Okay, about a month ago my monitor started doing something strange. When not in use, my computer enters sleep/standby mode and the monitor enters a standby mode, too. When I wake up the computer (pressing a keyboard key), the monitor is supposed to turn on its screen automatically. It still does this - but only for a split-second do I see an image, and then the entire screen goes black. I have tried unplugging and replugging its connector to the computer, the power cord as it enters the monitor, and the power cord as it enters the power strip/outlet. Eventually the picture stays on the screen. I have figured out that the "easy" way to get through this is to sit and push the monitor power button on and off until the picture on my screen stops blacking out. This takes about 20 tries. I have tried waking the computer up and leaving it be while I eat breakfast - my thought being that maybe the problem is time-dependent rather than actually needing the power button poked over a dozen times. Alas, to no avail. So, I'm stumped. Is my monitor dying? There's nothing wrong with it - no dead pixels, nothing. It's about 6+ years old, a Norcent LCD monitor with a 15" (approx) diagonal. Looks like it comes with built-in speakers, but I've never figured how to use them.

Pardon if I don't reply right away, I have to run off and do some volunteer work.

It sounds like your monitor is on it's last legs. Consider getting a new one and leaving this one to those less fortunate.

Yes, I'd say it's dying. I'm not sure how long LCD backlights are meant to last, but depending on how much you use it each day, 6 years could well be your limit, and it might be burning out. Not sure if that causes what you're experiencing, but if someone told me they had a 6 year old LCD monitor, I'd tell them it's probably time to upgrade, regardless of whether or not it's experiencing problems.

Have you tried the monitor on another system? Same problems?

That's what I'm guessing. LCD backlights lifetimes vary but on average they last 3 - 5 years of constant use. A rating of 50,000 hours would be pushing it, especially for an older monitor. Also sometimes backlights simply fail.

edit: Technically its the LCD Inverter regulating the current for the CFL that makes up the backlight that is bad.

No I haven't tried that. The computer area is a tad cluttered at the moment... which makes playing around with VGA cables a little tricky.

Okay, so maybe it is dying. I should add that this problem only happens if the computer/monitor has been in standby for at least 4 or 5 hours. I usually let the computer sleep at night, so whenever I first wake it up the next day, it has the problem. I also get the problem when I leave the computer alone for long stretches of time and it's asleep for many hours. Like, just now I woke it up, no screen problems - and I was gone for two hours.

So, let's say it is dying. What should I upgrade to? I see widescreens are all the rage, but I've never had a widescreen before, will it screw up the resolution/aspect ratio on old games? I might not even get a new monitor, we have a sort of spare one, it's attached to a computer no one uses much anymore, so I could probably just swipe that one, it's a few years younger than my Norcent.

Pretending I was competent with electronics, is it possible to purchase a new backlight (or that inverter Niohoggr mentioned) and replace the old one? And, if so, is this option less expensive than purchasing a new monitor? I really like my Norcent, no dead pixels at all! The "spare" monitor has several twins (i.e. my dad bought a bunch of the same LCDs to replace the old CRTs way back when), and I know at least one of them has a stuck pixel or two. Not sure what brand they are, doesn't say so anywhere on the front of the monitor. =/

If the dead pixel monitor has the soft front,you can get rid of dead pixels with a pencil eraser.
If you're willing to try, just ask how...

I play a lot of old games in 1920x1080 resolution, if the game doesn't support it natively then there is usually a fan-patch or workaround. If it's a 3D game it will just be rendered in widescreen, if it's a 2D game then the viewing area will be increased.


It would probably be more expensive (and more of a hassle) to repair an old monitor, but I'm not totally sure.

Definitely more expensive (or at least comparable to buying a new, bigger monitor) to repair it. As to doing it yourself, it's not very likely to happen. Most professional repair companies charge massively over the odds, and when it happens in warranty the manufacturers just send you a new one, and don't bother with a repair. (This is coming from experience in an independent retailer). Just look around for a well received/reviewed monitor .

How about turning the monitor off rather than keeping it on standby? Unless that produces the same problem, of course. It would be quieter and more energy efficient, as well.

Before going out to repair it or buy a new monitor, I would try the monitor on another system and verify that it does the same thing, just to rule out other possibilities. That's just me though.

I figured standby would be good enough. But, yeah, I could turn my computer off at nights, as long as it isn't when I have to wake up super early in the morning for class (no time to wait for it to boot - and omg why does Firefox take for freaking ever to load after I reboot the computer?!).

Yeah, I'll try to test it on another system. I will also see what happens if I turn the monitor off tonight rather than let it enter standby/sleep mode.