Can you power drain a flat screen monitor?












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Two people I work with stated that we should power drain a monitor. I've been working in computers for a while, and I've never heard of this. Is that a thing?



Okay, here's a little more context; when a computer won't start up (a really old computer, say 20 years old), it comes up to a black screen with a white flashing cursor in the upper left hand corner. When it ends up in this state after a reboot, we do what is referred to as a "power drain" which means that we unplug the computer from power, and hold in the power button for 20 seconds. Then when we plug it back in, the computer works again.



The other day, one of my co-workers told me to do a power drain on the monitor, and I have never in my entire life heard of anyone doing a "power drain" on a monitor; but given the age of the computers we are working on I was unsure if 20 years ago this was an actual fix or not.



Also, the monitors are LCDs from old IBM POSs.










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  • 2




    It simply means you unplug the monitor allowing the capacitors to discharge. will allow you to determine, if it is useful, to do that to a monitor.
    – Ramhound
    Nov 30 at 5:15










  • Have your people specified any context in which a power drain is necessary?
    – grawity
    Nov 30 at 5:33






  • 1




    This sounds like sending a car mechanic apprentice to fetch the "blinker fluid"… Are you sure they (a) were serious and (b) know what they're talking about?
    – n.st
    Nov 30 at 5:49






  • 2




    @n.st: Well, it would make sense in the context of repairing a CRT (which apparently can be lethal unless discharged)...
    – grawity
    Nov 30 at 6:58










  • @grawity Almost anything that uses electrolytic capacitors can be seriously dangerous if they're not discharged properly. I've seen people get serious localized burns from accidentally touching the contacts of electrolytic caps that weren't discharged safely when dealing with stuff rated as low as 12V. Given that, and the energy levels needed in a CRT, I could easily see one of those being lethal if one of the big capacitors discharged through your body.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    Nov 30 at 20:09
















0














Two people I work with stated that we should power drain a monitor. I've been working in computers for a while, and I've never heard of this. Is that a thing?



Okay, here's a little more context; when a computer won't start up (a really old computer, say 20 years old), it comes up to a black screen with a white flashing cursor in the upper left hand corner. When it ends up in this state after a reboot, we do what is referred to as a "power drain" which means that we unplug the computer from power, and hold in the power button for 20 seconds. Then when we plug it back in, the computer works again.



The other day, one of my co-workers told me to do a power drain on the monitor, and I have never in my entire life heard of anyone doing a "power drain" on a monitor; but given the age of the computers we are working on I was unsure if 20 years ago this was an actual fix or not.



Also, the monitors are LCDs from old IBM POSs.










share|improve this question




















  • 2




    It simply means you unplug the monitor allowing the capacitors to discharge. will allow you to determine, if it is useful, to do that to a monitor.
    – Ramhound
    Nov 30 at 5:15










  • Have your people specified any context in which a power drain is necessary?
    – grawity
    Nov 30 at 5:33






  • 1




    This sounds like sending a car mechanic apprentice to fetch the "blinker fluid"… Are you sure they (a) were serious and (b) know what they're talking about?
    – n.st
    Nov 30 at 5:49






  • 2




    @n.st: Well, it would make sense in the context of repairing a CRT (which apparently can be lethal unless discharged)...
    – grawity
    Nov 30 at 6:58










  • @grawity Almost anything that uses electrolytic capacitors can be seriously dangerous if they're not discharged properly. I've seen people get serious localized burns from accidentally touching the contacts of electrolytic caps that weren't discharged safely when dealing with stuff rated as low as 12V. Given that, and the energy levels needed in a CRT, I could easily see one of those being lethal if one of the big capacitors discharged through your body.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    Nov 30 at 20:09














0












0








0







Two people I work with stated that we should power drain a monitor. I've been working in computers for a while, and I've never heard of this. Is that a thing?



Okay, here's a little more context; when a computer won't start up (a really old computer, say 20 years old), it comes up to a black screen with a white flashing cursor in the upper left hand corner. When it ends up in this state after a reboot, we do what is referred to as a "power drain" which means that we unplug the computer from power, and hold in the power button for 20 seconds. Then when we plug it back in, the computer works again.



The other day, one of my co-workers told me to do a power drain on the monitor, and I have never in my entire life heard of anyone doing a "power drain" on a monitor; but given the age of the computers we are working on I was unsure if 20 years ago this was an actual fix or not.



Also, the monitors are LCDs from old IBM POSs.










share|improve this question















Two people I work with stated that we should power drain a monitor. I've been working in computers for a while, and I've never heard of this. Is that a thing?



Okay, here's a little more context; when a computer won't start up (a really old computer, say 20 years old), it comes up to a black screen with a white flashing cursor in the upper left hand corner. When it ends up in this state after a reboot, we do what is referred to as a "power drain" which means that we unplug the computer from power, and hold in the power button for 20 seconds. Then when we plug it back in, the computer works again.



