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About three days ago, my main machine began to perform an incredibly annoying habit.

When I booted it up, the screen would lock up for a second or so every few minutes. I didnt really think much of it, but decided to reboot.

After a reboot, the machine now boots fine, but very quickly (from the moment the logon window appears), the screen will black out.

The machine continues to operate normally, I just cant see anything. The monitor itself doesnt show up with the 'no signal' I usually get when the machine isnt sending output. So its like the machine is sending data, its just nothing.

I bought a second graphics card in order to try that out, but it also produces the same issue. The issue occurs in both safe mode and normal mode - i've tried LKGQ, low res mode, safe mode, safe mode with networking. The works. There's no onboard GFx chipset, so thats out.

One of the ops guys suggested that I either remote onto the machine, or go in through c$ to delete the graphics drivers. However, the machine (its a vista ultimate) wont respond to either (nor will it connect by the management MMC).

I'm properly stumped as to what I can do to get around this, short of blowing it all away (which I dont want to do as I havent backed up recently) and hoping.

That said, I dont think it will work anyway. I just fired up the vista boot disk, thinking to do a repair, and it looks like the machine has done the same thing here. So it looks like its more an issue with the motherboard.

I think im knackered. And I have no idea why its happened.

 

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So let me get this right, you see your Splash Screen, then get to your logging credentials on your Vista Ultimate machine and then bam its all gone?

 

Depends. I always get to the login screen, but depending on how long I wait, it can black out before I enter my details. Usually it blacks out after though.

 

From what you have typed and you seem to be pretty much well buggered.

Without being able to login to check Event Logs, settings etc, you cant really do much.

Might not be too late to change your present list with Santa Claus

 

Yeah. Slight problem there. The main drives are Raid 0. I'm well and truly ****ed! I can get the Digital Camera pics off the machine, as I've shared that out for the network, but if I replace the MOBO (as I now suspect is the cause), im going to lose the data. Even if I get an identical MOBO, I suspect that setting up the Raid on the machine again will kill it.

The weird thing, is that as soon as I hit the reset button, the BIOS graphics, etc appear just fine!

 

Its a desktop, no third party firewall software on it.

Unfortunately it has no third party remoting software installed. I havent ever needed to remote onto it since I last formatted.

Havent tried switching the monitor yet though. I'll give it a go just now.

I doubt its the UAC though, as I disabled the UAC (for admins at least) as soon as I set up (and it happens in the vista boot disk too. It even does it on the safe mode selection screen.

 

oooh. good call Arroryn. Hooked the machine up to a second monitor, and it all appears to be running well so far.

It's certainly lasted longer like that than it has in the past few days. I'll leave it running a while longer to ensure that its not just fluke, but it looks like a new monitor is going to be on the cards this chrimbo!

 

I had the same problem earlier this year. Turns out my three and half year old samsung monitor had gone.
I tried everything before I found this out, i even built my vista disk again. I ended up buying another graphics card and that did not solve it. Random Black screens.

Borrowed a monitor from work and yes, it was the monitor, even better it was a known fault and samsung were offering a no quibble replacement unit for this fault.

Wouldn't you know it my monitor was only just out of its three year guarantee.

never mind, I have a nice 22" Samsung pebble monitor now, and I have kept the receipt!

 

probably what he said ^

But have you tried the other port on the graphics card or a new DVI cable?

 

As mentioned above its worth checking the obvious stuff first, cables, drivers and the like don't make any rash decisions until you exhaust all the cheaper options

 

Not only that but a very quick backup of all your data too I suspect?

 

yep, definately.

I do backup my data, just not very often (doh!)