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[Dave]

I'm having a problem with my PC. When I switch it on, nine times out of ten the monitor will only show a blank white screen. If I stand up and look at the monitor from the top, I can just make out the text on screen as it boots up, then the usual desktop background in negative. If this happens, I have to switch the computer on and off several times while starting up until the screen appears as normal.

I'm using a 19" TFT monitor. The graphics card is working normally, and there haven't been any issues once I get the monitor to display as normal. I installed iTunes a couple of weeks ago, which is pretty much when the problems started, so I suspect that may have something to do with it. However, if anyone else has had the same problem, or knows how to fix it, please let me know.

[bob bouma]

Are you sure it's not your eyes & brains that became tired from staying up and looking at your screen until 4.54 in the morning?

[Dave]

No, unfortunately it's still doing it. I've been scouring the net for possible solutions, and while it appears it's quite a common problem on PDA's, mobiles and MP3 players, there doesn't seem to be many examples of it happening on a desktop PC.

[Camie]

Aberdeen Uni computers do this all the time.
It might be something to do with the heat of the monitor, but I'm really not too sure.

[Lester Burnham]

Have you tried your PC with an alternative monitor? sounds like a potentially dodgy connection.

[Alkaline]

Originally Posted by Lester Burnham

Have you tried your PC with an alternative monitor? sounds like a potentially dodgy connection.

I agree.

[Neil]

Another possible cause is that your graphics card has become unseated from your motherboard a little. This can happen to various computer components because as they heat up and cool down they expand and contract and can move out of position.

The fact this problem appears to disappear once you have switched your PC on and off a few times (i.e. it has warmed up a little) suggests this may indeed be the case.

You can open up your PC and just gently push the graphics card back into the motherboard to make sure it is seated correctly.

No software will be causing this problem if it appears as soon as you switch the PC on.