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Forum nameThe Computer Forum
Topic subjectSpontaneous black screen
Topic URLhttp://www.pcqanda.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=2&topic_id=535
535, Spontaneous black screen
Posted by bobbo, Fri Dec-14-01 03:06 AM
While playing a game of Bicycle Cribbage, my screen suddenly went black with a top to bottom vertical white stripe about two thirds from the left screen margin, and had to re-boot. Any ideas as to cause? Earlier today I installed Scotterpops POWERFUL PC enhancement, but don't know if it had anything to do with the lock-up.

T-bird 1.2, Radeon LE, 448 MB RAM, ViewSonic 17" E70fb, IBM Optical Navigator Mouse, Win98SE.

bobbo

536, RE: Spontaneous black screen
Posted by optimusprimerib, Fri Dec-14-01 03:16 AM
Do your video drivers need to be updated? Do you have any possibly conflicting software running in the background?
537, RE: Spontaneous black screen
Posted by bobbo, Fri Dec-14-01 03:28 AM
Video driver is current as of 9-28-01. There is a file, pelmiced.exe, associated with my IBM optical mouse that causes a couple of games (Free Cell and Backgammon) to malfunction. Pelmiced.exe enables the scrolling wheel and a programmable side button. When pelmiced is disabled the games work properly. Downloaded new driver for mouse, and games worked OK for a couple of days then regressed to previous behavior. I also occasionally get a warning message regarding how close the mouse can be to the receiver, monitor, or keyboard. ???

bobbo

538, RE: Spontaneous black screen
Posted by Shelly, Fri Dec-14-01 06:48 AM
From your description it sounds like the horizontal sweep of your monitor collapsed. Could be nothing, but if it happens repeatedly, start looking for a new monitor.
539, RE: Spontaneous black screen
Posted by bobbo, Fri Dec-14-01 06:58 AM
I hope that isn't the case Shelly, as the monitor is only about 4 months old. It should be under waranty however. When it happened, I rebooted and it came back OK. Would turning the monitor off for a while have been just as effective?
bobbo