Monitor went black and system won't detect video card

[ydcl]

hi all,

yesterday my monitor went black, my 2nd one in 2 years. it's an acer lcd 23''. My brother hooked a different cable and it now works on VGA but the letters are blurry. It also does not seem to detect my video card anymore. Right before the blackout every once in a while when I came back from the screen saver, on the right bottom on the screen a 3d driver error would appear, and then disappear.

I am pulling my hairs here, a colleague told me to open the pc and use compressed air to blow all the dust off the video card, and then reset it.

Would that be the answer?

Thanks for your time.
I have a nvidia gts 1gb 250

[OhSnapWord]

It would help as the video card could be overheating; although the computer not detecting it is never a good sign. See if you get any display from it when you first turn the computer on and it power on self tests.

I'm guessing your computer has onboard graphics and a separate video card?

[ydcl]

Originally Posted by OhSnapWord

It would help as the video card could be overheating; although the computer not detecting it is never a good sign. See if you get any display from it when you first turn the computer on and it power on self tests.

I'm guessing your computer has onboard graphics and a separate video card?

yes both onboard and a 1gb separate.

what do you mean by power starts?

[OhSnapWord]

When you first turn on the computer, you'll either see the manufacturer's logo on the screen or some text.

If the monitor is in sleep mode, it should come on soon after you power on the computer.

[ydcl]

Originally Posted by OhSnapWord

When you first turn on the computer, you'll either see the manufacturer's logo on the screen or some text.

If the monitor is in sleep mode, it should come on soon after you power on the computer.

I turned the monitor on and off, and the acer logo appears.

[OhSnapWord]

Originally Posted by ydcl

I turned the monitor on and off, and the acer logo appears.

Not the monitor. Shut the computer down and power it back on. Make sure you connect the monitor to your external video card.

[ydcl]

Originally Posted by OhSnapWord

Not the monitor. Shut the computer down and power it back on. Make sure you connect the monitor to your external video card.

2 things:

1 - I changed the cable and took out of the drawer my old blue one with a smaller plug than the one I had connected before. Now the monitor image and letters are crisp and clear.

but
2 - it still will not detect the video card.

[OhSnapWord]

Video card might have given up the ghost.

[ydcl]

Originally Posted by OhSnapWord

Video card might have given up the ghost.

Noooooooo!!!!

I got this pc in 2010, since then my 1st screen went black, I bet you it might still work then. I got the graphics card separate and had geek squad install it right when I got the pc and also a new power supply.

Bought a new screen 11 months later and then this... Oh well... Maybe I can get a cheap one just to make sure this pc has a card.

Thanks for your help! And I was just about to play my Hearts of Iron 3 game after almost 1 year of not playing it!!!

[OhSnapWord]

Originally Posted by ydcl

Noooooooo!!!!

I got this pc in 2010, since then my 1st screen went black, I bet you it might still work then. I got the graphics card separate and had geek squad install it right when I got the pc and also a new power supply.

Bought a new screen 11 months later and then this... Oh well... Maybe I can get a cheap one just to make sure this pc has a card.

Thanks for your help! And I was just about to play my Hearts of Iron 3 game after almost 1 year of not playing it!!!

There's your problem. You let Geek Squad touch your computer.

Go into the BIOS and see what the primary graphics adapter is set as and make sure it is enabled.