Windows 7 doesn't wake the screen up

[Hokiefyd]

I've had Windows 7 on my desktop computer for a little over a month now, and it's been mostly problem-free.

But lately, it seems that the video signal to the monitor doesn't "wake up" when the computer wakes back up from sleep. For instance, when the computer goes to sleep, the video signal goes away and the monitor then goes to sleep itself. Normally, when you wake the computer back up, the monitor receives the video signal and wakes back up itself. But probably once a day, or at least once every 2-3 days, the computer will wake up but the screen stays blank. I can unplug the cable and plug it back in, but it won't wake up.

I have to hold the power button to physically turn the computer off and start it back up. This seems to be a problem with the video signal from the computer, and not with the monitor itself. Is this a symptom of a flaky graphics card, or has anyone heard of this issue with Windows 7 in general?

 

[brandini]

Re-install graphics drivers.

 

[wkcars]

Are you using dvi cable? We have the same problem at work and changed to the vga cable and that got the monitor to wake up from sleep.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I am using the standard D-15 VGA cable. I will check drivers.

 

[javacontour]

What about power-cycling just the monitor? I did not see that mentioned in your description of the problem.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Power cycling the monitor doesn't help either. It acts like a monitor acts with a sleeping computer. It doesn't have the "NO CONNECTION" screen that it would with an unplugged cable, but there's no picture either. The power button will immediately turn from green to amber, indicating the monitor is sleeping.

I can tell the computer comes out of sleep. The power button goes from a flashing LED to a solid LED, indicating that it's "on". The graphics just don't seem to wake up when the computer does.

 

[Nick R]

This is the one problem I've had with Windows 7 since I first used the Beta. It rarely happens anymore (I have the computer set to not go to sleep) but it does happen every now and again with the laptop. Not sure what causes it, or how to fix it, unfortunately.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Sleep with Windows 7 has been problematic for me in general. Nick, interesting to hear you've had the same issue. For a while after I installed it, it seems like the computer wouldn't go to sleep on its own. Or if it did, it wouldn't stay asleep. I've only authorized two functions that will bring the computer out of sleep: backup and defrag. And they're both scheduled in the morning; but sometimes the computer'd wake up at random times in the evening. We never had this with XP (or Vista that I recall).

The waking up on its own has seemed to work itself out, but now I'm not able to wake up the monitor intermittently. Weird.

 

[OVERKILL]

1. Make sure video drivers are up-to-date
2. Make sure you have the most recent BIOS for your motherboard.

First things I would check.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Both are current, but I will look to re-install the video drivers. Everything, though, is a very recent install because Windows 7 wiped the HDD when it installed. So everything is very fresh.

 

[buickman50401]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
1. Make sure video drivers are up-to-date
2. Make sure you have the most recent BIOS for your motherboard.

First things I would check.

Might be an ACPI issue as well (had that happen in the past with monitors).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Configuration_and_Power_Interface

I can't recall what you'll need to do to make sure its working right and/or reinstall the drivers for it. I'll post more when I'm home from work unless someone else remembers how to fiddle with getting ACPI working properly again.