Why is my computer monitor wavy?

Why is my computer not communicating with my monitor?

• OK I'm a complete computer idiot, I know just enough to turn my PC on and off. I was away for about a month and when I got back I turned on my computer the only thing displayed on the monitor was a picture that was like the monitor cord was not connected. The tower was powered up and making its normal sounds and the little light was orange on the power button for the monitor. I checked the connections and every thing was plugged in and seemed exactly as I'd left it. I called the only person I know who has a little computer knowledge and he said I needed a new video card, so we went and got one and he installed it and still the monitor only show and picture like its not connected to the tower. I have and older monitor and I tried hooking it up but got a black screen. and my friend put my monitor on his computer and it worked fine. Why else would my computer not communicating with my monitor? Any suggestions would be very much appreciated I really cant afford to take it to a place like Geek Squad and the are not any other computer repair place near me. I think I have windows XP and that's about all I know of the operating system.

• Answer:

  Wow, that is perplexing. Sounds like blind leading the blind but you've done all the right things. My suggestion would be to unplug everything from computer except keyboard, mouse, monitor and power. Unhook all external devices like printers, cameras, etc.,. from computer. Try it like that. Use a regular keyboard/mouse and not a wifi. Make sure your monitor has a good power source, check the wall outlet with a voltage detector and make sure it's a consistent signal. Plug the power to monitor to another wall outlet. Plug the power to computer to another wall outlet. Take your computer to your friends house and try your computer on his/her monitor. If you've installed a video card, remove it and get your computer back to square one before doing this. Uninstall all drivers and plug into mainboard if it has a serial or dvi port. you might have had a vid card go bad and the one you bought wasn't any good either. You can email me thru here or send a message on my contact page at address below.