

 

[Awyon90]

The Generic PnP Monitor is listed in Device Manager and working as intended. However there is a Coprocessor that isnt installed, listed under Other Devices but I have no idea what that is.

And yes, I have 85c GPU temp in idle :S It starts at 65 degrees and after 5 min its up at 85 in idle.

 

[AstaLaVista]

OK, that Generic PnP is just your std run of the mill driver, you should find a dedicated driver for your monitor and OS, it should resolve your problem.

I think this is the one you need...

download center SAMSUNG

Post a screenie of that other coprocessor, someone here is bound to chime in and lend a hand.

Found this on another forum regarding the samsung monitor

Does adding the following option to the Device section of xorg.conf help?
Option "UseDisplayDevice" "DFP"

# /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the /etc/X11/xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man /etc/X11/xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen" 0 0
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
EndSection

Section "Files"

# path to defoma fonts
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "bitmap"
Load "ddc"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
Option "XkbOptions" "lv3:ralt_switch"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "SyncMaster"
DisplaySize 432 324
HorizSync 30.0 - 81.0
VertRefresh 56.0 - 75.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Generic Video Card"
Driver "nvidia"
Option "UseDisplayDevice" "DFP"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Generic Video Card"
Monitor "SyncMaster"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1680x1050"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Thread lightly though, I have never done this before so I don't know if you're getting into some spooky terrain here.

I'd found the info here...

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=88429

 

[Awyon90]

Re:

Windows 7 refuses to install the Samsung drivers (tried both XP & Vista driver), even in XP/Vista compatability mode.

As for the Coprocessor, here is an image:

http://i42.tinypic.com/aaupvb.gif

 

[Awyon90]

Re:

I managed to install the Coprocessor. It turned out to be included in the Vista x64 Chipset Drivers for my Motherboard.

Once installed it was no longer called Coprocessor, but nVidia nForce System Management Controller.

Hopefylly this has something to do with the black screens in games. I will do some testing and report the results.

 

[AstaLaVista]

Well, I doubt it but... good luck with that!

Now, did you right click on the driver and "Run as Administrator" to install it or did you use the Update Driver inside the Device Manager/Driver option?

Did you also tried what the other guys did to their samsung on that other forum?

 

[Awyon90]

Re:

I haven't tested it yet. I test one thing at a time so that I can determine which action that fixed the issue. I played Prototype for 2 hours straight without the screen going black after the driver update, but maybe it's just a coincidence.

I updated the Coproccessor from the Device Manager and pointed it to the folder with the Motherboard drivers.

 

[AstaLaVista]

Well, 2 hours ain't so bad, perhaps you're are rid of your issue... let's hope so

 

[Awyon90]

re:

Today I played Devil May Cry 4 for about 1h 30min. No issues and no black screens. I also did some research on my GPU and 85c in idle is totally normal for my 2xGPU GeForce 9800GX2. It safe as long as temp doesnt rise above 105c during heavy load and I usually stay around 95 so thats okay.

I guess the driver solved the issue but if I should start getting black screens again, I will post in this thread again

 

[jldowning]

Ok I am having the exact same problem as Awyon90. We both have Samsung Monitors, and both have 9800gx2 video cards. Followed the first advice given to him, however I don't have the Coproccessor issue like he had, so that can't be fixed.

I get a black screen after about 1 hour in most games however the sound continues, and only while playing games. I have up to date Nvidia, Directx and display drivers. (the samsung drivers only worked in compat mode) yet I still have this problem.

Thanks!

 

[jldowning]

Update: I've reinstalled every driver I could think of, and this problem happens in three different games. Problem still happens.

I am thinking of using the HDMI output rather then DVI (my monitor has dvi only, just get a HDMI to DVI connector. Hope that works...)

 

[scorpians111]

same problem but my laptop is a accer

anyone found a way to fix this yet?

 

[jldowning]

It was a hardware problem with my video card running hot. I dusted my computers insides and it runs at the max temp my vid card should but no hotter.

Id download temp monitor software and find out your acceptable temp levels.

 

[scorpians111]

so is there no way of getting it to stop going to black screen?

 

[jldowning]

It sounds like a problem with the video card, however with a laptop thwree is likely nothing you can do without taking it to a repair shop.

 

[scorpians111]

D: and also my laptop the graph cards cannot be changed aswell

 

[adeelb]

I had the black screen problem. It first came with Modern Warfare 2 since that was the only game i was playing. Then it started so frequently that I couldn't even watch a movie on my computer.
Tried reinstalling windows. Nothing worked.
Finally, contacted Acer (my company). Fortunately I had warranty which I didn't know.
I asked the technician if I could stay with him to fix the damn thing to find out what was really wrong with it. He said no but I could stay outside and wait. He told me he'd call me before he'd start to fix it. Nice guy.
So he called, and the fixing started.
GUYS! I'm sorry to inform you this is NOT a software issue. He could not figure it out, so he ended up changing The mother board, Hard drive and graphics card. It was insane. At first he only changed the graphics card and put a new one but that didn't help, followed by HD and then finally the mother board. Finally it had worked. He said he's forwarding all three to the engineers to find out what happened. He never contacted me again so I can't tell you which of the three was bad.
So yea this is NOT a software issue.
My Computer Specs:
Intel core i7 92 (8M cache)
9 GB RAM (memory)
1 GB nVidia GT220
1 TB HD
I hope this helped but if you don't have warranty and your computer is awesome, i'm so sorry about it.