zedora,
STEP 1
First of all -
I will try and give you some troubleshooting tips only here on the forum - as I just noticed that your email addy is a GMAIL addy, and we all know that GMAIL harbors a TON of spammers and scammers there. SO - for that reason alone my advice to you is to DITCH that GMAIL addy, and rather get a legit Yahoo or Hotmail addy instead. I never even open up a GMAIL sent email because I already KNOW it's just a NIGERIAN FRAUD SCAMMER sending it to me!!
Of course the same applies with Yahoo sent emails to a certain degree as well, as for some reason Nigerian fraud scammers like Yahoo just as well. Hotmail (Notmail or Snail Mail as everyone now calls it) not so much, but yet Hotmail has TONS of JUNK MAIL spammers constantly sending you garbage, so for that reason I stopped using my Hotmail acct, and now have an even better 99.9% SPAM FREE email acct which I use as my main acct. Just so you know and others as well posting here.
NOW - as for your cmptr monitor problem there.
You need to be way more descriptive as to what you actually have there for a cmptr system and for a system monitor. The term MONITOR is just too VAGUE these days.
Hopefully this is NOT a laptop, and it's indeed a desk PC monitor - as some people will confuse the 2, and they are not the same by any means! How old is your cmptr system, and what OS (Operating System) are you using? Is it a DELL by any chance?
1st ? - What Mfr brand name is it, and what model # & size is it? Is it a CRT type (big & bulky), or is it a FLAT SCREEN (very thin profile) LCD type? That can be found on the back cover sticker decal, and there usually is a SIZE there as well. If not you just measure the monitor screen diagonally across the face of the screen with a tape measure. Round UP to the next whole number size if there is a ½" anywhere measured.
2nd ? - What year was it made - as that too is printed on the decal? Did you buy the monitor brand new, or did you salvage it from a dumpster as USED?
3rd ? - How long has this vanishing display problem been going on? Have you hit the monitor prior with you hand (or otherwise) in any way or form, as most people will do that in frustration?? BE HONEST here - as I hear it all the time repairing cmptrs like I do as a side business!
4th ? - Have you checked the detachable Power Cord - that are found on most every monitor out there today - for looseness? Most will work themselves loose esp if the monitor is constantly adjusted UP & DOWN & SIDEWAYS!
5th ? - Have you recently upgraded your system's video card in the Tower Case (TC) - if it's indeed a TC? Along the same lines - Have you checked the back of the monitor to make sure the VIDEO CABLE is securely plugged in, and that the 2 safety screws on the connector plug are firmly tightened in place?
NOTE - If the VIDEO CABLE itself, or its 2 connection points are loose in any way do the following first in this order.
1 - Close all files that you may have open - if you can even see the screen display. If you can't see the displayed screen then it really doesn't matter.
2 - Crash and close the OS by using the POWER ON button on the face of the cmptr by holding in the button for 3-5 secs - the system should then shut down by itself as from the preprogrammed BIOS settings!
3 - Next turn OFF the system Power Supply (PS) by using the ON-OFF switch located on the backplane. If you're not sure what or where this is do a Google search, or else ask someone you know that is cmptr savvy. It's pretty basic stuff everyone should know! Next - unplug the Power Cord from both the cmptr mainframe and the monitor just to be safe!!
4 - Next take and remove both ends of the VIDEO CABLE (if it can indeed be detached from both the monitor and the cmptr mainframe), and then reattach it firmly in place, and using reasonable care screw the 4 retaining screws back in snuggly! DO NOT overtighten them, but rather just finger tighten snug. If the Video Cable is permanently attached to the monitor then it possibly is an OLDER CRT type monitor, and very OLD at that.
5 - Having done all that - plug the Power Cords back into both, and turn the PS back on, as well as resetting the monitor's power switch on the front.
6 - Next turn on the cmptr, and carefully listen for a SINGLE BEEP tone to sound just before the monitor displays the system's BIOS settings just prior to launching your system's OS. If you don't get that SINGLE BEEP tone, or even a black & white screen display - of any kind - right after the SINGLE BEEP tone - then chances are your system has a BIOS related failure. Your system CMOS battery might even be dead if your cmptr is older then say 4-5 years!! That CMOS batt controls everything from a START UP point of view, and if it's WEAK then you start having sporadic system problems and/or crashes! If you get a frozen black & white screen display on bootup MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE YOU READ WHAT IS THERE FIRST!!! It's telling you what the BIOS fault is - if there is indeed a BIOS fault?? I can't see your monitor screen so will have to do that part and report back here in post as to what is happening. BE VERY DETAILED AS WELL as a 1 or 2 reply doesn't cut it.
BIG CLUE right there.
Was your cmptr messing up just prior to the VIDEO related problem?
The one other thing that could possibly cause your system to mess up VIDEO wise might even be a BAD CDROM or DVD burner/player, as I've seen this happen to many a cmptr user and even myself one time. It's easily overlooked when doing a troubleshoot (T/S) of the system under repair!!
At this point - if your cmptr's monitor is still dead - then we can proceed to STEP 2.
Frank