"blinking screen"

[tumppiw]

My homebuilt computer has started to behave strangely and I wonder if
it's the PSU or the GPU taking its last breaths...

Don't know how to describe it, but it's like a "blinking" of the lower
left corner of the screen, like a DOS screen blinking on/off

Here's a 17sec movie from it..( if you see it)(don't know how to
convert) video-2012-10-26-22-23-17.mp4

https://skydrive.live.com/#cid=FDBD79FA40B204A0&id=FDBD79FA40B204A0!124



It doesn't happen all the time, doesn't matter what I'm doing (even in
the middle of WoW (windowed full screen), no matter if computer started
3min or 3days ago (usually on 24/7)


System is:
ASUS F1A75-M pro m/b (BIOS 2203) , AMD Llano A6-3650 boxed, 4*4096MB
(16GB) KHX1600C9D3/4GX, Asus EAH5670 512MB, 2port USB3-card(Asmedia 104x)
HDs: 1TB+1.5TB (Samsung HD103UJ, Samsung HD154UI SATA-HDs)
Opticals: HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-H60N, ASUS DRW-24B3ST
WT KM06 case(3*5.25", 2*3.5" ext, 3*3.5" int), add'l Nexus 80mm case
fan, Antec Basiq430W
OS: Windows 7 HP




--
-----------------------------------------------------
Thomas Wendell
Helsinki, Finland
Translation to/from FI/SWE not always accurate
-----------------------------------------------------

[VanguardLH]

"tumppiw" wrote:

> ... it's like a "blinking" of the lower left corner of the screen ...

>
> Here's a 17sec movie from it..( if you see it)(don't know how to
> convert) video-2012-10-26-22-23-17.mp4
>
> https://skydrive.live.com/#cid=FDBD79FA40B204A0&id=FDBD79FA40B204A0!124

Your downloaded .mp4 video is 7.9 MB in size (720x480, 29.97 fps).
Converting it to .flv would reduce it to 1.5 MB (640x480, 30 fps).
There are lots of converter tools, like FormatFactory (that I use).

> It doesn't happen all the time, doesn't matter what I'm doing (even in
> the middle of WoW (windowed full screen), no matter if computer started
> 3min or 3days ago (usually on 24/7)

I downloaded the video to play in VLC which lets me move through it a
frame at a time. You were too far away from the monitor using a camera
with low resolution and too slow a frame rate to clearly capture what
what blinking on and off the screen. If your camera isn't capable of
getting closer and remain in focus at a decent resolution and frame rate
then use a screen recording utility to record what shows up on your
screen. BB Flashback Express is one that I use but it is nagware
(http://www.bbsoftware.co.uk/BBFlashBackExpress/CompareEditions.aspx):
on loading it, you get a window trying to lure you to buy their payware
version so you have to click Continue to close the nag and get to the
real program. I would strongly suggest saving in FLV format as AVI
would result in a far larger saved file. You might want to ask in the
alt.comp.freeware newsgroup on recommendations for screen recorder
utilities (not a screen capture utility where you just nab a pic of the
screen but you record a movie of your screen).

Each of the sheared "blinks" you show in your video is just part of a
larger window and all look to have the same content. So some app is
blinking its window into view. Have you reviewed the process list in
Task Manager to see which of them should have a window but don't? Not
all processes have a window but you should be able to recognize those
that should. Do you know what all those processes are for?

Do you have more than one video cable running to your monitor? Are you
using dual monitors?

Have you yet checked your scheduled events in Task Scheduler?

