Desktop Screen keeps flickering and blacking out

[valkyrie374]

Hi,

Alright so here's what's wrong.

I own a Dell desktop computer and it's just under by a month or so of 3 years old.
My display is experiencing problems, it's flickering really badly, it would flicker and then go black, flicker again (worse or better) and then go black again and so forth. Moving the mouse around improves the flickering, but not by much.

I think it is a video card problem as my desktop screen is fine. Is it possible that there are any other causes [i.e. software or virus]?

The most crucial thing is that I can get back all the data in my hard drive. What would be the best steps to take in this situation?

Thank you and if there is any further information required I can go dig it, thanks again in advance

 

[DaveBurnett]

That sounds a lot like a loose cable to the screen!!

 

[Tanis]

It could possibly be the backlight failing on the screen itself (assuming its an LCD type flat screen?).

When it goes dark, can you see anything at all, even a very feint image of what should be there? It may be easier to point a torch at the screen when it is like that to see if you can see an image at all. If you can see a really feint image either with, or without a torch shining directly on the screen, then the chances are its the backlight / inverter failing.

I have changed these on laptops and would assume a desktop LCD is similar, it should be a fairly cheap and easy fix if that is the fault.

 

[valkyrie374]

I tried both but still dead, any other ideas? And I need a way to extract all my data, seeing as I can barely see my screen and after a while it BSOD's itself.