Recently, when the computer was starting up the signal light on the monitor quickly changed from green to yellow, and the screen remained black. When I connected the computer to another monitor, the same thing occurred (i.e., no signal was being sent to the monitor). Previously, the computer had shut down normally. Presumably, the video card is built-in to the motherboard as the card is not visible on opening the computer. If that’s the case, how may I check to see whether the problem lies with the video card? The computer is 2.5 years old and is a Compaq Presario with Windows 98.

As the monitor does not display any information at all when the computer is turned on we can rule out the problem being software related, as all the information displayed on the monitor during the initial startup phase (e.g., Power-On Self Test) is independent of any drivers, etc’¦ So, that puts the problem down to a hardware issue. There is not much you can do with the video card, especially when it is built onto the motherboard (as is normal with quite a few computer configurations). I recommend that you take your computer to a Compaq authorised repairer, as they would have the knowledge needed for your particular problem. You will need to contact Compaq for a list of authorised repairers. If the problem is related to a failed video card, the repairer may either have to replace the whole motherboard (an expensive alternative) or might possibly be able to fix the failed components. Another work-around might be to install a second, independent video card into a spare expansion slot on your motherboard. However, I am unsure if this would work as the motherboard may treat its on-board video card as the ‘primary card’ and still try to display through it (as it is unlikely the computer would feed the same video through the two cards) rather than through the second, independent card. This will depend on the type of motherboard and its configuration. The Compaq repairer would be the best person to advise you of the options. But it may be worthwhile asking about the possibility of a second video card.