Hello,

I have an emachine Flat Panel Display model # E15Tg. I can barely see
any picture or graphics from the display. However, if I look at it very
closely then I can see the desktop and be able to navigate around by
knowledge of knowing where programs are and the start menu. This
actually belongs to my mother-in-law and I'm am trying to solve the
problem for her. So here's what I've tried so far:

1. I went to her house to see what the problem actually was. When I got
there the entire PC was turned off. I booted it up and noticed the "e"
logo displayed correctly and bright white (like usual). Then the
Windows XP logo came up and suddenly it seemed as if the display just
turned off its light and I could barely see/read the user account names
to log on. So I re-booted and tried Safe Mode with no luck either b/c I
couldn't even see the Safe Mode menu.

2. Next I shut the PC down and checked all cable connections.
Everything was connected correctly. So I unplugged everything that had
to do w/ the monitor and re-conected it and plugged it back in. I
re-booted and the same outcome happened but this time the "e" logo was
barely seen.

3. Then I shut down again and unplugged the surge protector from the
wall and opened the bad boy up. I checked that the video card was
secured on the motherboard (which it was) and closed it up, plugged it
in, booted it up and got the same result.

4. I had no time to fuss around in a home w/ no Internet access and no
help guides so I quickly gathered the monitor and all it's cords and
took it to my house. I plugged it into my PC which had no current
issues and the same exact thing happened.

Any ideas on what is going on here?? Is this a bad monitor with no
hopes or is there something here that I don't know about. Oh yes and of
course I did download the troubleshooting guide on the emachines
website and tried to adjust the contrast and brightness of the display
and still received no luck.

Any advice would truly help me out here,

Thanks in advance,

Justine

<JNariss (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote

My considered opinion is that the backlight inverter circuit is shutting
down after a short time of operation. That would explain the effect of
seeing an image clearly at first, then it fades away. Many LCD displays
still will show some contrast if viewed with no backlight, but only
reflected room light - I suspect that's what is happening.
To further reinforce (or discredit) the theory, leave the entire PC on
and running (either one - hers or yours) - turn off the monitor and wait
about 1/2 hour, then turn it on again. (May have to be sure you disable
any sleep or screen saver setting in the PC first.)
If the image again displays OK for a brief time, then dims, it indicates
the backlight inverter circuit is going into "overload protection", and the
unit needs servicing or replacing.
Another option is to maybe put YOUR monitor on your mother-in-law's
machine to validate the video from the machine is OK - not really necessary
though because you already showed the failure follows the monitor by
connecting it to yours.

HTH,
NGA

Thank you kindly for the reply. I will try what you have suggested.



Not Gimpy Anymore wrote:

This is where comprehensive diagnostics (that responsible computer
manufacturers provide) are useful. Video controller and screen use
different modes for various displays. Is your problem related to
different modes? Just one of many critical facts required before your
responses here can be useful.

Since your computer manufacturer was a less responsible type, then
get hardware diagnostics from the video controller manufacturer. That
troubleshooting guide is rather lame. A real troubleshooting guide
would let you test in the various video modes (there are something like
100 video modes).

Some other useful facts include whether all cables etc remain
unchanged since when the problem did not exist (ie was a pin inside the
video connector bent), or how that monitor works when driven by another
computer such as your laptop.

JNariss (AT) gmail (DOT) com wrote: