My computer is psycho!

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Every time I attempt to download something to my computer, the screen will go black. I thought it was just with this one anti-virus program, but it also happened when I attempted to download a music program update. I took it in for repair, and they told me that it must be my monitor, because the computer worked fine for them. So, I got a new monitor, and it's still doing it. Worse, now my Messenger won't work. I called and they said maybe it's because I have an inferior surge protector, and that I should get a new one. I'm about at the end of my rope. Any ideas, anyone?

It sounds like a hardware problem to me - possibly the video card overheating. If you can, try taking the side of the computer off, and then aiming a fan into the chassis. If that solves the problem, then it is an overheating issue. If it doesn't, well it's probably an overheating issue, and probably isnt :/

Does anything other than downloading cause it to go black?

Is it a notebook or a desktop?

Does anything on the monitor change other than what's on the screen (for example, if any LEDs on the bottom go out)?

Sound like they are trying to get your money. Don't buy anything else until you know for sure what's wrong with it. Do you have any friend who knows how to fix computers?

It could be a virus...

I don't think they're trying to get his money, fernando, because they don't think anything is wrong with it.

But indeed you have a problem, hartzofspace.

What you may have is a surge protector issue, or, you're like me and accidentally knock the powerplug out from its socket from time to time.

Could be a virus issue, though, but I think the computer folks would have discovered that.

It almost sounds like it's time for a backup, reformat and reinstall of windows.

Personally I don't think it's a virus. It sounds much more like a hardware or a driver problem. Even though that's just an educated guess, as a computer science student and geek, my guesses are fairly reliable.

I don't think it's a power problem, if it just when you download.

When the screen become black, check if the led is still light and check what color, if it's light it's not a power problem.

You told that it happen when you download something, does it happen somewhere else, can you give me more detail about the download, try your download in Safe Mode.

Check in th event viewer for errors log.

Thanks for the input, guys! It's a desktop, and the only other time I've noticed the screen go black, is when I tried to run the virus scan program. When the screen goes blank, the little green light at the bottom stays green; it turns amber when the monitor is off. But I basically have to shut the computer off in order to get the picture on the screen back. I've tried just turning the monitor on and off, but it stays in energy saving mode; this little screen with numbers counting down and then it shuts off. I do have Windows 98; could the problem be that I need to update? But I'm almost positive it's something in the hardware.

How do I check the event log?

It's not a power problem and your monitor is not defective.



I'm sorry but there is no event log in Windows 98, it's only in Windows 2000 and up.

Did you explained to the technician when the screen goes blank with details, did he tried to do a virus scan like you do, did he tried to download the same way as you do. Is it a random problem or it's always there.

If it only happened at your home, try to unplugged (printer, web cam, camera, scanner ...), keep only your mouse, keyboard, monitor, phone cable or cable modem or dsl modem cable.

If it's a random problem, it's not easy to find, if you bring your computer to a technician,
ask him if you can show him how it's happen. If you succeed to create the problem in front of him, ask him to do the same thing but with a live CD, if he don't know how, bring your computer at another place.

The live CD thing is to find quickly if it's a software or a hardware problem.