More PC problems

This week my computer has really been pissing me off with its failure to wake up from Power Save mode. Actually it wakes up, I know it does, because I can shut it down using the Keyboard (in XP, it's Window key - Up - Enter - Right - Enter) and it shuts down, so it must have been awake to Shut Down, right? The problem is nothing appears on my Monitor when it's awake. In fact what is odd is that while in Power Save mode the LCD's power light will be orange, but as soon as I jiggle my mouse to wake the computer up the LCD's power light either flashes green, or turns off completely, and the screen goes black as if the PC is off, when it's not.

At first I thought it was the LCD dying on me but now I'm not so sure. Now I think it's one of two things. Either my Power Supply is failing and not providing my 8800GT with enough juice, or the 8800GT itself is dying.

Now I could buy a new video card, but if my power supply is dying that's obviously not going to fix my problem. And if I did buy a new video card it would probably need more juice than what my current PSU can deliver anyway, so either way, I think my first step should be to replace the PSU. As PSU's are cheaper than decent video cards (like a 9800GT), if it is the problem, that's the more cost effective solution. And if it's not the PSU, well, I probably need a heftier one anyway.

So why don't I think my 19" LCD is the problem any more?

Because my 8800GT has dual video-out and this week I hooked up my daughter's CRT to my PC, while keeping the LCD hooked up as well. And the same problem I was having with the LCD was reflected on the CRT. Of course when I finally got my computer up & running there was nothing on the CRT, until I enabled dual output mode on my video card, and a blank desktop with nothing but my wallpaper appeared on the CRT.

Is that how dual screens are supposed to work? I thought to myself. How is that useful. Where are my icons? Where's my Start Bar? Why doesn't that second screen have a duplicate Mouse Cursor?

And then I had an epiphany.

What if...I move the mouse cursor...to the edge of the LCD...and keep moving the mouse.

And the cursor disappeared from my LCD and appeared on the CRT.

I stared in wonder for several seconds while moving the mouse cursor around on the second screen, then back & forth between the two.

Ok, that's neat, but still not useful...unless.

I right-click/dragged my Firefox icon to the edge of the LCD and...on to the CRT's scren! And created a Shortcut there! Ok, now this is more useful. Until I double-clicked the new shortcut and a Firefox window opened...on my LCD's screen o_O

What's the point of that? Why would it open on my primary screen?

A second epiphany (or maybe it was my third? Or fourth? I've lost count by now).

I clicked the Title bar of the Firefox window and dragged it to the right and...ONTO THE CRT's SCREEN!!!

Now I had two Firefox windows open on two separate screens!

Forget Tabbing between them. It's just a jump to the left. And now a step to the ri-ii-ii-iight.

Yes, sometimes it's the simplest things that amuse us the most.

I left my computer with its dual screens running for a while until it entered Power Save on its own, and when I returned & jiggled the mouse I had nothing. Neither screen came up. Which was good.

That meant it's the Video Card or the Power Supply, but not the monitor. That's good because a PSU is cheaper than a Video Card, and a Video Card is cheaper than a new Monitor.

I know the latest, super-duper video cards run for $300-$500, but I could also buy that curved screen from Alienware for $10,000 if I really wanted to. Moot point. I don't like paying much more than $100 for a video card, so I'm usually a generation or two behind cutting edge but a decent monitor will set me back around $150. Of course if I end up buying both a new PSU & a video card I'll spend about that (or more), but at least then my problem should (hopefully) have been resolved.