# Why do I have to keep slapping my PC monitor around? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 27, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-to-keep-slapping-my-pc-monitor-around/620180 "2012-04-27T20:38:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cynyc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@cynyc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cynyc)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-to-keep-slapping-my-pc-monitor-around/620180/1 "2012-04-27T20:38:06Z")
Or punch it. Or bang it on the desk? It goes black. It’s all I have. I notice that _sometimes_ it appears to go dark when I hit the enter key. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-to-keep-slapping-my-pc-monitor-around/620180/2 "2012-04-27T20:45:06Z")
When “percussive maintenance” has an effect on an electronic device, it usually means there is a loose connection in it somewhere. I would double check that the connection to the PC is good and solid on both ends (at the PC and at the monitor end). Off the top of my head, I think the next most likely suspect would be the inverter board. Either it has a bad connection or it is starting to die. Monitors aren’t very user friendly to service these days, but a lot of times the inverter board is fairly easy to get to, if you have a moderate level of tinkering skill. I’d remove it and put it back in and see if re-seating the contacts makes a difference. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-to-keep-slapping-my-pc-monitor-around/620180/3 "2012-04-27T20:55:55Z")
Old tv’s used to benefit from a hard smack too. Possibly a loose connection inside, dust or even a cold solder joint. molex connectors were notorious for bad connections. My parents old RCA tv would loose sound and a good slap brought it back every time. I took the back cover off and found a loose molex cable. Wasn’t much I could do except try cleaning the contacts with contact cleaner spray. Didn’t really help. I’d check the monitor’s cable connections first. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-to-keep-slapping-my-pc-monitor-around/620180/4 "2012-04-27T21:10:18Z")
So you gotta smack that bitch up, yo? ---
**Author:** ![cynyc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@cynyc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cynyc)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-to-keep-slapping-my-pc-monitor-around/620180/5 "2012-04-27T22:48:03Z")
Serious OG on ha bro’ yo. “Strictly business, baby. Strictly business.” > [@Kimballkid](#): > > So you gotta smack that bitch up, yo? ANd Ace and Geek–I’ll try those things. “Percussive maintenance.” LOL! Can I use that? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2012, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-to-keep-slapping-my-pc-monitor-around/620180/6 "2012-04-28T00:45:30Z")
> [@cynyc](#): > > “Percussive maintenance.” LOL! Can I use that? Sure. I didn’t make it up. It’s an old engineering term. It even has its own wikipedia page: > **[Percussive maintenance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percussive_maintenance)** > > Read the Wiktionary entry "percussive maintenance" > You can also: [QUOTE=wikipedia] Percussive maintenance, also known as percussion therapy or a technical tap, is a term used to describe the physical concussion of an ill-behaved device to make it work — that is to say, hitting it. The origins and practice of the term are unknown, although some suggest the act became commonplace with the introduction of vacuum tube electronics. The term is a play on “preventive maintenance”. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-have-to-keep-slapping-my-pc-monitor-around/620180/7 "2012-04-28T00:50:19Z")
They never learn.