[Paul]

tumppiw wrote:
> My homebuilt computer has started to behave strangely and I wonder if
> it's the PSU or the GPU taking its last breaths...
>
> Don't know how to describe it, but it's like a "blinking" of the lower
> left corner of the screen, like a DOS screen blinking on/off
>
> Here's a 17sec movie from it..( if you see it)(don't know how to
> convert) video-2012-10-26-22-23-17.mp4
>
> https://skydrive.live.com/#cid=FDBD79FA40B204A0&id=FDBD79FA40B204A0!124
>
>
>
> It doesn't happen all the time, doesn't matter what I'm doing (even in
> the middle of WoW (windowed full screen), no matter if computer started
> 3min or 3days ago (usually on 24/7)
>
>
> System is:
> ASUS F1A75-M pro m/b (BIOS 2203) , AMD Llano A6-3650 boxed, 4*4096MB
> (16GB) KHX1600C9D3/4GX, Asus EAH5670 512MB, 2port USB3-card(Asmedia 104x)
> HDs: 1TB+1.5TB (Samsung HD103UJ, Samsung HD154UI SATA-HDs)
> Opticals: HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-H60N, ASUS DRW-24B3ST
> WT KM06 case(3*5.25", 2*3.5" ext, 3*3.5" int), add'l Nexus 80mm case
> fan, Antec Basiq430W
> OS: Windows 7 HP

If you are connected to the monitor via a VGA connection,
try switching over to DVI.

It looks to me like a sync problem, and maybe changing
video card interface method will help.

The camera you've used has done a good job of capture. And
the "tearing" of the blinks is probably as much to do with
the shutter on the camera, as it has to do with the problem
being viewed. (The problem probably does not look exactly
as the camera is capturing it, due to the limitations of
the sensor and shutter involved.) Still, I think
your camera has done a good job of capturing it. I doubt
my camera could do as well.

Paul

[Paul]

Paul wrote:
> tumppiw wrote:
>> My homebuilt computer has started to behave strangely and I wonder if
>> it's the PSU or the GPU taking its last breaths...
>>
>> Don't know how to describe it, but it's like a "blinking" of the lower
>> left corner of the screen, like a DOS screen blinking on/off
>>
>> Here's a 17sec movie from it..( if you see it)(don't know how to
>> convert) video-2012-10-26-22-23-17.mp4
>>
>> https://skydrive.live.com/#cid=FDBD79FA40B204A0&id=FDBD79FA40B204A0!124
>>
>>
>>
>> It doesn't happen all the time, doesn't matter what I'm doing (even in
>> the middle of WoW (windowed full screen), no matter if computer
>> started 3min or 3days ago (usually on 24/7)
>>
>>
>> System is:
>> ASUS F1A75-M pro m/b (BIOS 2203) , AMD Llano A6-3650 boxed, 4*4096MB
>> (16GB) KHX1600C9D3/4GX, Asus EAH5670 512MB, 2port USB3-card(Asmedia 104x)
>> HDs: 1TB+1.5TB (Samsung HD103UJ, Samsung HD154UI SATA-HDs)
>> Opticals: HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-H60N, ASUS DRW-24B3ST
>> WT KM06 case(3*5.25", 2*3.5" ext, 3*3.5" int), add'l Nexus 80mm case
>> fan, Antec Basiq430W
>> OS: Windows 7 HP
>

If someone is having trouble viewing the movie, I made an A:B
comparison picture, of the normal screen view, versus with
the "blink" material showing.

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/6966/blinkav.png

Another possibility, is maybe arcing near a backlight or something.

It's so hard to tell if it is an analog or digital type of defect.

Paul

[tumppiw]

Camera used in the video is a Samsung Galaxy S+
Distance ~30cm

Monitor is a Acer X233H conncted by DVI
(I have a Acer N230HML connected through HDMI, but it's 99% used as a
TV, like yesterday). Yes, Windows is aware of of the second screen

Screen 2 is main screen
https://skydrive.live.com/#cid=FDBD79FA40B204A0&id=FDBD79FA40B204A0!438


Lighting in the room is EnergySaver lamps 11-13W (fluoroscents)


Processes running on computer (don't nag about TeamViewer, I use it
regularly)
https://skydrive.live.com/#cid=FDBD79FA40B204A0&id=FDBD79FA40B204A0!437

[Paul]

I can't see a mechanism for DVI signaling to make that pattern.
So either a backlight is arcing to something, or maybe the
power supply inside the monitor is the problem.

