What to do if the monitor goes out. Why does the monitor turn off while playing?

The monitor screen goes blank, but the computer continues to work? Almost every user has encountered a similar situation, regardless of their level of computer literacy. Let's consider all the factors that can lead to such a situation, and also consider how this or that situation can be resolved.

Why does my monitor screen go blank?

In some situations, a similar problem may arise due to simple user errors, for example, accidentally turning off the monitor's power button. Everything is much more complicated and unpleasant when the computer hardware fails or the monitor itself breaks down, because in this case you will either need to completely replace the component part or contact a service center. Let's consider various reasons separately and ways to solve them.

Monitor failure.

To understand the reason, it is always necessary to go through a certain screen test procedure. Turn off the computer completely, and then turn it on again and monitor its behavior:

if the monitor shows the image, but after 2-3 seconds. the picture disappears, most likely the reason for this is the failure of one of the incandescent lamps and it needs to be changed.
If the monitor screen does not light up, but when an external LED lamp is connected it lights up and shows some image, then the problem is in the voltage inverter, which must be replaced.

If, when the system unit starts, nothing is displayed on the monitor, disconnect it from the SB by pulling out the cable. The operating monitor should display a “No Signal” message, or something similar, depending on the model and manufacturer. If this does not happen, then we can unequivocally say that the output device has failed and you cannot do without a service center, since there can be many reasons for the malfunction and this cannot be checked at home.

Video card malfunction.

The display of the image on the monitor screen directly depends on the health of the video card, which can also break at some point. If you have a discrete one, unwind the system unit, take it out and reconnect it to the motherboard. If nothing has changed, additionally try inserting it into another system unit to fully verify that the graphics adapter is working.

If you are using an integrated video card, try to get a discrete one and connect it. If the computer starts normally, the problem lies precisely in the failure of the built-in adapter.

Presence of dust.

If your PC has not been cleaned of dust for a long time, then try. The fact is that dust is electrically conductive and, if it gets on components, it can make work difficult. Clean the computer with brushes and a vacuum cleaner, and then reassemble it and try turning it on again.

Damaged cable.

This reason is one of the most common, but it is quite difficult to recognize and for some reason users always pay attention to it last. Even if the connection cord has no visible damage and has not been subjected to any mechanical stress, it can also break on its own.

Try using a different connecting cord, and if the display is normal, the reason will be clear. You just need to be absolutely sure that the other cable is probably working.

Incorrect connection.

If several people have access to the PC, then it is possible that when reconnecting, the connecting cable was inserted into the wrong connector and nothing will actually be displayed on the monitor. Modern motherboards have video connectors, although there may not be an integrated graphics adapter on the processor or motherboard, and accordingly, nothing will be shown on the screen when connected. And even if there is integrated graphics, it will only recognize the preinstalled discrete one, which is usually more powerful, and therefore no image will appear on the screen.

Failure of the processor or motherboard.

Sometimes, when you turn on the computer, only the appearance of correct operation of the system unit is created (the power supply is working, the coolers are spinning, etc.). In fact, this does not always indicate serviceability. When you turn on the system unit, listen to see if there is an intermittent sound signal, if the mouse and keyboard turn on (if the indicators light up), if power is supplied to the flash drive (the LED should light up, although some models do not have it).

Life situations.

There are times when the user may accidentally pull the power cord, after which the monitor simply theoretically cannot turn on. Incorrect settings may be set.

March 30, 2015 | comments: 26

There is no specific solution to this problem, since there may be several reasons why the monitor goes dark. The most common reason is, of course, turning off the monitor's power consumption when idle. If your monitor goes out when you are not working on it, and you don’t like it, then you need to do the following:

In Windows XP, right-click on the desktop and click “Properties”. In the window that appears, go to the “Screensaver” tab and click the “Power” button. The menu item “Display off” is responsible for turning off the monitor; you can specify the required time, or refuse to turn off at all.

If the monitor screen goes out while working at the computer, then, as mentioned earlier, there may be several reasons.

So, why does the monitor go dark and a black screen appear?

Five reasons:

Reason #1. High humidity. If there is high air humidity in the room where the monitor is operating, water may accumulate in the monitor in the form of condensation. Water is known to be a good conductor of current, so its accumulation can cause malfunctions and shutdown of the monitor. The solution is to give the monitor time to dry; as a rule, this is enough to restore the monitor’s operation.

Reason #2. The matrix is faulty. The way to detect this problem, in certain conditions, is quite simple; you need to connect the monitor to another computer, and use a different connection cable. If the monitor still turns off, it needs to be taken to a service center. Never attempt to repair the monitor yourself unless you are an electronics technician.

Reason #3. Faulty video card. Here, as in the case of the monitor, you can check by moving it to another computer. A video card with active cooling (with a fan) may turn off due to a faulty fan, and as a result, the video processor overheats. Most often, replacing the fan solves the problem. If a video card with passive cooling overheats, then either repair it or buy another video accelerator.

Reason #4. Faulty computer memory. Here we can generalize that the failure of any computer node may be the reason for the system unit not turning on. The recommendations are the same, use working components one by one (if available, of course) and during the test identify the problem unit - it could be a faulty memory module, a short circuit on the motherboard, a defective power supply, etc.

Reason #5. Poor or broken contact. Quite often, the cause of a blackout monitor may be the connection between the monitor and the system unit. Check the connecting cable, connections and connectors. If the screen goes blank when you touch the connectors or cable, the reason is obvious.

Important! Do not take problems with your monitor to an extreme state; once a problem is discovered and corrected, it can extend the life of your monitor by several years!

Hi all! If your computer screen periodically goes dark, although the system unit is turned on and for no good reason, then you should not look for the reason that it goes out specifically in the screen. The “life” of the screen is influenced by a huge number of factors, which we will talk about in our material today.

Factor one - Technical problems with the monitor itself.

If you find yourself in a situation where your computer screen periodically goes blank, then start diagnosing it from the most obvious places.

So, in order to make sure that the reason lies in the monitor itself, you need to:

1) Turn off the computer.
2) Immediately after this, launch it and watch the screen.
If, after you started the computer, the screen immediately lights up and then suddenly goes out, then the likely cause of the breakdown is the backlights that are installed in liquid crystal monitors. Perhaps they have burned out.
If the monitor has darkened, and when light from the lamp hits it, it becomes faded, then the reason lies in the voltage inverter.
In order to find out the specific reason for the breakdown of your monitor, you need to pull out the cable with which it is connected to the system unit. If the window with the inscription “No signal” does not pop up, then you cannot fix it yourself. In the best case, the service will help, and in the worst case, you will have to fork out for a new monitor.

Factor two - Technical problems with the video adapter.

If any component in the system unit fails, the monitor notifies you about it. When you turn it on, the signal is periodically interrupted.

If the problem lies in the video adapter, then you need:

1) Disconnect the system unit from electricity.
2) After a couple of minutes, open your system unit.
3) Find the video adapter inside. Move it a little from side to side.
These steps should help. If this algorithm does not help you, then remove your video adapter and configure your computer to connect to the integrated video adapter.

Factor three - Clogging with dust.

When was the last time you cleaned your system unit of dust? But this may be the reason for the screen to malfunction.
Dust clogs interfere with the normal functioning of computer components, such as RAM and video adapter. To get rid of this problem, you need to simply clean the system unit.

To do this, it is recommended to use a portable USB vacuum cleaner or some kind of soft brush.
Clean your computer from dust at least once every six months, but we recommend doing it more often.

Factor four - Problems with the cable.

This factor is one of the most common, but it is not as easy to notice as you might think. Upon external inspection, you will probably think that the wire is quite “healthy”, but this is not always the case.

Everything is checked quite easily - you just need to find the same wire as the one connected to your screen and connect it. If everything works, the problem is fixed!

Factor five - Incorrect wire connection.

In those system units that are not quite old, two types of video adapters are usually installed - integrated and discrete. If the wire is connected to the wrong socket, although the screen will show “signs of life,” it will not work on its own.

The reason lies in the fact that the BIOS is initially programmed to give preference to a more powerful video adapter. If someone mistakenly connected your monitor to the integrated video adapter, it may refuse to work.
Solving the problem is also quite simple - make sure that the monitor is connected correctly. If this is not the case, then reconnect it to another video adapter.

Factor six - Technical problems with the processor or motherboard.

If the reason lies in the “mother” or the processor, then the cooler will work as before, saying that the computer is in working condition, although in fact this is not the case.

This problem can only be solved by the service, but you should make sure that this is so. To do this, check whether the red sensor under the mouse is lit or whether the keyboard is backlit.

Factor seven - Ordinary everyday occurrences.

Even the screen that may be in full working order will stop working due to your carelessness. It is possible that you simply pulled out the wire that connects the monitor to electricity or the system unit, or simply pressed the power off button on the screen itself.
These problems can be solved quite simply, and perhaps it’s even ridiculous, but it’s better to be convinced once again than to complain about the components.

Video card malfunction

Another logical reason for the monitor screen to constantly turn off could be a hardware failure of the graphics adapter. The following is typical for such cases:

The appearance of various artifacts on the screen (stripes, distortions, broken lines, etc.)

