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
    7·
    1 day 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 hours 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.
  • bizarroland@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    1 day ago

    Does it have Nvidia graphics in it?

    I’ve had that issue on computers with Nvidia graphics, and the solution, in my specific case, was to install the latest proprietary Nvidia drivers.

      • Broken@lemmy.ml
        1·
        21 hours 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.

  • ElectricWaterfall@lemmy.zipOPEnglish
    1·
    19 hours ago

    Thank you all for all the suggestions, I don’t live with her so I’ll have to try out all your suggestions when I visit / if she has time for a Remote Desktop session with me.

  • ThomasWilliams@lemmy.world
    1·
    20 hours 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.

  • kittenroar@beehaw.orgEnglish
    1·
    1 day 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