Monitor flashes

[Fat Tony!]

When I first start up my computer in the morning it asks me if my video card is connected so I have to restart it again to get it going again. Alsssso, my computer now and then flashes ie goes blank for about 2 seconds and then back to normal and sometime it does that and my desktop goes all funny meaning I have to quickly flick to screensaver to get rid of the "white bits". Wtf?

 

[short recoil]

At least you don't have a monitor "blow out" stalker shadow of chernobyl style.
My old 17" monitor started having a sudden BANG! and then flash on screen... getting more and more frequent like stalker blow outs until the thing died.

 

[Asus]

Sounds like artifacts. I don't think it's a heat issue (although it could be). Have you taken your card out and put it back in? I'd dust your card off just in case. I don't think it's a software/driver issue either, if it's happening to you when you first turn your PC on.

By changing to Screen Saver mode to correct the issue, it sounds like issue's with the gfx card in 2d mode and changing modes resets it. Bad card?

 

[hungryduck]

Okay, first of all, take a deep breath.....punctuation is good.
Now, please tell us what make/model your videocard is. Make sure if it needs an external power connecter that it is plugged in. Second, are you on an LCD or CRT? Sounds like your videocard is dying/overheating, or you broke the monitor connection on the videocard.

 

[Fat Tony!]

Bloody hell you sure like your hardware. Ok ill start from post 2 to 4.

>This may sound stupid to you but...what does the video card look like? I don't want to do something stupid, im assuming it just slots in like the modem does
>I think it's a Nvidia TNT2 riva thingy my monitor is not liquid crystal display its a big bastard but there were no problems when I first changed it.

Background information: I installed the microsoft update to my sound card which was a dodgy older one and suddenly my whole system f***ed up big time and it's never been the same since.

 

[Asus]

Maybe it is drivers...When you get that msg about what video card is connected, is that in windows? I would assume so.

What did windows do when you updated your sound card?

 

[Fat Tony!]

Firstly my msg comes as soon as the computer is turned on, i.e nothing is displayed but that message.

And when I updated my sound card no sound worked, can't play Deus ex anymore, windows media player takes half an hour to start playing songs, the display was stuck on 800*600. I updated it to it's normal driver version and now everything is better but it's verrry slow now, media player still has that problem, I can't seem to play decent games still and it crashes a lot.

 

[hungryduck]

well, theres a good chance your card is dying.....
The video card is the one in the AGP Slot, directly below the processor slot on most modern mobo's, unless you are running PCI videcard. Usually it will have a logo of some of that will help identify it. Don't worry if you take the wrong thing out, taking something out and putting it back in doesnt hurt it, as long as you don't: drop it, chew on it, give it to the dog, etc.

 

[Fat Tony!]

Replace the bastard? Would that solve sound problems or would I need to replace my sound card too :\?

 

[hungryduck]

Um, well usually the videocard has nothing to do with sound, but yea, if you have some cash, replace it.