Video driver error messages appearing in the system tray.

Video card overheating

All modern PCs (including laptops) have two graphics adapters on their motherboards: internal and external. In the default BIOS settings, preference is given to the video card that is considered more productive (usually discrete). Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the temperature of the external graphics module.

Discrete graphics card

In most cases, the normal operating temperature of a graphics adapter is considered to be one that does not exceed 60 degrees Celsius. But it’s almost impossible to achieve this on powerful video cards. The maximum peak (100% load) is usually determined at 85 degrees. For individual GPUs, the peak maximum reaches 95 degrees.

For almost all existing GPUs, the maximum allowed upper limit is 105 degrees. After this, the graphics module of the board reduces the frequency for cooling purposes. But such a measure may not produce results and then the PC reboots.

The first step is to make sure that the video card is not being cooled properly. For this purpose, there are, for example, temperature monitoring software. Let's look at two of them.

GPU-Z

Launch the GPU-Z program.

Go to the “Sensors” tab.

If you have a discrete video card, you should select it from the drop-down list. If not, then the integrated video card will be specified by default.
In the “GPU Temperature” line you can see the current card temperature (2).

After launching Speccy, in the main program window, select “Graphics devices” on the left.
Next, we look at the temperature of the required component of the motherboard.

Design features of the laptop

Some laptop manufacturers do not think through a reliable heat dissipation system even at the design stage of a certain model. In such cases, laptop computers have, for example, very small grilles on the case, which logically leads to constant overheating of the entire device. Here you should take care to place any stand behind (or in front) under the laptop, lifting it up.

Laptop cooling grill

Alternatively, you can use special cooling pads for laptop PCs. They allow you to move air through the computer more intensively. There are models that run on USB and also have their own battery.

Portable Laptop Cooling Pad

Loss of thermal paste properties

Heat transfer between the GPU and the cooler is carried out through a special intermediary - thermal paste (or thermal interface). Over time, the substance loses its properties, which leads to insufficient cooling of the graphics adapter. In this case, the thermal paste must be urgently replaced.

Note: Disassembling the video adapter will void the warranty if it does not pass. Therefore, you should contact an official service center. If the warranty period is already past, read the link below for a guide on replacing the thermal interface for a graphics card.

Power Saving Mode

In all versions of the Windows operating system, there is a special service that disables devices that are not currently in use. The purpose of this function is to save energy. By default in the OS, the idle time is never below 5 minutes if it is a desktop computer or laptop. But various erroneous manipulations by the user or third-party programs can change this time to less.

Windows 8-10

Use the keyboard shortcut “Win” + “X” to open the properties window.
In the menu, click on “Power Management”.

In the “Turn off display” line, change the time if necessary.
Dialog box for changing settings for turning off the monitor when idle in Windows 8

Windows 7

Using the key combination “Win” + “X”, open the “Windows Mobility Center” window.
Select the power properties icon.

We set the parameters we need to turn off the monitor.

Windows XP

Right-click on the desktop.
Select "Properties".

Click on “Nutrition”.

Set the necessary parameters for turning off the display.

Video card driver

Incorrect operation of graphics adapter drivers does not often lead to these problems. But you shouldn’t completely exclude the influence of driver conflicts (or lack thereof) on the unstable operation of the display.

We boot the computer in “Safe Mode”.

Find the discrete card (if available) in the “Video adapters” section. There should not be any yellow icons with an exclamation mark next to the device name.

Using RMB, click on the name of the adapter, then select “Properties”.

The Device Status field should indicate normal operation.

If the device appears with problems (presence of additional icons, resource conflicts, etc.), then the adapter driver should be removed. To do this we do the following:

We go to the same device properties window that we discussed above, but to the “Driver” tab.
Click the “Delete” button.

Confirm your decision.
Restart your computer in normal mode.

This method is effective for problems with video adapter drivers. But unfortunately, it does not always bring results. In difficult cases, the user will be required to search and install the driver manually. Read about how to do this using the links below.

Tip: First of all, you should find and install drivers for the motherboard (if you do not have them installed), then all the others. This is especially true for laptop owners.

RAM

One of the most common reasons why a monitor turns itself off is a malfunction of the RAM. To detect such problems, there are special tools for checking RAM for errors. Even if a fault occurs in a single module, this is enough to periodically turn off the monitor while the PC is running.

RAM modules are not suitable for repair, so if problems are detected in their operation, you should purchase new ones.

MemTest86+

MemTest86+ is one of the best tools for testing RAM for errors. To work with it, you will need to create bootable media with this program and set the BIOS to boot from a flash drive. After testing is completed, the program will display the results.

System RAM Checker

Another method for checking RAM does not require additional software. The OS itself has a special tool.

To run RAM diagnostics using the Windows operating system itself, you must:

Press the key combination “Win” + “R”. This will bring up the standard Run window.
Enter “mdsched” in the line.

After the reboot, the diagnostic procedure will start, and upon completion, the test results will be displayed.

System Settings

A very common reason why the monitor turns off while the computer is running is the function of turning off the display after a certain time, which is available in all popular versions of Windows. True, it is activated only if the user does not perform any actions on the PC. If this is your case, open your current power plan settings and see if you have the Timeout setting set to Turn off display. If yes, select "Never" from the drop-down list.

Monitor is faulty

We cannot discount the possibility that the monitor itself is malfunctioning, but in this case, it will most likely remain dark or go out a few seconds after turning on the computer, although there are exceptions when the monitor screen periodically goes dark for a couple of seconds. The first may be a sign of problems with the backlight lamps, the second may indicate a malfunction of the voltage inverter.

To avoid guessing what's going on here, disconnect the monitor from the system unit. If it's working properly, the screen should show a "No Signal" or "Cable Unplugged" message, otherwise it will indicate a problem with the display itself. If possible, try connecting the monitor to another PC.

Unstable operation of the monitor power supply

It also happens that the monitor screen periodically goes dark for 1-2 seconds, and then the image appears as if nothing had happened. This may indicate a problem with the monitor's power supply, which cannot cope with voltage fluctuations in the network, as well as poor condition of the cable contacts. Less likely reasons for this behavior are malfunctions of the motherboard itself, a conflict of video cards (it is recommended to disable one), problems with RAM (rare).

Incorrect resolution

When the monitor turns off while playing or just working, sometimes the wrong resolution is to blame. If, using third-party tools, you set a resolution that exceeds the capabilities of the monitor, it is very possible to turn off the latter, especially when launching games. A clear sign of an incorrectly selected resolution is the “Out of range” message.

In this case, you need to boot into safe mode and lower the resolution to the system default.

Conclusion.

So, today we told you about the reasons for the monitor screen to go dark during operation. We advise you to double-check all connections before taking it in for repairs. We hope that our material today helped you.
Peace for everyone!

If the screen periodically turns off while working on a computer, the cause of this problem does not always lie on the display itself. It may be related to the video card, connection cable, RAM operation, etc. There are many reasons, and this article is devoted to the main ones.

Problems with the display constantly turning off are among the most difficult. It is very problematic for an ordinary user to diagnose and identify the cause at home. Such violations are associated with either hardware or software malfunctions. The former, as a rule, require contacting a service center, and the latter you can learn to identify by studying this article.

Reason 1: Monitor malfunction

If the monitor turns off while the system unit is running, then problems with the main output device cannot be ruled out. Most monitors have protection that is triggered automatically when overheating occurs. But it will not be possible to check the temperature of the device using standard means. Therefore, here we can only advise you to check it by touch. If the display case is too hot, it should be placed away from the wall or in another location with better air circulation.

High humidity levels are one of the reasons why the display turns off periodically. Move the monitor to a room where there is no high humidity and let it stand for a while. The monitor should not be connected to the network. And if corrosion has not yet formed, then after all the moisture has evaporated, the device should return to normal operation.

Disconnect the output device from the system unit. You should see something like “No Signal” or “No Connection” on the screen. If there is no such message, then you need to contact the service center.

To remove the monitor from the range of potential causes of the problem, you simply need to connect another output device to your desktop PC or laptop. If there is still no image, then the fault lies with the video card or cable.

Reason 2: Cable defect

The most common reason for an output device to periodically turn off is cable damage. The most commonly used connectors for screen output are DVI and HDMI. But the VGA format is still available. You must make sure that the inserted cable is held securely and is twisted on both sides (DVI).

First you need to try connecting the display to another computer using the existing cable. If there is no change, simply replace the cable.
If changing the cable does not solve the problem, then the problem is in the monitor itself.
If the problem disappears after connecting to another computer, then the problem has nothing to do with the display or the cable. In this case, you should look for the cause in the depths of the system unit.

Reason 3: Video card malfunction

Another logical reason for the monitor screen to constantly turn off could be a hardware failure of the graphics adapter. The following is typical for such cases:

For information on what to do in such cases, see the link below:

Reason 4: Video card overheating

The first step is to make sure that the video card is not being cooled properly. For this purpose, there are, for example, temperature monitoring software. Let's look at two of them.

Method 1: GPU-Z

Method 2: Speccy

Let's look at the main reasons leading to insufficient cooling of the graphics adapter.