The power board on the X223H is on PDF page 39 here. The power board has
the AC input power connector, and makes low voltage DC for the logic.
But it also has the transformer and four high voltage connectors for
the (capacitively coupled) CCFL backlights.

http://support.acer.com/acerpanam/Manuals/acer/2010/ServiceGuides/SG_X233H.pdf

Many monitors of various brands, have had trouble with swollen capacitors.
The components with the "X" stamped in the top, are electrolytic
capacitors. If the top begins to bulge outwards, it means gas pressure
is building inside the capacitor. The "X" in the aluminum casing, is
for pressure relief so the capacitor will not explode. This releases
the pressure, in a safer manner.

You could try visual inspection of that components.

In terms of the backlights, any foil materials, insulation and the
like, must be put back exactly as you found it. As the electric field
around the high voltage circuitry, is all considered a (stray) part
of the electrical circuit.

The small blue capacitors near each of the four backlight connectors,
are coupling capacitors. They have values measured in pF, as in 22pF
or 15pF or so. Waving your hand around the area of the PCB, is a couple
of picofarads as well. This is why the backlight circuit is sensitive
to capacitive loading (foils, insulators etc). It's because any
stray capacitance in the circuit, takes on a significant value
when compared to the 15pF or 22pF or so which is in series with
each CCFL output. The capacitor is used, because the CCFL tube
is not allowed to have any DC voltage on it. It would degrade
the electrodes inside the tube.

Paul

[VanguardLH]

"Paul" wrote:

> I can't see a mechanism for DVI signaling to make that pattern.
> So either a backlight is arcing to something, or maybe the
> power supply inside the monitor is the problem.

But I've never seen a hardware defect in the monitor (CRT or LCD) make a
*window* for some app appear somewhere on the monitor. Well, if only
one video cable goes to the monitor, that is. From what I could see by
downloading the video and stepping through it at the flashing points was
some app's window that blinked open (changing from hidden state to
visible state) for a split second. In each flash, what I could see in
the frame was the same portion of some app window. The shearing is
probably due to the camera shutter speed or frame rate for a movie. It
didn't look like some app window was hidden by the monitor and some
arcing or whatever suddenly made it pop into view.

The OP might want to use msconfig.exe (I assume it's still available in
Win 7) to do a diagnostic startup. That disables all the startup items
(well, many of them but SysInternals' AutoRuns shows them all, including
WinLogon events). Otherwise, the OP should look at what processes are
running to determine if there's an app running that he didn't figure
would be there.

[tumppiw]

In my last post was a list of my (not system) running processes

[VanguardLH]

"tumppiw" wrote:

> VanguardLH wrote:
>
>> The OP might want to use msconfig.exe (I assume it's still available in
>> Win 7) to do a diagnostic startup. That disables all the startup items
>> (well, many of them but SysInternals' AutoRuns shows them all, including
>> WinLogon events). Otherwise, the OP should look at what processes are
>> running to determine if there's an app running that he didn't figure
>> would be there.
>
> In my last post was a list of my (not system) running processes

I figured YOU should know the processes that are running on your host,
especially for programs you installed or for the apps that you chose to
load. Sorry, but many of those processes have non-English titles. I
don't know whatever native language your Windows is using. Some look to
be system processes but not all.

What is "AlertHelper"? Some non-essential ASUS program? Does it
sometimes display a window? What is "anysee_TR" and "CNO"? Does AnySee
display a window? I'd have to go Google, same as you, to find out what
is BOINC. What is EPUhelp? Some more ASUS trivialware? Does it have
[sometimes have] a window? I haven't used Google Drive but maybe it
displays a web page at times. What is HpqSRmon? A monitor? Some idle
HP utility eating up memory and only needed when you happen to use the
printer? Does it display popup alert windows? You have several
infrequently used processes sitting idle in memory awaiting potential
future use some of which may be popping up an alert window (but which is
not staying onscreen).

So have you yet tried using msconfig to eliminate that myriad list of
startup programs on a reboot to see if the ghost window ceases to
appear?