Solving Display Problems

If you encounter display problems, see the documentation that came with the monitor and to the common causes and solutions listed in the following table.

Table D-5Solving Display Problems

Blank screen (no video).

Cause

Solution

 

 

Monitor is not turned on and the monitor light is not on.

Turn on the monitor and check that the monitor light is on.

 

 

Bad monitor.

Try a different monitor.

 

 

The cable connections are not correct.

Check the cable connection from the monitor to the computer

 

and to the electrical outlet.

 

 

You may have a screen blanking utility installed or energy

Press any key or click the mouse button and type your

saver features are enabled.

password (if set).

 

 

System ROM is corrupted; system is running in Boot Block

Reflash the system ROM with the latest BIOS image.

Emergency Recovery Mode (indicated by eight beeps).

 

 

 

You are using a fixed-sync monitor and it will not sync at the

Be sure that the monitor can accept the same horizontal

resolution chosen.

scan rate as the resolution chosen.

 

 

Computer is in Sleep state.

Press the power button to resume from Sleep state.

 

CAUTION: When attempting to resume from Sleep state,

 

do not hold down the power button for more than four

 

seconds. Otherwise, the computer will shut down and you

 

will lose any unsaved data.

Monitor cable is plugged into the wrong connector.

Systems may have a monitor connection on both the motherboard or an add-in card. Try moving the monitor connection to a different connector on the back of the computer

Monitor settings in the computer are not compatible with the

1. In Control Panel, select Category from the View by list,

monitor.

then under Appearance and Personalization, select

 

Adjust screen resolution.

 

To access Control Panel in Windows 7, click Start, and

 

then select Control Panel.

 

To access Control Panel in Windows 8, from the Start

 

screen, type c, and then select Control Panel from the

 

list of applications.

 

2. Expand the Resolution box, and then use the sliding

 

control to reset the resolution.

 

 

Monitor is configured to use an input that is not active.

Use the monitor's on-screen menu controls to select the

 

input that is being driven by the system. Refer to the

 

monitor's user documentation for more information on the on-

 

screen controls and settings.

 

 

158 Appendix D Troubleshooting Without Diagnostics