Windows Vista Acer Screen Issue

[Snaffle J. Bean]

Sounds like the monitor plug on your motherboard died.

I'm not sure about this, but doesn't a beep on startup mean everything is fine? Or is that only for the first boot when you're building a computer?

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[Tyler66]

Sounds like the monitor plug on your motherboard died.

Well stuff.

I'm not sure about this, but doesn't a beep on startup mean everything is fine? Or is that only for the first boot when you're building a computer?

It always beeps on startup. It beeped when we first got it. It beeped from that day forth.

[Snaffle J. Bean]

Well stuff.
It always beeps on startup. It beeped when we first got it. It beeped from that day forth.

Okay. No beep means something's gone wrong with the hardware. If your motherboard has a PCI-E slot, you could just get a cheap graphics card.

I had a problem like this recently. The graphics card on my mom's computer died (she had it custom built and had no onboard video) and it only had AGP slots. Luckily my friend had some old AGP graphics cards and let me have one. Installed it, and it worked.

[Tyler66]

Okay. No beep means something's gone wrong with the hardware. If your motherboard has a PCI-E slot, you could just get a cheap graphics card.

I had a problem like this recently. The graphics card on my mom's computer died (she had it custom built and had no onboard video) and it only had AGP slots. Luckily my friend had some old AGP graphics cards and let me have one. Installed it, and it worked.

I want to be sure this is the problem.
Was there any other side effects preventing the screen from showing? How did you resolve it before the new graphics card?

[Snaffle J. Bean]

I want to be sure this is the problem.
Was there any other side effects preventing the screen from showing? How did you resolve it before the new graphics card?

I tried a different monitor and different ports on the graphics card. When that didn't work, I knew it was the GPU that was the problem. That, or the slot on the motherboard. Obviously I tried a new GPU first because that would be faster than getting a new motherboard.

When your monitor says "no signal," you can pretty much assume your video output's the problem. Unless something like the wiring from the video plug on your monitor to the internal hardware of the monitor got messed up.

[Tyler66]

So I just get a different graphics card?

[Snaffle J. Bean]

So I just get a different graphics card?

If you're sure it's the graphics card that's the problem, yes.

If you're going to get a graphics card, make sure your motherboard has a free slot for one. Most graphics cards nowadays use a PCI-E 2.0 X16 slot.

[Tyler66]

Can I just swap the graphics card?

[Snaffle J. Bean]

Can I just swap the graphics card?

Were you using the output on your motherboard or the output on a video card? Because if it was the one on your motherboard, chances are you don't have a graphics card in your PC to swap out.

As long as your PC has a PCI-E 2.0 x16 slot, you can get a graphics card and use that.

[Tyler66]

Ok, I got the computer open. It smells like stuff.

And there does appear to be a open slot for a graphics card.

Sorry for the stuffty quality, I could not find my camera and used my DSi instead.

[Snaffle J. Bean]

Check your power supply while your computer's open. Look for wattage.

What are those two cards that are in your computer already?

[Tyler66]

Check your power supply while your computer's open. Look for wattage.

What are those two cards that are in your computer already?

Where is the power supply located? Right next to the power cord right?

I cannot tell what the two cards are, they don't seem to have a label.

[Snaffle J. Bean]

Where is the power supply located? Right next to the power cord right?

It's where the power cord to your PC plugs into.

I cannot tell what the two cards are, they don't seem to have a label.

What are the ports they have?

[Nickelob Ultra]

Where is the power supply located? Right next to the power cord right?

I cannot tell what the two cards are, they don't seem to have a label.

The Power Supply is the box where the power cord plugs into from the outside.

It's generally on the top of the case, but it isn't uncommon to be on the bottom too.  Look on the sticker on the power supply too, and look under "12V+".  Tell whatever number is under the 12V+ or numbers if there are multiple 12V+'s.  Usually the number will be something like 20A or 30A depending on your power supply.

[Tyler66]

What are the ports they have?

I found out one of them connects to a antenna for the internet.