Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

[ASUSP2B-D]

I recently decided to upgrade to an LCD Flatscreen monitor from a Philips 109S --- no monitor problems whatsoever previously. In fact, system running fine (mb is an ASUS P2B-D and is still going strong w/caps looking good).

Problem: The Acer 1906 (w/a 8 MS refresh rate) flashes to black screen every 2 - 7/8 seconds. Power light on the monitor is consistant. Only the screen itself flashes to black; no other problem apparent than this (i.e. no fluttering, distortion, etc. present).

My attempted solution: Check and properly adjust the monitor settings according to the video card. Check both video card (ATI 128 All-In-Wonder) and monitor drivers -- updated them to most current versions.

Called Acer -- tech had me check to see if problem exists when going into BIOS; it didn't, so he concluded the problem isn't with the monitor, it is w/the video card.

Called ATI; as the 128 AIW is no longer supported by them, I was advised all correspondance must go through email to their tech support website. Incidently, the CSR stated that w/current drivers for Windows XP installed (my OS), "Theoretically and technically, there should be no problems, as that card should have no difficulty supporting a plug and play device such as an LCD Monitor." Upon contacting ATI's email support, all I had told to me was to "get another video card because we stopped updating the drivers for that card and you need a fix in the driver in order to use that card w/your LCD monitor. So you have to get a different card to use that monitor." Riiiiiight.....

Okay, so I'm irritated. My hypothesis is that the problem lies somehow w/the 8 MS refresh rate -- that is my guess; even if this is the problem, what to do about fixing the flash to black? The 128 AIW is going strong! Why replace it when it isn't broken and is doing a fine job -- that is, fine but for supporting a lighter, more compact monitor instead of a lead-wght behemoth.... and what about that "theoretically and technically, there should be no problem"?

Can anyone please help?

[Shroomie]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

So, the monitor works fine on another machine (you didn't state this), and the video card of course worked fine with your old monitor, correct?

[Rainbow]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

Make sure you have set the refresh rate to 60Hz.

[ASUSP2B-D]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

Yes, the monitor works fine w/another machine and the video card works fine w/the old Philips 109S monitor.

As for the refresh rate, I've tried multiple rates (including 60Hz) and this does not effect the flash-to-blackscreen problem at all.

Any other ideas?

[arneson]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

Is this SP2 of XP. you could have a power saver glitch.
Turn off any power saving schemes in control panel.
Just a guess.

[ASUSP2B-D]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

Yes, SP2 of XP. I failed to mention earlier that as part of my attempted solution to the problem, I did check the power saving scheme in the control panel -- deactivated this feature; it did not effect the problem at all.

Unfortunately, the problem is still occurring.

[arneson]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

look very closely at all the DB15 pins.
Any out of place?

[ASUSP2B-D]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

Please excuse my ignorance here....

If you mean the connector pins on both monitor and video card, I have checked them and they appear to be in order. Nothing seems out of place.
When I replug in the old monitor, everything is fine and normal...

[Hagis2k]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

As arneson says the flatscreen probably gets to high refresh rate,

What happens if you reboot the machine and before windows start to load hit F8
and enable vga mode or safe mode will you get an picture then ?

I guess there might be possible to find the problem related to
refresh rate / resolution to the tft

What happens if you de-install the drivers for the graphics card and use windows
own even try the ugly 640x480/16 colors for an test
try then to reinstall the drivers again

Do you have DVI on both the tft and the graphics card if try it for an change

[ASUSP2B-D]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

Arneson, please clarify on the DB15 pins; by these are you referring to the monitor and video card contector pins?

Hagis, where did Arneson say the refresh rate is too high? I'm having a little trouble w/your suggestions below... please define "tft"? No Digital Video on this card that I'm aware of. I have already tried deinstalling and reinstalling drivers, even going to just the Windows drivers, as you suggest; this does not effect the problem in any way.

I am about to try and boot up in Safe Mode; will let you know how it goes -- going into BIOS was no problem; I'm having to juggle between monitors here, so I'll be back...

[arneson]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

The DB15 is your everyday video cable so you have checked it for damage.

