Updating for this post: https://lemmy.zip/post/53674276

So far it’s been pretty smooth for the most part a few issues (printer related) and a couple other things I was able to hop on and help her.

There’s one issue that has puzzling me though and I need some help. Every so often while she is using the computer her monitors go dark and the computer becomes unresponsive, I asked her to try ctrl alt f1, f2, etc to no effect. The only thing that fixes this is pressing the power key until the computer turns off. I tried checking the journalctl logs but didn’t see anything of note. What else can I check?

  • just_another_person@lemmy.world
    6·
    22 days ago

    If you’re ever present or have remote access to her network, make sure sshd is enabled, and try to SSH into it to see what happens.

    Q’s:

    1. Is this a laptop or desktop?
    2. If Desktop, what kind of cable is the monitor connected with?
    3. See if you can get dmesg output (needs to happen during the event, but the machine is still accessible - hence ssh above)
    4. Does the monitor have its own power saving settings?
    • ElectricWaterfall@lemmy.zipOPEnglish
      4·
      22 days ago

      I’ll have to setup ssh.

      1. Desktop
      2. Its connected with a DVI cable through a kvm switch (we verified it wasn’t on the wrong input)
      3. Will try this
      4. I’m not sure, but the monitor is clearly on with the black screen backlit during the issue.
  • notabot@piefed.socialEnglish
    5·
    22 days ago

    Can you still SSH to the machine when it’s in that state? If you can it’s likely to be a problem in the graphics stack, if you can I’d probably start by running memtest86+ for a full cycle to rule out memory issues. After that, checking things like CPU temps would be good.

    Assuming that’s all good, check for anyone else reporting issues with the same motherboard, CPU, GPU, or other components

    Good luck, this sort of thing can be quite frustrating to get to the bottom of.

  • sneaky@r.nfEnglish
    3·
    22 days ago

    Not typically what you’d think of when somebody says “mom’s computer,” but this is exactly what happens when my GPU overheats. Monitors stay on with black screen and no response from keyboard input.

  • kittenroar@beehaw.orgEnglish
    3·
    22 days ago

    Check /var/log/syslog, dmesg, and /var/log/auth.log

    Like the others suggest, try setting up ssh access so you can see what’s happening.

    If you use ssh and login, I’d recommend using top or htop and maybe diskhogs and see what’s up

  • ThomasWilliams@lemmy.world
    2·
    22 days ago

    It could be a hardware issue. I’ve found that if the screen drivers fail it usually switches to a text console or reboots into one. Assuming you have a laptop, does wiggling the screen make any difference. If its a desktop, try wiggling the power connector or video cable (both ends) and along the cables, sometimes stress can break the wires in the cables if they go around a bend.

      • Broken@lemmy.ml
        1·
        22 days ago

        You can also try Caffeine which will prevent sleep and the monitors from turning off. It would be a dumb solution but could be a good temporary work around / troubleshooting tool.