Okay, I'm sorry if this question has already been answered before. I looked and only found one question similar to this one but it was never answered.

After I turn on my computer/monitor or "wake" the screen from the power saving mode, my monitor will go blank and the orange light will flash. I turn the monitor off, wait a few seconds and then turn it back on again. But it will go blank again, usually whenever I open a new window (and sometimes when I haven't done anything at all). It will continue to do this for about half an hour, and then it will work fine. But lately, it seems, that the duration gets a bit longer each time.

My monitor is a Sony Trinitron HMD-400, which I bought in 2001. I attempted to try another monitor on my computer but the screen remained black (power light was on though). It is an older version (Magnavox) than my Sony.

I would really appreciate any help I can get! Thanks..

Sonja

I'm a technician at Harvey Norman, a large computer chain store in Australia. I'm finding a similar problem on a customer's compaq computer which is moderately/heavily infected with spyware. After a few minutes on the Internet the Sony SDM HS-75P LCD goes blank, seemingly because the backlight goes off.

This is not Hardware related because it ONLY happens when connected to the Internet. The monitor can be manually turned off and on again and the problem vanishes... for about three minutes.

Conclusion: Some spyware or virus out there is playing silly buggers with monitors.

Che

Thanks for your reply! I had my brother-in-law (who works on computers) check out my monitor. He hooked it up to his computer and played a few high-graphic games and the monitor worked perfectly. So he said it was the video card. He has one that he's going to put in my computer, so whenever he does we'll know if that was the problem or not!

I did want to mention, though, that after I had taken my monitor back home, it worked great for the first three or so times. But then it started acting up again.

Also, my monitor goes blank whether I'm online or offline..

Okay, update..

I took my computer to my bro-in-law's last night and he hooked it up to his monitor. And, again.. it worked perfectly! (You'd think that would be a good thing. But that eliminated another possible solution to the problem.) He put in another video card anyway, but that one wouldn't even work. He also checked my computer for spyware but found nothing. (Something else that is usually a good thing.)

So, since last night, I've been switching the plug (into the original surge protector, to another surge protector on another wall, to the actual outlet) but alas, nothing has worked.

Do you, or anyone else have any other suggestions?! Anything would help! PLEASE!! :!:

what os are you using

Microsoft Windows XP Professional Version 2002

I also wanted to mention, that my computer is a Compaq also (chemonro, you mentioned that your customer's computer was a Compaq).

Something else that might be useful, the monitor will go blank/black whenever the AOL window is open (whether I'm signed on or not), and when I use Microsoft Office Word. It doesn't go blank/black whenever I play solitaire or use Paint Shop Pro.

It used to be that it would stop going blank/black after a while of straight use. Now, it just does it continuously (which is why I keep adding more info cos I'm desperate for help!)

Does this help any?

I AM SO HAPPY!!!!

Last night, the screen on my monitor had turned a little blurry, skewed and slightly discolored. The discoloration went away after I degaussed it. I also noticed that since that happened, the monitor no longer kept going off on me!

So today, I reset the monitor and everything was fixed! No blurriness, no lopsided screen, and NO BLACK SCREEN EVERY 35 SECONDS!!!

So I'm still not sure what had caused the problem in the first place. If you know, please tell me!!

What is degaussing? I am having same problem with my Sony HMD-400 monitor. It keeps shutting itself off. I have to turn it off and then back on, but after a minute or so it shuts off with blinking orange light.

Okay, just to give an update.. back in January, I got onto the computer, clicked to sign online and left the room for a second. When I came back into the room the monitor was black and the orange light was blinking (a problem I am all too familiar with..) I turned off the monitor and waited a few seconds. When I turned it back on I could see orange light up in the back of the monitor and it smelled like it does when you're welding. So I turned off the monitor and the surge protector and went to buy a new monitor. I have not used the Sony monitor since.

So for all you other Sony HMD-400 owners, this might be something to look out for. Hopefully this doesn't become a pattern, though.. right? right!