Computer Monitor Fried?

Question

I have a Compaq 17" 7550 monitor that seems to be fried. On Saturday, I saw some kind of light flash from the room it's in and heard a loud sound, like a popping sound. There was no smell, no smoke, no fire, just a dead monitor when it was over and it was working fine just hours before. I checked the power connection and it's plugged in right on the back of the monitor and in the surge protector and it's secured to the graphics card on the back of the computer. The cord to the graphics card is secured in the monitor. Now it just won't turn on.

However, the computer tower and everything else around it - printer, DSL modem, router, fax machine, lights, everything - are humming along just fine.

I'm fairly computer literate but not up on too much technical jargon and know even less about monitors but I think the monitor may have been fried somehow. It is about six years old but I've never had a monitor suddenly die like that without warning and in a split second. Does anyone know what might have happened (I am going to assume the monitor is beyond repair at this point)?

Note that we had a heat wave over the weekend but the thunder/lightning storm didn't happen until this morning (Monday), after the wave broke last night.

Any thoughts?

Answer 1

Yes, it's dead as dead can be. I would presume you blew a silicon bit; maybe an IC overheated into a ball of light after getting too much voltage. Since it didn't smell too bad and you didn't see much smoke, a capacitor may have just popped. Transformers send out plumes of smoke when they catastrophically fail, so probably not that.  Basically, if I had to give a guess, a voltage regulator failed and something got far too much current, though what, I really can't answer.

Just be glad new monitors are as cheap as they are. In 1996, a brand name 17" would cost about 750$, and a nice quality 21-22" cost about 2,000$ No, seriously!

Answer 2

It being an older monitor the heat might have been too much for it.  They can heat up pretty bad even on a cool day.  I know what you mean about not having a monitor go out...I have been around computers almost 20 years and just this last year i had 3 go out in the space of a month.  If all else fails and you don't have the money to replace it just check out craigslist.org or freecycle.org they have some on there every now and then.

Answer 3

Sucks for you

Answer 4

Sounds like the CRT has blown....is repairable, but cheaper to buy a new monitor.....

The other thing it COULD be is; inside your monitor there is a small glass fuse, this might have blown, if so take the old fuse to your local hardware shop and you should be able to get a replacement for pennies (true for TV's also)....