OT: Weird monitor/graphics thing since the new Win7 install

[Dave Labrecque]

A couple times a day I'll be working and suddenly the screen will go black for a few seconds, then come back. Only since I reinstalled Win7 a few days ago.

Ideas?

[bcorkery]

Dave,

I seem to recall, in the old days, somewhere in the properties/troubleshooting you could reduce the hardware accelerator to fix such things. I don't know if this still applies.

-Bill

[Ian Alexander]

I don't have a solution, but I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be driving or operating heavy machinery.

[bcorkery]

Oh, I get it (sound of knee slap) accelerator! :p

[Naturally Digital]

A couple times a day I'll be working and suddenly the screen will go black for a few seconds, then come back. Only since I reinstalled Win7 a few days ago.

Ideas?Sounds like video card autodetecting/redetecting/having trouble detecting, your monitor(s).

[Dave Labrecque]

Sounds like video card autodetecting/redetecting/having trouble detecting, your monitor(s).

Hmmm... no video card here. Using the integrated GPU.

This only started happening following a recent reinstall of Win7, FWIW.

[ivanoff]

Maybe you can try to check your ram.

[Sean McCoy]

Any extenders in the system?

[Dave Labrecque]

Any extenders in the system?

Not sure what you mean by that, Sean, BUT...

I did notice that my graphics options were set to extended desktop, and now that I set it back to the single monitor that I'm currently using, so far, no issues (fingers and toes crossed).

Could the extended desktop setting cause this? If so, how? And is that what you were referring to?

[Sean McCoy]

Not sure what you mean by that, Sean, BUT...

I did notice that my graphics options were set to extended desktop, and now that I set it back to the single monitor that I'm currently using, so far, no issues (fingers and toes crossed).

Could the extended desktop setting cause this? If so, how? And is that what you were referring to?
No, I meant physical extenders (KVM) if your CPU is in another room. A local studio where I record has had mucho video extender-related problems that also caused momentary blackouts.

[Dave Labrecque]

No, I meant physical extenders (KVM) if your CPU is in another room. A local studio where I record has had mucho video extender-related problems that also caused momentary blackouts.

Did they try to stop drinking for a week? Just to be sure? :o

[Naturally Digital]

Hmmm... no video card here. Using the integrated GPU. Same diff. Most of the drivers these days are capable of detecting the monitor. Some systems work better than others.

If you had your desktop 'extended' to another monitor that wasn't there, I'd guess that was your issue.

Question is, how the heck do you get these odd settings in the first place? :eek:

Fresh install... Did you have a 2nd monitor hooked up during install? Did you create some sort of expanded desktop beyond the native resolution of your monitor?

There are as many or more mysteries from our end Dave. :)

[Carl G.]

Same diff. Most of the drivers these days are capable of detecting the monitor. Some systems work better than others.

If you had your desktop 'extended' to another monitor that wasn't there, I'd guess that was your issue.

Question is, how the heck do you get these odd settings in the first place? :eek:

Fresh install... Did you have a 2nd monitor hooked up during install? Did you create some sort of expanded desktop beyond the native resolution of your monitor?

There are as many or more mysteries from our end Dave. :)

Just to add to that... I notice on my dual monitor Win 8 install, that if I turn off my main monitor, then the full desktop gets automatically switched over to the secondary monitor (a nice convenience).

[Dave Labrecque]

Same diff. Most of the drivers these days are capable of detecting the monitor. Some systems work better than others.

If you had your desktop 'extended' to another monitor that wasn't there, I'd guess that was your issue.

Question is, how the heck do you get these odd settings in the first place? :eek:

Fresh install... Did you have a 2nd monitor hooked up during install? Did you create some sort of expanded desktop beyond the native resolution of your monitor?

There are as many or more mysteries from our end Dave. :)

Yes... when I did the fresh install of the OS, I had a TV connected to the second video output. Maybe it saw that and did the extended thing by default as a result. Still not sure why that would cause my main screen to go black a couple times a day while the TV is turned off. (We use the TV for watching Netflix stuff in the evenings.)

I'm happy. No blinking black screens since I set the graphic options correctly (to a single monitor). I guess that was it! :)

[Dave Labrecque]

Yes... when I did the fresh install of the OS, I had a TV connected to the second video output. Maybe it saw that and did the extended thing by default as a result. Still not sure why that would cause my main screen to go black a couple times a day while the TV is turned off. (We use the TV for watching Netflix stuff in the evenings.)

I'm happy. No blinking black screens since I set the graphic options correctly (to a single monitor). I guess that was it! :)

Here's as guess: since the TV won't do the same high resolution as my main monitor (when I clone them to watch Netflix, both monitors necessarily come down to the TV's max resolution), maybe when the desktop is extended and the main monitor is at it's high, native resolution, the graphics driver gets upset and throws an occasional tantrum in some kind of effort to make the TV play ball at that resolution. Even when it's turned off.

Like I said. Just a guess. :o

[Naturally Digital]

Here's as guess: since the TV won't do the same high resolution as my main monitor (when I clone them to watch Netflix, both monitors necessarily come down to the TV's max resolution), maybe when the desktop is extended and the main monitor is at it's high, native resolution, the graphics driver gets upset and throws an occasional tantrum in some kind of effort to make the TV play ball at that resolution. Even when it's turned off.

Like I said. Just a guess. :oMy video cards are definitely aware of the screens/TVs, even when they are turned off. Especially when I use DVI and/or HDMI (as opposed to VGA).

[Dave Labrecque]

My video cards are definitely aware of the screens/TVs, even when they are turned off. Especially when I use DVI and/or HDMI (as opposed to VGA).

And, of course, that's exactly what I'm doing. :o