Black Monitor Mystery

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Started out with an Abit AA8 mobo, Intel 530 CPU, Antec Sonata Case,
WD 120 gig Serial ATA HDD, 1 gig (2 sticks) 240 pin DDR2 RAM, Windows
XP Pro and Chaintech PCI Express video card. Hooked it up and it would
not boot. Being a coward, I carted it back to the store. Tech ripped
out RAM, swapped video card, etc. Finally said leave it. Next day
got a message saying it was working. Picked it up. Booted it at home.
The system was in VGA, so I changed the screen to 1280 by 1024,
downloaded some updates, ran a visual basic script to rip out Windows
Messenger, Looked at the BIOS settings, Installed Norton AV 2005 & got
updates, Installed Microsoft AntiSpyware and changed the computer name
& Workgroup names.

During the process of doing the above, I probably rebooted the PC 4 or
5 times. Turned it off. Returned an hour later to install Office. When
I tried to boot the monitor did not come on. This is a Dell monitor
that has an Amber light when the monitor is on and the PC is off. As
soon as the PC gets past POST, the Amber lights changes to green
normally. Not this time just an amber light. (If I unplug the video
cable from the PC while the amber light is on, the amber light turns
green. All this behavior is normal. I have another almost identical
Dell monitor. One monitor is model 1703FPT and the actual one with
the mystery machine is a 1704FPT -- only difference I know of is USB
2.0 vs. USB 1.1 on the two monitors.

After checking both digital and analog outputs and confirming the
monitor did work on another PC, I took the PC back.

This time the diagnosis was some compatibility issue between the Abit
Board and the CPU. Swapped (for $26) to an Intel Board -- figured an
Intel chip and an Intel board should be OK.

Get the system back. Probably booted it 4 times. Did change the screen
setting from 800 by 600 to 1280 by 1024 again. Checked some stuff. Got
latest Norton definitions. Then decided to check the boot sequence in
the BIOS. After exit and save from the BIOS, the monitor is again
dead. Pulled the battery on the BIOS -- no luck. At this point I think
maybe it is an intermittent problem with the Video card, so I swapped
at the store for another video card. Did not help.

I pulled out the mother board -- one spacer and screw the manual
called for in the middle of the board was not present. Added that. No
extra spacers that could have caused a short. Re installed all the
wires. Still the monitor is black.

Now every time the monitor is black, I can used the keyboard to turn
off the PC -- Windows Key, "U" and "U"

I pulled power from the HDD and the same dark screen happens with I
boot from the Windows CD.

No Beeps when the system attempts to boot, but I do hear the Windows
opening and closing wave files.

Anybody have any idea what is going on?

Gordon
Atlanta


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