Steve R.
Retired
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- Yesterday, 23:12
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2006
- Messages
- 4,675
I bought a new computer monitor (4K no less). Most monitors come with separate buttons for turning the monitor on/off, and entering the monitor's configuration settings. My new monitor had only one multi-function button for doing all these functions.
My normal sequence for turning off the computer is to initiate the shutdown process and to then turn off the monitor after the computer fully shuts-down as the final action. However, with the new monitor; I would get the "select input" screen instead of the expected "on/off" screen. What was wrong!!??
After a long while of grumbling and reflecting over this, I finally had a Eureka moment. When the computer is "on", it is sending a video signal to the monitor. Since the monitor is "on" there is no need to enter the "select input" screen (unless planning to change the video input) and the monitor immediately defaults to the "on/off" screen. The solution, turn-off the monitor before the computer ceases to send a video signal.
In today's multi-function buttons environment, accidentally pressing the wrong button can have devastating effects. Never press the red button.
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As a bonus story. Many years ago, when still working on Access, I was working on a book/magazine database. I used "issuenum" as the primary key. The person who was providing the data lividly complained that "issuenum" was not a valid representation. I tried to explain what a primary key was, but the person seemed unable to comprehend. Ironically, I probably should have "hidden" the existence of the primary key.
My normal sequence for turning off the computer is to initiate the shutdown process and to then turn off the monitor after the computer fully shuts-down as the final action. However, with the new monitor; I would get the "select input" screen instead of the expected "on/off" screen. What was wrong!!??
After a long while of grumbling and reflecting over this, I finally had a Eureka moment. When the computer is "on", it is sending a video signal to the monitor. Since the monitor is "on" there is no need to enter the "select input" screen (unless planning to change the video input) and the monitor immediately defaults to the "on/off" screen. The solution, turn-off the monitor before the computer ceases to send a video signal.
In today's multi-function buttons environment, accidentally pressing the wrong button can have devastating effects. Never press the red button.
---------------------------
As a bonus story. Many years ago, when still working on Access, I was working on a book/magazine database. I used "issuenum" as the primary key. The person who was providing the data lividly complained that "issuenum" was not a valid representation. I tried to explain what a primary key was, but the person seemed unable to comprehend. Ironically, I probably should have "hidden" the existence of the primary key.
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