Have you ever had a monitor that would not sync up after you have just re-imaged the CPU?

    I have, but only about a half dozen times or so, so don't worry, this doesn't happen often. Somehow the frequency of the monitor gets changed to something other than the 60 Hertz it was meant to run at. I won't go into a long and lengthy explanation, but rather a couple of things that you can do that will hopefully let you continue on with your service call.

    The first, and probably the easiest thing you can do is, reboot the system and repeatedly hit the F8 button to get into the boot options screen. Select to boot up into VGA mode. Once Windows has booted you can put a check mark in the box to allow incoming connections, in case you need to have the help desk dial into the CPU and change the monitor frequencies while you watch and see witch one works. Next go into the advanced settings of the display properties and change the monitor frequency to something else. I usually have pretty good luck with 72 Hz. Reboot the CPU and hopefully the frequency you have selected is the correct one. If not, you will have to repeat this process until you find one that works.

    The second option is something that I come up with one day when the Help Desk was busy and hard to reach. You have to follow these steps perfectly, or it will not work. After you re-image the system, wait for the system to completely boot up. This will be after the Windows Start Wave and the Hard Drive Activity Light will have slowed or you won't see it at all. Once you think that the system has booted, follow these Keyboard commands. This works on version 2.4.1 only.

    Hit the Windows Logo Key one time, hit the up arrow 5 times, hit the right arrow one time, hit the Enter key, hit the down arrow 6 times, hit the Enter key, hit the Tab key 6 times, hit the right arrow key 5 times, hit the Tab key 4 times, hit the Enter key, hit the Tab key 4 times, hit the right arrow key 5 times, hit the Tab key 2 times, hit the Enter key, hit the Tab key 3 times, hit the up arrow key 2-3 times (I usually hit it 3 times), hit the Tab key 4 times, hit the Enter key.

    If you have followed the key commands correctly, you should be able to see the desktop now. There will be a lot of windows open that will now need to be closed. Now you can see if the system and monitor will function at 800 X 600 @ 60 Hz. If not, you may have to re-install the video drivers. I can't remember which screen it is, but there is a check box at the bottom of the window that will show which drivers you can choose from. Check that box and then choose the bottom of the two drivers listed, it's the one that has the longest name. Reboot the machine and all should work now.

    I've shortened the keyboard commands to this:

WIN, ↑ 5, → 1, ENT, ↓ 6, ENT, TAB 6, → 5, TAB 4, ENT, TAB 4,  → 5, TAB 2, ENT, TAB 3, ↑ ?, TAB 4, ENT.

    I have this written down on a piece of paper and take it with me to all sites that I visit. The question mark near the end is hitting the up arrow key as many times as you would like. I normally hit it 3 times.

    On one rare occasion, this did not work and I had to call the Help Desk and have them dial into the CPU. Although they could see everything just fine, all I had was a black screen. While I had them on the phone, they cycled through the different frequencies untill I was able to see the screen on my end. This particular one ended up being 72 Hz of all the things, of course it was the last one we tried.

    I've also run into the monitor not syncing on a new installation. On first boot, the screen will be off center, do NOT adjust. I've done this a couple of times and I believe this to be the culprit. I had to have the Help Desk dial into the machine and change the refresh frequency to 72 Hz. It may be possible to follow the commands above and instead of hitting the up arrow 2-3 times, hit the down arrow 2 times to get to the 72 Hz. I have not confirmed this, but it should work. The best bet is to leave it alone during boot up and all should be good.

    Good Luck!

    Another common problem is the power supply to the Stealth gets unplugged. Something that I have started doing on service calls and new installations is to take a rubber band, loop it over the plug that plugs into the Stealth and back through itself and tighten. Then take the rubber band and stretch it over the opposite end of the Stealth. The rubber band fits in the middle groove of the Stealth. I've just started to do this, so don't know if this little trick will work or not, but hopefully it will keep that end plug seated in the Stealth.

    Cut your installation time down. First mount the CPU case and then run your phone line to the fax machine or to a dedicated line. With the monitor on the floor, plug everything in and configure the CPU. Once you hit the "Install NetKey" button, you can disconnect the monitor and hang it. Run your conduit, mount the brochure rack, and tidy up. By the time it finishes the second download, you should be ready to head out for your next call. Make sure you hear the modem dial out and connect, otherwise you will be there a bit longer. You can also leave the monitor plugged in until you see the white box pop up, then you know you have connected.

    Better Cooling. Route all cables either above or below the CPU to allow for better air circulation in front of and behind the CPU. There is a fan in front of the CPU case and then you have the power supply fan in the rear, depending on the model of the CPU.

   BSOD. The dreaded Blue Screen Of Death. I've run into this problem on a few occasions. It will sometimes happen on a new installation or after a re-image. It seems to happen after I've unplugged the keyboard and mouse while the CPU is in the process of downloading NetKey or the Loop files. When this happens, just plug your keyboard and mouse back in and reboot the CPU. After the Loop has started back up again, you can then remove your keyboard and mouse. If this doesn't do the trick, copy the stop error down and call the helpdesk.

   Model and Serial Numbers. One of the easiest way to get the model and serial numbers off of the CPU is through BIOS. Both of these are on the first screen when you press "f1" to get into BIOS. The model number will say something like computer type and start off with 830381U, 818332U, 830321U, 8171V7Y, 679021U, or 8183BQU or something similar. The serial number is down towards the bottom and will start with something like KCNA1VT or the like. The model number of the monitor can easily be reached by pressing the "1" key and then scrolling to "Information", and then press the "2" key. Model numbers start out like VLCDS26105-2W, VLCDS27944-3W, or VLCDS23668-1W. On our Install and Service call check lists, I've made it to where we can circle the model number that Sarcom uses in their data base. Vx900's end with the "-1W or -2W" and the VG910S's ends with the "-3W". It's a lot easier to get this information this way then trying to read those little stickers that are on the back of the monitors or on the back and front of the CPU's.