The other day, one of my co-workers told me to do a power drain on the monitor, and I have never in my entire life heard of anyone doing a "power drain" on a monitor; but given the age of the computers we are working on I was unsure if 20 years ago this was an actual fix or not.



Also, the monitors are LCDs from old IBM POSs.







display






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Dec 2 at 13:32

























asked Nov 30 at 5:08









leeand00

6,3552681142




6,3552681142








  • 2




    It simply means you unplug the monitor allowing the capacitors to discharge. will allow you to determine, if it is useful, to do that to a monitor.
    – Ramhound
    Nov 30 at 5:15










  • Have your people specified any context in which a power drain is necessary?
    – grawity
    Nov 30 at 5:33






  • 1




    This sounds like sending a car mechanic apprentice to fetch the "blinker fluid"… Are you sure they (a) were serious and (b) know what they're talking about?
    – n.st
    Nov 30 at 5:49






  • 2




    @n.st: Well, it would make sense in the context of repairing a CRT (which apparently can be lethal unless discharged)...
    – grawity
    Nov 30 at 6:58










  • @grawity Almost anything that uses electrolytic capacitors can be seriously dangerous if they're not discharged properly. I've seen people get serious localized burns from accidentally touching the contacts of electrolytic caps that weren't discharged safely when dealing with stuff rated as low as 12V. Given that, and the energy levels needed in a CRT, I could easily see one of those being lethal if one of the big capacitors discharged through your body.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    Nov 30 at 20:09














  • 2




    It simply means you unplug the monitor allowing the capacitors to discharge. will allow you to determine, if it is useful, to do that to a monitor.
    – Ramhound
    Nov 30 at 5:15










  • Have your people specified any context in which a power drain is necessary?
    – grawity
    Nov 30 at 5:33






  • 1




    This sounds like sending a car mechanic apprentice to fetch the "blinker fluid"… Are you sure they (a) were serious and (b) know what they're talking about?
    – n.st
    Nov 30 at 5:49






  • 2




    @n.st: Well, it would make sense in the context of repairing a CRT (which apparently can be lethal unless discharged)...
    – grawity
    Nov 30 at 6:58










  • @grawity Almost anything that uses electrolytic capacitors can be seriously dangerous if they're not discharged properly. I've seen people get serious localized burns from accidentally touching the contacts of electrolytic caps that weren't discharged safely when dealing with stuff rated as low as 12V. Given that, and the energy levels needed in a CRT, I could easily see one of those being lethal if one of the big capacitors discharged through your body.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    Nov 30 at 20:09








2




2




It simply means you unplug the monitor allowing the capacitors to discharge. will allow you to determine, if it is useful, to do that to a monitor.
– Ramhound
Nov 30 at 5:15




It simply means you unplug the monitor allowing the capacitors to discharge. will allow you to determine, if it is useful, to do that to a monitor.
– Ramhound
Nov 30 at 5:15












Have your people specified any context in which a power drain is necessary?
– grawity
Nov 30 at 5:33




Have your people specified any context in which a power drain is necessary?
– grawity
Nov 30 at 5:33




1




1




This sounds like sending a car mechanic apprentice to fetch the "blinker fluid"… Are you sure they (a) were serious and (b) know what they're talking about?
– n.st
Nov 30 at 5:49




This sounds like sending a car mechanic apprentice to fetch the "blinker fluid"… Are you sure they (a) were serious and (b) know what they're talking about?
– n.st
Nov 30 at 5:49




2




2




@n.st: Well, it would make sense in the context of repairing a CRT (which apparently can be lethal unless discharged)...
– grawity
Nov 30 at 6:58




@n.st: Well, it would make sense in the context of repairing a CRT (which apparently can be lethal unless discharged)...
– grawity
Nov 30 at 6:58












@grawity Almost anything that uses electrolytic capacitors can be seriously dangerous if they're not discharged properly. I've seen people get serious localized burns from accidentally touching the contacts of electrolytic caps that weren't discharged safely when dealing with stuff rated as low as 12V. Given that, and the energy levels needed in a CRT, I could easily see one of those being lethal if one of the big capacitors discharged through your body.
– Austin Hemmelgarn
Nov 30 at 20:09




@grawity Almost anything that uses electrolytic capacitors can be seriously dangerous if they're not discharged properly. I've seen people get serious localized burns from accidentally touching the contacts of electrolytic caps that weren't discharged safely when dealing with stuff rated as low as 12V. Given that, and the energy levels needed in a CRT, I could easily see one of those being lethal if one of the big capacitors discharged through your body.
– Austin Hemmelgarn
Nov 30 at 20:09















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