Rainbow said refresh and he's right on that all tft's, another name meaning thin film transister, type of lcd monitors have a refresh of 60 and most like a resolution of 8ooX6oo at least.

[arneson]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

Try, monitor disconnected, on screen monitor menu, reset, then plug back into ATI.

Or maybe, use old monitor, check for Direct X updates to Windows and you could look for Open GL updates also.

The manual says SafeMode multiple drivers is the problem, and If not using TV in or out dissable it.

[ASUSP2B-D]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

The good news: The problem does not exist in Safe Mode.

The bad news: The problem still exists.

Refresh rate: The card will support 75Mz, which Acer reccomends; setting it to 60Mz doesn't appear to effect any change to the problem. Resolution: NP.

DVI: No DVI on this Monitor, only one input for attachment to a video card.
TV: Automatically is dissabled if no TV is connected.

Arneson, I'm not sure what you are referring to when you say "Try, monitor disconnected, on screen monitor menu, reset, then plug back into ATI." I've disconnected the monitor and reset the "auto" button on it, is this what you mean? It has no effect. Also, please elaborate on "The manual says SafeMode multiple drivers is the problem." What does "SafeMode multiple drivers" mean?

Updated DirectX to latest version (9): No effect upon problem.

Open GL Updates: Attempted to find them; no luck! Arneson, do you have a link? The site I did find having promise had a user state that even though it says the update for download is billed as version 2.0, it is not the latest version (2.0) but is in fact a download of the earlier version for Windows 95 (!).

Any and all help much appreciated!!
Thanks everybody.

[arneson]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

Don't worry about Open gl then, it was just a thouight.
I did mean the reset of your LCD monitor, sounds like you covered that.
Here is what the manual was refering to ,
In safe mode the first place to go is control panel and get the device manager open.
Take a look at suspected problems, in your case open the video and monitor drivers.
Your looking for old bad duplicate or unwanted drivers to opposite click on and deleat.
Me, if I am having problem, I,ll deleat all associated drivers in safe mode and reboot, allowing the correct drivers to load.
I turned on a couple of bigger LCD's and they are set at 75hz refresh, sorry the laptop is 60 and I thought they all were.
I may be going to far here but if you run the directx folder there are good video diagnostics, start, run, type in dxdiag and snoop around.

[ASUSP2B-D]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

Once in the Device Manager I noticed the video card shows up in the list but the monitor doesn't; interesting because it has showed up before.

I don't seem to have the option of deleting drivers left or right clicking; can uninstall or roll back to a previous version.... any suggestions?

dxdiag forthcoming....

[ASUSP2B-D]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

In Safe Mode, the Monitor does not appear in the list; in regular mode, it does.

After running dxdiag w/the LCD, everything checked out okay (tests and all).
Flash to black screen problem still exists.....

[arneson]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

Maybe a bit more descriptive info would be good, New LCD, Stays black or continuosly flashes on and off indefinately, any noises, buzz snap crackle or pop?
If you were to look real close at black monitor is it posable that windows is still there?

[ASUSP2B-D]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

Brand new LCD; continuously flashes to black every 2-7 seconds w/out any particular pattern (i.e. it may flash every 2-4 seconds a few times and then the next flash to black will be 6 seconds, and so on, randomly).

Hooking the LCD up to another (limited functionality -- basically like a handheld) setup, it has no problems whatsoever and works like a charm.

Looking at the black monitor: There is not even the faintest hint of windows visability, even being right up on top of it.

[arneson]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

I'll take a best guess having never seen a good monitor do this.

You'r right back to the ATI all in wonder having a badcap, dust in the slot, or it really misses the old CRT.

[ASUSP2B-D]

Re: Acer AL1906 LCD Flatscreen w/ATI 128 All-In-Wonder

My thought is, if the video card doesn't display any problems at any other time, but for this flashing to black screen with the Acer AL1906 LCD, it likely isn't a problem with the video card itself.

So it does appear I'm back to square one with the same problem.

Question: How to transfer the video card's affections from the old CRT to the new LCD?