Laptop screen blacks out but computer doesn't crash

[urdrwho5]

This started a few days ago. I'll have the computer running, streaming some online radio, firefox is open, I leave the computer for a while, return and the screen is dark. Radio still streaming.
None of the Ctrl-+ F keys will bring the screen back on and I need to do a hard re-boot.

This is separate but could be part of the issue because it also just started happening ---

I also noticed that Ctrl-alt-del no longer changed the desktop effects but shut off the screen. Ctrl-alt-F7 will bring it back. The same thing has happened to my wife's Acer


So I changed the desktop effects to shft+f12


BTW I have any screen energy savings unmarked and so far the screen hasn't gone blank but on the other hand the screen is up an running all the time.

this is a I-Nex report and don't know if it is helpful.

AMD
Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3000+
1800.000 MHz
Integrated GPU: NA

Family: 15
Model: 4
Stepping: 8
Cores: 1
Phy id: 0
Address sizes: 40 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
Bogomips: 3591.01
Flags: MMX(+), MMX, 3DNow!(+), SSE, 3DNow!, SSE2, NX-Bit,
x86 64-Bit Extensions: True
HW Virtualization: False
Hyper-Threading: False
Power mangament: ts fid vid ttp
TDP: 62 W
PPS: 90 nm
Die size: 183 mm²
Package: uPGA
Turboclock: NA
Voltage: 1.4 V
Part: ADA3000IAA4CN
Socket: AMD Socket AM2
TCaseMax: unknown
Multiplier: 9.0x
Codename: Orleans
Memory support: unknown
================================================== ========CPUID===================================== ==============================
NVIDIA Corporation NV17M [GeForce4 440 Go 64M]
Total Memory prefetchable: 16M -
Total Memory non-prefetchable: 128M - 512K -
OpenGL Vendor: VMware, Inc.
OpenGL Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on llvmpipe (LLVM 3.4, 128 bits)
OpenGL Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.2.0-devel
Server glx vendor: SGI
Server glx version: 1.4
Client glx vendor: Mesa Project and SGI
Client glx version: 1.4
GLX version: 1.4
Present resolution: 1280x800 pixels (338x211 millimeters)
minimum 320 x 200, current 1280 x 800, maximum 4096 x 4096

================================================== ================================================== =====================
Distro Vendor: Ubuntu
Distro Release: 14.04
Desktop environment: KDE 4.13.2
Window manager: KWin
Window manager Theme: Aurorae
GTK+ 2 Theme: oxygen-gtk
GTK+ 3 Theme: Default
GTK Icons: oxygen
GTK Font: Ubuntu Regular
Hostname: john-Pavilion-zv5200-PR465UA-ABA
Deafult DM: /usr/sbin/lightdm
Timezone: America/New_York
GLX Version: 1.4
X.Org Version: 1.15.1
Wireless-tools: 30
PPP: 2.4.5
Net-tools: 1.60
Arch: x86_64
Binutils 2.24
GCC Version: 4.8
Linux C Library: 2.19
GNU Make Version: 3.81
Dynamic linker (ldd): 2.19

[GreyGeek]

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Troubleshooting/BlankScreen

[GreyGeek]

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Troubleshooting/BlankScreen

http://askubuntu.com/questions/16207...have-to-fix-it

[urdrwho5]

Thanks for the reply.

I think I have it fixed.

In Power Management I turned off Screen Energy Saving (not sure how it got turned on). Then I turned on a screen saver and so far no problems waking up from the screen saver.

I always use a blank screen but now instead of blank screen I get the KDE blue looking start-up screen. I don't care to burn blue into my screen and when I choose blank it goes blue. Every other screen saver works. Even when I choose blank and choose test it is blank.

Odd.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Troubleshooting/BlankScreen

[GreyGeek]

In times past the old phosphors used on cathode ray tubes (CRTs) did hold images on the screen after the power was turned off IF the same pattern remained on the screen for long periods each day for several days, while the power was on. However, the modern LCD displays do not have that problem, so "screen savers" aren't saving the screen or preventing phosphor burn in.

I leave my laptop on 24/7/365 and reboot it only when I upgrade a kernel. At night my desktop is displaying the same pattern. No burn.

Personally, I do not like the screen to go blank, especially when I am watching a long video or movie. So, I turn off screen blanking. If some irresponsible app changes my setting I open a console and enter:
xset -dpms
xset s noblank
xset s off

[urdrwho5]

Thanks.

I guess I was thinking old school. The laptop in question isn't new, the HP Pavillion Zv5000 is probably from 2004 or earlier.

In times past the old phosphors used on cathode ray tubes (CRTs) did hold images on the screen after the power was turned off IF the same pattern remained on the screen for long periods each day for several days, while the power was on. However, the modern LCD displays do not have that problem, so "screen savers" aren't saving the screen or preventing phosphor burn in.

I leave my laptop on 24/7/365 and reboot it only when I upgrade a kernel. At night my desktop is displaying the same pattern. No burn.

Personally, I do not like the screen to go blank, especially when I am watching a long video or movie. So, I turn off screen blanking. If some irresponsible app changes my setting I open a console and enter:
xset -dpms
xset s noblank
xset s off