white line across middle of screen

**MorseLady** · February 14th, 2009, 06:02 PM

Not sure if this is the right Forum. Running XP Pro SP3 and after a few mins get narrow white line across screen rest blank, shut down computer boot up again and everything OK and after a few mins the same thing happens. Hardware, software or virus? Hope nothing too hard as I am ill and I don't mean just flu or something and cannot cope with much so easy answers please thanks.

It did it again so have come back to add more. It first happened whilst I was on a shopping catalogue site. Been OK for the past few minutes. I know it is the computer and not the monitor. Too ill to carry spare machine from spare room to here so must solve it as I am virtually housebound at the moment and rely on the Internet. Never seen this before.

This morning it did it about half an hour after firtst use of the day but strangely as soon as I pressed the button to close it down the video came back and I was able to see the Windows logoff screen.

**Platypus** · February 15th, 2009, 03:14 AM

Sorry to hear you're not so well MorseLady.

If the monitor is the old heavy CRT (picture tube) type rather than an LCD, then I'd say the description sounds very much like a monitor fault, like this:

But if you can establish that it's the computer that's at fault, then I think the video card is the most likely problem. It would be an unusual symptom for a driver fault. What colour is the remainder of the screen that is blank, black like above, gray?

**MorseLady** · February 15th, 2009, 03:21 AM

Hello Platypus,

Thanks for your reply and I regret to tell you the not well is cancer.

My monitor is a modern digital CRT and I am pretty sure it is not that.

When I get this shining very narrow white line which changes colour presumably in line with what the computer is doing, the rest of the screen is black.

**Platypus** · February 15th, 2009, 04:14 AM

Well I am sad to hear of your health situation. I'll keep you in my prayers.

Your computer fault does sound very consistent with failure of vertical deflection in the CRT monitor, your description is exactly what happens.

When it happens next, instead of shutting the computer down, try turning off the power to just the monitor, maybe even leave it off for a few minutes to cool down, then switch it back on again. If it comes good again for a while after doing this, that would confirm the fault is in the monitor, without having to carry anything to another location and swap.

**MorseLady** · February 15th, 2009, 07:21 AM

I tried that after the machine had been on some time no problem then got line again. Switched off monitor for half an hour, switched back on and OK but now keeps going to the line every minute or so and only needs a few seconds off to work again.

Keeping page open and will report how many minutes to next gone to line and it would seem to be an intermittent problem as it is sometimes OK for over half an hour and other times just a few minutes.

It is a ViewSonic digital CRT monitor with three settings for brightness and they are all working OK. All colours, gamma etc are as they should be and my photo editor responds to colour manipulation as usual.

OK that was five minutes on and then it kept going off after a few seconds. Test interrupted by old school friend phoning so switched monitor off whilst we talked.

It is now happening regularly five to ten minutes of screen time and less than a minute monitor switched off to restore.

I had a look in Device Manager and I have generic monitor drivers. Should I try and find and install the ViewSonic ones?

It seems that the longer the monitor is off the more time I get before it happens again.

I am now running in safe mode with networking to see if it still does it but the set refresh rate flickering is making me ill.

**CCT** · February 15th, 2009, 09:56 AM

Some of those came with both a DVI and a D-Sub (analog) connector.

If yours has both, try swapping over (if you have the cables/connectors).

**MorseLady** · February 15th, 2009, 10:03 AM

Cannot remember which way rounbd but monitor output is different to socket on back of computer, sorry too ill to bend down to look. Have to use an adaptor between computer and monitor.

Been running in safe mode and just did it again so back to the monitor theory.

**CCT** · February 15th, 2009, 10:32 AM

So, in Safe Mode, uninstall the graphics drivers using Add/Remove Programs (if XP) or whatever Vista uses.

Then, you should boot into the main OS OK and be using VGA drivers.

**MorseLady** · February 15th, 2009, 10:58 AM

It was running VGA drivers anyway I think, sorry I am in some discomfort from my illness and have flu too and beginning to feel frazzled. I installed the proper drivers for the monitor but made no difference. The video seems to last longer in safe mode. Although I should not I am going to try and drag my other Evesham out of the spare room into here and see what happens but will have to put an OS on it.

I found a D socket but the screen is completely blank so I guess my graphicsd card is only connected to the DVI socket. The monitor terminates in a D plug. Changed the DVI adaptor.

Still holding out after over an hour so looks like the DVI adaptor was the culrpit.I will leave it there and many thanks for your help

**NooNoo** · February 15th, 2009, 03:26 PM

Angie, I am very very sorry to hear you have cancer. Please keep in touch and I hope you go into remission very soon.

**MorseLady** · February 15th, 2009, 03:47 PM

Thanks Noo will do.

Re the problem, changing the DVI adaptor seems to have done the trick

**NooNoo** · February 15th, 2009, 03:55 PM

Glad to hear it was something cheap!

**MorseLady** · February 15th, 2009, 04:13 PM

Noo I was more concerned about how to move my spare machine or monitor into here as I can barely pick up my cat at the moment. Yes very cheap as I had a spare one lol! Isn't it funny how we geeks seem to find the easiest solution last!

**NooNoo** · February 15th, 2009, 04:54 PM

tell me about it!!

**MorseLady** · February 15th, 2009, 05:38 PM

It just did it again so I will have to find a way to get the other very big and heavy machine in here so I can do some diagnostics to determine if it's the monitor. I know a nice young man who walks his dogs past here lol!