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Thread ID: 31825	2003-04-02 01:17:00	flickering screen	arthorses (3442)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
132755	2003-04-02 01:17:00	the ongoing saga of my dud PC Company pc . . . The screen has started an annoying flickering since I got it back from having the HD replaced for the 2nd time! It goes from full screen [a 19" monitor] to a pincushion shape about half the size of the screen which is very hard to read . . . and sometimes back again to full screen although more often than not it stays at this pincushion shape . I've tried changing the frequency, its now running at around 85Hz refresh frequency which has improved it slightly . . . Does anyone have any ideas why it's doing this? is the card on the blink? It had fallen out of the slot when we got it back the 2nd time and one of my nerds popped it back in again . I don't want to lose it in their system yet again for another 3 weeks and not have it fixed as it's my WORK computer and I need it to work on . So before I give it to someone to look at it would be helpful if I had some idea why its doing this . . . I am going to try another monitor and see if that makes any difference .	arthorses (3442)
132756	2003-04-02 02:10:00	Sorry arthorses, that sounds like a monitor fault. There may be an intermittent connection in the circuits that control the E-W symmetry but to prove it is the monitor you will nee to either try another monitor on your PC or your monitor on another PC. It is very unlikely to be a video card fault, but all things are possible in this wonderful world so just make sure the nerd seated the video card fully in its slot and that all plugs etc are secure. Cheers Billy 8-{) How does a video card get out of its socket? Are these PCs shipped by Tranz Rail or something!! ?:|	Billy T (70)
132757	2003-04-02 03:11:00	Well sadly I think you are right, the screen looks like it's faulty too . :( The old 15" monitor I'm trying now is going like a charm . AAARGGGHHH! How many more things on this #$%@#^ pc are going to fail??!! It's had 2 new HD's so far and I have had to reload ALL my software twice [no mean feat considering the quantity of apps that I'm running], to top it off the CD writer software ceased to function just before the 2nd HD died and I had to reload it too, and the USB ports stopped working at the same time . The modem never worked . With the incredibly slow and useless service that you get from the service dept and other support staff, I wonder how long it will take to get this one sorted out . . . at least I can steal a monitor off one of the other pcs until it's fixed [which is what I've done now] . Not sure how the card got out of its socket, it wouldn't work when the pc came back the 2nd time and I got one of our network service guys to have a look as I had to leave early that day and didn't have time to do it myself, and I couldn't bear the thought of having to tote it back to them yet again .	arthorses (3442)
132758	2003-04-02 03:21:00	Make sure the power cord is firmly plugged into the monitor. I'd try another power cord --- I don't like moulded-on mains connectors.	Graham L (2)
132759	2003-04-02 05:03:00	I've bin thinkin :| I know that the PC Company comes in for a lot of flak about slow service etc, but without referring to any specific individuals' problems, I have trouble believing that they can be blamed for repeat HDD failures or any other hardware faults for that matter, unless they are purchasing seconds, or handling and shipping their components inappropriately . However, the other thought that does come to mind is that maybe they recycle hardware items that they haven't been able to confirm previous complaints about . It would be a great temptation to just reformat a HDD and send it out again, likewise for RAM, video cards, winmodems, motherboards, CPUs, CD roms etc . After all, margins are tight and scrapping big ticket items willy-nilly might be a bit rough on the bottom line . Having spent many years in the service business, I must plead guilty to recycling the odd component into another piece of equipment on odd occasions (purely for scientific reasons of course :8}) in order to find out if the problem was the part or the customer . This was usually rental equipment though, where the consequences of transferred problems were not as severe and we could go out and do a real fast diagnosis and repair if the complaint resurfaced from the new victim (sorry) user . Cheers Billy 8-{) :|	Billy T (70)
132760	2003-04-02 06:34:00	Billy is right it will be an East-West generator fault . By the symptoms it should fairly straight forward to find by a good tech . Commonly this fault is caused by dry joint(s) not always visible with the naked eye on one or more of the E-W inductors or coupling transformers or one of the transistors . ( Famous last words sometimes) Try your local TV tech he will be familiar with this fault . A monitor is just a TV really with no front end and often easier to fix . Or mabe this is the time to get a new 17/19 replacement monitor . Try a 19 inch, you will never want to go low again . Triniton is the way to go unless cost is a problem . For colour reproduction nothing beats Sony . Nope, I don't sell them, just fix them OldEric	OldEric (3062)
132761	2003-04-02 09:14:00	> Triniton is the way to go unless cost is a problem. For colour > reproduction nothing beats Sony. > Nope, I don't sell them, just fix them But do you have to fix many of them compared to other monitors/televisions?	tommy (2826)
132762	2003-04-02 20:25:00	Tommy Simple answer is no.	OldEric (3062)
132763	2003-04-02 22:05:00	um, guys, you seemed to have missed the point that this is a nearly NEW computer [about 6mths old] with a NEW 19" monitor and I've had 2 HD failures within 6 months, the first 3 days after we got the pc . . . what I'm saying is that with a new system purchased for business this kind of failure should not occur, and as for the support service, well, it's shocking .	arthorses (3442)
132764	2003-04-02 22:24:00	Interesting though, is that most failures occur in the first 6 months of life (called infant mortality). He has had a run of faulty items BUT keep in mind that PC company do not manufacture those items. I agree with Billy T in that it is bad handling by PC company OR by previous owners to have that many failures. As for backup support mmmm...... enough said I think.	Pheonix (280)
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