Dead Monitor - any clues?
Author
Discussion

Skyedriver

Original Poster:

23,556 posts

312 months

Thursday 7th January 2021
quotequote all
Hi again,
Son is now in a stage of panic as home schooling starts on Monday and tonight his monitor died,

Scenario:
It's a Dell, about 3 year old, he "moved the screen" (I think he means tilted it), and it went off.
I've checked the power leads and all are connected, there's a green light on the transformer that stays on even when disconnected from the mains.
Would that be right?
Any ideas as to what may have happened and if it's scrap now?
Thanks

abzmike

12,064 posts

136 months

Thursday 7th January 2021
quotequote all
Is there a power light on the monitor, or a button that brings up a menu? That’ll help establish if the panel is kaput or just a bad connection somewhere.

camel_landy

5,512 posts

213 months

Thursday 7th January 2021
quotequote all
If it doesn't auto-detect the source, it might be a problem if he has accidentally switched the source (e.g. from HDMI to VGA).

M

Skyedriver

Original Poster:

23,556 posts

312 months

Thursday 7th January 2021
quotequote all
There is no light on the monitor switch. Usually white when left on. (He does have a tendency to leave the thing on for extended periods.).
Can't understand how the transformer on the power lead shows green even when not connected to the mains but that may be incidental.


Whoozit

3,882 posts

299 months

Thursday 7th January 2021
quotequote all
Skyedriver said:
There is no light on the monitor switch. Usually white when left on. (He does have a tendency to leave the thing on for extended periods.).
Can't understand how the transformer on the power lead shows green even when not connected to the mains but that may be incidental.
Transformer bricks tend to go phut regularly in my experience. Do you have a spare to try?

Skyedriver

Original Poster:

23,556 posts

312 months

Thursday 7th January 2021
quotequote all
Whoozit said:
Skyedriver said:
There is no light on the monitor switch. Usually white when left on. (He does have a tendency to leave the thing on for extended periods.).
Can't understand how the transformer on the power lead shows green even when not connected to the mains but that may be incidental.
Transformer bricks tend to go phut regularly in my experience. Do you have a spare to try?
No spare unfortunately, been round the house looking for one with a similar output...

thebraketester

15,818 posts

168 months

Thursday 7th January 2021
quotequote all
Can you get the OSD settings up?

Is the monitor powered on?

Skyedriver

Original Poster:

23,556 posts

312 months

Friday 8th January 2021
quotequote all
thebraketester said:
Can you get the OSD settings up?

Is the monitor powered on?
OSD? On screen diagnostics?
screen is black and won't power up, that's the problem.

I'm wondering if moving/tilting the screen is irrelevant and the transformer has given up as that green light on the transformer stays on when there's no power to it. Going to try and get another power lead from somewhere tomorrow to try but with lockdown that may be a problem.

abzmike

12,064 posts

136 months

Friday 8th January 2021
quotequote all
Maybe a connection has worked loose inside, or the lead from the transformer got damaged internally somehow.

Digger

16,951 posts

221 months

Friday 8th January 2021
quotequote all
There may well be a button press combo to factory default the monitor . . . google model no reset . . . or similar

ATG

23,817 posts

302 months

Friday 8th January 2021
quotequote all
The light on the PSU when it is unplugged from the mains is a red herring. It'll just have a bigish capacitor in it that can keep providing the LED with the tiny amount of power it needs for a while after unplugging.

Skyedriver

Original Poster:

23,556 posts

312 months

Friday 8th January 2021
quotequote all
ATG said:
The light on the PSU when it is unplugged from the mains is a red herring. It'll just have a bigish capacitor in it that can keep providing the LED with the tiny amount of power it needs for a while after unplugging.
Oh, thanks for the info
as abzmike said, could be a break in the cable, he's not the most gentle of people
Can't imagine it's anything loose in the monitor itself as it has been moved around a bit in it's life. More likely a failing as he leaves it on for long periods

Whoozit

3,882 posts

299 months

Friday 8th January 2021
quotequote all
A few ideas to try

- Does the power lead have a brick part (with a moulded cable) and a separate 2 or 3 pin lead? Replace the lead
- Check the fuse in the plug (it happens... not often tho)
- Pick up a cheap laptop power adaptor with multi tips from Amazon - replace the brick
- Interrogate the kid - was it taking ages to start up? Take off the back, check for bulging capacitors on the power board.
- Give up, cheapo replacement.

Skyedriver

Original Poster:

23,556 posts

312 months

Friday 8th January 2021
quotequote all
Whoozit said:
A few ideas to try

- Does the power lead have a brick part (with a moulded cable) and a separate 2 or 3 pin lead? Replace the lead
Yes all separate pieces and I wondered about the last length with the cylindrical bit on (after the brick). Don't think there's a break as I'v wiggled everywhichway

- Check the fuse in the plug (it happens... not often tho)
Ha ha, yes that was the last resort, no change

- Pick up a cheap laptop power adaptor with multi tips from Amazon - replace the brick
Will look for one but seemed like £25 for a full length lead and as the green light was on the brick I've discounted the cable now (except the last bit).

- Interrogate the kid - was it taking ages to start up? Take off the back, check for bulging capacitors on the power board.
Interrogated him, he refused to yield anything but his school class number. Now locked up back in the cellar. Have removed the monitor back, nothing obvious, hoped to find an internal fuse.

- Give up, cheapo replacement.
Cheap (£109) replacement bought. Which brings me to another question. It has no speakers. What do folk recommend. Looked for Bluetooth on his PC but no sign of it. Speakers need to be really good, if they can make Katy Perry sound good that would be a great advantage.

Whoozit

3,882 posts

299 months

Friday 8th January 2021
quotequote all
Skyedriver said:
- Give up, cheapo replacement.
Cheap (£109) replacement bought. Which brings me to another question. It has no speakers. What do folk recommend. Looked for Bluetooth on his PC but no sign of it. Speakers need to be really good, if they can make Katy Perry sound good that would be a great advantage.
I stuck a Bose Mini II under my daughter's monitor. Good sound without a woofer, smaller form factor than 2+1, USB powered. Doesn't give a decent 3D soundstage but sounds like that may not matter so much. Other Bluetooth speakers are available.

technobob

236 posts

270 months

Saturday 9th January 2021
quotequote all
My AOC monitor has an additional rocker on/off switch next to the power connection. I managed to knock mine off when moving it. It took a while to discover too. I was on the verge of orering a new monitor.

Yours may have this switch also.

Skyedriver

Original Poster:

23,556 posts

312 months

Saturday 9th January 2021
quotequote all
technobob said:
My AOC monitor has an additional rocker on/off switch next to the power connection. I managed to knock mine off when moving it. It took a while to discover too. I was on the verge of orering a new monitor.

Yours may have this switch also.
Sadly no but thanks for the suggestion. Dell have a good reputation but I'd be reluctant to buy another. I've added them to my list of don't touch.