[tazook]

Good morning.

The monitor is a Samsung SyncMaster 152B and is several years older than the Windows Vista computer it's attached to. It used to occasionally show the "video mode" error message at the time the monitor was turned on. Rebooting would "cure" it and I assumed the problem was a conflict between the older monitor and Vista.

Yesterday I logged into my workspace to find that the display had, for some reason, reset to 800x600. I tried to change it and the video mode error box popped onto the screen a split-second later. Now I can't access that desktop/workspace at all--any attempt to log into it pops the error message. It's got itself set to something it can't/won't display and I cant see anything to change it.

I tried rebooting the computer in safe mode and I can get in. When I look at that desk space, the display claims it's still 800x600, but that may be the "safe mode" default. What do I know?

I've read the threads on the forum for this topic. From the oldest one, I downloaded Everest, installed it, and looked at the pci/agp video option. There's nothing listed there. When I click on the monitor tab, there's nothing there.

I poked around (I'm not very technical) and found a thing on the computer that claimed to check and update drivers. I tried to run it but it insisted that the current driver (from early 2009) was the latest one.

I'm baffled.

Thank you!
Theresa

Edited by tazook, 15 May 2010 - 09:33 AM.

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800 x 600 is the default safe mode screen size.

According to your monitor manual your monitor supports only up to 1024 x 768 resolution.

It also says it came with a cd with drivers on it.

If Everest says there is no PCI/AGP connection then I suspect a problem with your video card instead of your monitor.

Check if:

Your BIOS is set for your card (PCI or AGP) if you have an integrated video card should be PCI if you have an add/on card should be AGP (or PCI-Express for newer PC)

Verify in Device Manager if your Graphic Card is displayed and does not have a yellow exclamtion mark on it.

Verify your driver for your card.

Edited by Alzeimer, 15 May 2010 - 11:04 AM.

[Alzeimer]

800 x 600 is the default safe mode screen size.

According to your monitor manual your monitor supports only up to 1024 x 768 resolution.

It also says it came with a cd with drivers on it.

If Everest says there is no PCI/AGP connection then I suspect a problem with your video card instead of your monitor.

Check if:

Your BIOS is set for your card (PCI or AGP) if you have an integrated video card should be PCI if you have an add/on card should be AGP (or PCI-Express for newer PC)

Verify in Device Manager if your Graphic Card is displayed and does not have a yellow exclamtion mark on it.

Verify your driver for your card.

Edited by Alzeimer, 15 May 2010 - 11:04 AM.

[Digerati]

I agree, this looks like a problem with your card (or on-board if you don't have a card). However, it could still be the monitor having problems syncing up to the card. I would urge you to first, make sure all the cable connections are tight, including on the back of the monitor, if detachable. If all fine, then try another monitor. If it happens with the new monitor, you know it is the card. If not, then your monitor is failing.

[tazook]

Check if:

Your BIOS is set for your card (PCI or AGP) if you have an integrated video card should be PCI if you have an add/on card should be AGP (or PCI-Express for newer PC)

Huh? How do I find "BIOS"? How do I check if my "BIOS" is set for my card?

Sorry to be stupid.

Verify in Device Manager if your Graphic Card is displayed and does not have a yellow exclamtion mark on it.

Verify your driver for your card.

Nothing I can find in the device manager says anything about Graphic Card. I found a category for "Monitors" and it says my monitor is a "generic Non-PnP" monitor. There was a setting to update the driver, so I clicked it and, again, it insists that the best driver for my monitor is already installed.

[tazook]

I agree, this looks like a problem with your card (or on-board if you don't have a card). However, it could still be the monitor having problems syncing up to the card. I would urge you to first, make sure all the cable connections are tight, including on the back of the monitor, if detachable. If all fine, then try another monitor. If it happens with the new monitor, you know it is the card. If not, then your monitor is failing.

Cables are fine. I don't have a different monitor to plug in, so that's out.

I guess it could be the card or the monitor. I'm thinking I may have to haul it back to the place where I bought the PC and ask them to test the monitor and the card? If it's the card, the CPU box should still be under warranty.

Thanks a million!

Theresa

[Alzeimer]

Check if:

Your BIOS is set for your card (PCI or AGP) if you have an integrated video card should be PCI if you have an add/on card should be AGP (or PCI-Express for newer PC)

Huh? How do I find "BIOS"? How do I check if my "BIOS" is set for my card?

Sorry to be stupid.

When you start your computer before Vista start to load you see your POST either through a LOGO or with a POST DISPLAY this is where you will enter your BIOS by either pressing on your keybord (depending on your model) DELETE key, F10 key, F2 key or whatever you might see telling you to press ???? to enter setup (BIOS)

Verify in Device Manager if your Graphic Card is displayed and does not have a yellow exclamtion mark on it.

Verify your driver for your card.

Nothing I can find in the device manager says anything about Graphic Card. I found a category for "Monitors" and it says my monitor is a "generic Non-PnP" monitor. There was a setting to update the driver, so I clicked it and, again, it insists that the best driver for my monitor is already installed.

The Device Manager where you see "Monitors" is where all your hardware installed on your PC are displayed. If in there you do not see one for your "Display Adapters" (Graphic Card) then it means that for some reason your card as not been properly install or as been uninstalled for some reason.


If you could tell us the model and brand name of your PC (Motherboard) it will help (In Everest you should have that information)

[Digerati]

It should not be a problem with your BIOS or it would be a problem every time you boot.

[tazook]

I checked the BIOS and the video card says PCI.

The Device Manager where you see "Monitors" is where all your hardware installed on your PC are displayed. If in there you do not see one for your "Display Adapters" (Graphic Card) then it means that for some reason your card as not been properly install or as been uninstalled for some reason.

Oh, of course. Sorry. It says "Intel G33/G31 Express Chipset Family" and says it's "working properly."

If you could tell us the model and brand name of your PC (Motherboard) it will help (In Everest you should have that information)

It's an HP Pavillion p6110f. When I click on "motherboard" in Everest it says "unknown." The CPU type is Intel Pentium III Xeon, 2600 MHz

Edited by tazook, 16 May 2010 - 10:55 AM.

[tazook]

Are you guys done talking to me?

Did we decide if it was my monitor or the card that was probably causing the problem?

[Digerati]

Are you guys done talking to me?

Did we decide if it was my monitor or the card that was probably causing the problem?

Nothing new to say. We can't tell if it is your monitor until you try another. That's the only sure way. Note that many newer TVs can serve as a monitor and have the necessary D-Sub, and often DVI or HDMI inputs too.

[tazook]

Nothing new to say. We can't tell if it is your monitor until you try another. That's the only sure way. Note that many newer TVs can serve as a monitor and have the necessary D-Sub, and often DVI or HDMI inputs too.

TV! I have a brand-new flatscreen and I'm sure I saw those inputs when I was hooking it up. I can try plugging it in and seeing if it works.

Thank you SO much!


Theresa

[Digerati]

Keep us posted.

[tazook]

Problem solved! (Well, diagnosed, anyhow.)

The other monitor works fine, so clearly the problem is that my old monitor is going out.

Thanks a million for the help, everyone!

Theresa

[Digerati]

Glad you have it figured out and thanks for the followup.