My monitor keeps shutting down on its own. I would press the power button and it would work for about 2 or 3 seconds then it would just turn off by itself. It's a flat screen from dell. Can someone please help?

Are you talking about the power button on the computer tower?

Are you saying the computer shuts off or just the monitor?

If it is the whole system then the power button might be sticking as the usual behavior is to shut down if it is held in for three seconds.

If it is just the monitor try disconnecting and reconnecting the cable at both ends.

it's just the monitor that shuts off on its own, not the computer. the monitor was actually my sister's,she gave it to me once it started to turn off by itself. i've already disconnected both ends of the connection when i transferred it to my room.

If it behaves the same on two different computers you can pretty much say the problem is the monitor.

Examine the pins on the cable. Any bent or broken? Is there an Auto set or refresh button on the monitor itself?

Is there a transformer on the power line? If so does the LED stay green?

What about the LED on the monitor? Is it amber? or just off/blank/black?

i don't think its the cable cause I used a different one when i was given the monitor, and neither of the two cables i used had any bent of broken pins. As for the power line, it doesn't have a transformer (I also used two different power cables [the default one that came with the monitor and the one form my old monitor]). I don't see any auto set or refresh buttons, what i do see is a verticle hole on the back with a 'lock' symbol next to it, i don't know if it's relavent or not. I'm not quite sure what the LED is, im assuming it's the screen, the screen is just black from what i can see.

LED is Light emitting diodes

On the face of the monitor there should be a very small light.

If working it should be green. If standing by it should be amber. If no power it should be off.

Do you know the exact Dell model #? Is it old?

Is there ever any message on the screen? Like: No Signal?

Ah i see, well like the screen the LED turns on (green) then turns completely off (no light) after a couple seconds, it doesn't go on stand by.

On the back it says MODEL NO. E172FPb
It says May 2004 on one of the stickers. Im not certain when we go it, but 2004 sounds about right.

I see similar issues here:

http://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthr...3&page=1&pp=15

Which basically result in opening the monitor and doing some electronics repairs. The symptoms appear very similar. A heat issue or wrong voltage or failed transistors or transformers.

Depending on where you live you might have a local shop that could look at it but you're usually looking at the same price in repairs as a new monitor.

Of course you could try yourself if those threads make any sense to you.

ahh, alright, thank you very much fro your time. =)

No problem. Wish I could have been more help. :wave: