Member Avatar for ashley.coleyprice

I got a Compaq desktop seems to be working except for the monitor keeps giving error message that says VGA no signal. please help but try to keep simple

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by paul_999

Dani AI

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Building on the troubleshooting already suggested by and , the following targeted checks focus on less-obvious hardware causes and safe steps that don’t repeat the basic cable/BIOS suggestions already listed.

Confirm which physical video port the VGA cable is using — the motherboard I/O or an add-in graphics card. A quick visual check at the back of the case shows whether the cable is plugged into the I/O shield (motherboard) or an expansion-slot bracket (GPU). Power should be removed before swapping ports or opening the case. Moving the connector between those two locations helps identify whether the system’s primary video is coming from onboard or the discrete card.

Inspect the physical VGA connector and the monitor input. Look for bent pins, crushed plastic shrouds, corroded contacts, or stripped screw posts. Compressed air can clear dust; straightening a pin needs a steady hand and a thin, non-conductive tool — if there’s any doubt, replace the cable rather than risk further damage.

Check power-delivery and visible board damage. Verify PCIe power leads are present on any discrete GPU, scan the motherboard for bulging/leaking capacitors or scorch marks, and note whether fans and drive LEDs behave briefly at power-up (these are clues about whether the system starts the boot sequence). For safety, disconnect mains and use an anti-static strap or at least touch metal to discharge static before handling components.

If these checks don’t isolate the fault, bench-testing with a spare graphics card or having a technician perform a quick bench diagnosis is often the fastest way to determine whether the motherboard, GPU, or PSU is faulty. Older Compaq models can have proprietary wiring or BIOS limits that make professional inspection worthwhile.

Member Avatar for Member #1115577

A few things you could try:

  • Restarting your computer because, strangely enough, simply turning it off and on again seems to be the answer most of the time.
  • Making sure the VGA cable is fully plugged in on both ports (the one on your computer and the one on the monitor) and is fully screwed in on both.
  • Bringing up the hardware settings menu using the buttons on the side and check to make sure that the mode/input or other similar setting is set to PC (Tends to cause problems on TV/monitor hybrids).

If none of these work, you can also try (more complicated):

  • Using a different cable or using a loopback plug (if you have one) to test the cable.
  • Testing to see if another monitor works.
  • Watching the post lights after you restart your computer to see if any don't come on, then google possible problems based on which ones don't (on a separate device).
  • Opening the bios settings and going through the video/graphics settings to see if anything looks fishy.

I hope one of these is the solution to your problem, and I will check back for your response to see if there's anything else I can do to help.

Edited by Member #1115577 because: Said "A couple" at the top, then gave a list of three instead of two. Shame on me.
Member Avatar for paul_999

Are you getting any beeps at boot-up? normally 3 beeps or 1 beep then 2 short beeps, if yes its normaly your graphics card, maybe unseated or past its sell by date, check your cables to the monitor and computer as well. could be that simple, try and use a friends or families screen to see if you get the same reaction

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