Dust

If your PC has not been cleaned of dust for a long time, then it’s time to start doing so. There is a possibility that dust inside the system unit or on the video card cooler itself does not allow the latter to cool properly. Dirt and dust on the card cooler itself can cause it to stop working in particularly severe cases. Cleaning dust does not require special skills: you need to disassemble the system unit or open the laptop case, then use a vacuum cleaner or soft brush. It is recommended to carry out such cleaning at least 2 times a year.

Design features of the laptop

Alternatively, you can use special cooling pads for laptop PCs. They allow you to move air through the computer more intensively. There are models that run on USB and also have their own battery.

Loss of thermal paste properties

Note: Disassembling the video adapter will void the warranty if it does not pass. Therefore, you should contact an official service center. If the warranty period is already past, read the link below for a guide on replacing the thermal interface for a graphics card.

Reason 5: Power Saving Mode

Windows 8-10

Windows 7

Windows XP

Reason 6: Video card driver

We boot the computer into "Safe Mode".

Read more: How to enter “Safe Mode” through BIOS, on Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows XP

Click "Win" + "R".
Next we enter "devmgmt.msc".

Find the discrete card (if available) in the section "Video adapters". There should not be any yellow icons with an exclamation mark next to the device name.

Using RMB, click on the name of the adapter, then select "Properties".

In field "Device Status" normal operation must be indicated.

Next, go to the tab "Resources" and make sure there are no conflicts.

If the device appears with problems (presence of additional icons, resource conflicts, etc.), then the adapter driver should be removed. To do this we do the following:

Tip: First of all, you should find and install drivers for the motherboard (if you do not have them installed), then all the others. This is especially true for laptop owners.

Reason 7: RAM

RAM modules are not suitable for repair, so if problems are detected in their operation, you should purchase new ones.

Method 2: System RAM Checker

Another method for checking RAM does not require additional software. The OS itself has a special tool.

To run RAM diagnostics using the Windows operating system itself, you must:

Thus, to determine the cause of the monitor's inoperability, the user will be required to follow a number of steps. Some of these activities relate to simple and effective diagnosis by exclusion. For example, hardware problems related to the display and cable are easily identified. Software methods require quite a long time, but you cannot do without them to eliminate RAM malfunctions.

It is possible that you have encountered a situation where:

- The DVD is spinning, you are watching a video from this disc, or
- an online cinema has been launched, a film is being shown on the screen, or
- You decide to watch recorded television programs via the Internet, or
- You are participating in an online webinar or viewing its recording,

and suddenly, after a certain time, the screen goes out and playback continues with the black screen extinguished, as usual, in the most interesting place.

Let's figure out why the screen goes blank and how to fix this problem.

Possible reasons why the screen goes blank

The screen may go dark because your computer is configured this way. If you leave the computer alone, that is, do not touch the mouse or touch the keyboard, then the computer perceives this as a signal that the owner has decided to rest and therefore it is necessary to turn on the power saving mode and save screen resources. In principle, the idea is good, even if it is done.

However, when watching videos or other multimedia applications, the power saving and saving mode is not convenient, and it works if you do not touch the mouse and keyboard while watching. And then suddenly, out of the blue, the screen goes dark, and playback continues. Then it is not always possible to return to the moment in the video when the screen went dark, and a residue remains.

The problem when the screen goes blank can be easily resolved by moving the mouse or pressing any key on the computer keyboard. But if you watch multimedia applications away from the computer, then, of course, you don’t want to run to the mouse at certain intervals every time the screen goes dark.

Therefore, after weighing all the PROS and CONS, perhaps you will agree with me that if you constantly view multimedia applications, then it makes sense to abandon the energy saving mode and save resources on the monitor screen. Disabling this mode means that the screen will no longer go blank while the computer is running. In principle, if you change your mind, you can always go back to this mode, everything is in your hands.

Now let's look at how to change the computer settings that cause the screen to go dark for the Windows XP and Windows 7 operating systems.

Windows 7 power supply if the screen goes blank

For Windows 7, you need to go through the following path: Start - Control Panel - Hardware and Sound - Power Options - Configure sleep mode.

The “Power plan settings” window will open, where in the “Dim display” and “Turn off display” windows you must set “Never” and ALWAYS click on the “Save changes” button:

Rice. 1. Power settings for Windows 7

Power settings in Windows XP

To set power settings in XP you need to go the following way:

Start – Settings – Control Panel – Power Options – “Power Management Schemes” tab.

There you should make the settings, as shown in Figure 2 (below), after which you MUST click “OK”:

Rice. 2. Power settings for Windows XP

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