Monitor turns on, shows a small blue box with the word Analog in white on the top right corner of the screen then within the count of 2 the screen goes black. I can turn the screen of and on again with the same result each time. I only have an analog cable and when I turned the computer of last time it worked correctly I didn't make any view changes.

Yes.

The area on the back of the computer, that has two ports to connect a monitor, is a Graphics Card.

It is a PCI-Express graphics card, and is plugged into a PCI-Express x16 slot on the motherboard.
(Expansion Slot)

It has a blue VGA port, white DVI port, and black S-Video port.

The area on the upper left with a blue outline around a VGA port, is a VGA port connected directly to the motherboard. It is Integrated Graphics.

You CANNOT use Integrated Graphics, and a graphics card at the same time.

It's either use the Integrated Graphics VGA port, OR use the graphics port/s on the graphics card.
BIOS will Not support using both Integrated Graphics, and a graphics card.

HOWEVER, you can use the VGA port, and the DVI port when using two monitors.
You will be only using just the graphics card.

Example of a VGA port, (Connector), and VGA cable,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VGA_connector

Example of a DVI port, and DVI cable,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVI_connector


1) Whatever monitor you have that has a VGA cable, plug it into the blue VGA port on the graphics card.

(There are VGA monitors {CRT} that resemble a small TV. VGA cable is usually attached.
There are also LCD flat screens that have a VGA connector, for a VGA cable, and may also have both a VGA, and a DVI connector.

To digress for a moment;
VGA is Analog. It uses an Analog video signal.
DVI is digital. It uses a Digital video signal.

A computer naturally puts out a digital video signal. This digital signal has to be converted by the computer, into analog for an analog monitor. This slows the graphics process down. This is one reason it is best to use digital )

2) Plug a monitor with a DVI cable into the white DVI port on the graphics card.

3) Turn the monitors on.

4) Turn the Inspiron 531s on.

5) When Windows has loaded, right-click on an empty area of your desktop computer screen.
Now left-click on Properties at the bottom of the list.
Left-click on the Settings tab.

6) You are now looking at a small window that has two monitor icons in it.
Monitor 1 icon, and monitor 2 icon.

Monitor 1 icon is your Primary Display.
Monitor 2 icon will be for the Secondary Display you are adding.

Note how monitor 1 icon is sitting to the Left, and monitor icon 2 is sitting to the Right.
This is how your monitors are supposed to be arranged on your computer desk.

If the second monitor is on the Left on your computer desk, you need to move the icons around.
Move monitor 2 icon to the Left.

Left-click on the icon, hold the left mouse key down, and drag the monitor 2 icon over to the left side of monitor 1 icon. (All the way over, or it will snap back to where it was)

It may matter to you how your monitors are arranged. It may not. Once you read the following it may help you decide.

7) Left-click on monitor icon 2 if you have not already done so.
Go down to where it states, "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor"

8) Left-click once in the empty square, to the left of Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor.

9) Now left-click on Apply at the bottom Right corner.

10) Finally left-click on OK at the bottom Left corner.

You should now see your desktop screen on both monitors.

When using the internet on both monitors, you have to drag the screen from the Primary monitor to the Secondary monitor.

Go to the left side of the screen. Left-click right on the edge of the blue frame. Hold the left mouse key down after you click, and drag the screen across to the left.

Doesn't work?
Go to the right side, click on the blue frame, and drag the screen to the right.

This is why it may matter how the monitors are arranged on your computer desk.

It's kind of eerie your first time dragging the screen across.

You will also find out why it is best to use two similar monitors, when using dual monitors. The pixel resolution is different for both monitors, if they are different from each other.

For additional questions please post in a Comment.

Regards,
joecoolvette

Just to add:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/inspd531/en/OM/appendix.htm

either it is a motherboard problem or a video card error. open up computer check everything inside and turn back on. see if it works.

Hi, its unlikely to be the cable. Most likely cause of this is a faulty inverter board. If you are lucky it will only be 1 or 2 blown capacitors which are easily identifiable and replaceable once you have got inside it. it could however, be almost any of the components on the inverter board or even a failed backlight but this will require further testing and a knowledge of LCD monitor workings.

There are a few things to look at. It is very obvious that the screen is in good condition since you can see the message on it. Now the problem lies with either the RAM and/or the VGA. If you are using an onboard VGA, try a PCI VGA card. Try to resit the RAM modules also. If you have more than one mem chip, then do it one after another. It might be one them is fault and hence blocks the signal to video. Finally, any newly installed card should be temporarily removed ok. With these, I am sure the problem will be over. Good luck

Check that your monitor is connected properly and tightly to the computer. If it is, then the monitor may be bad. Borrow a friend's monitor and try to see if it works, if someone else's monitor works, then replace your monitor.

You power/inverter board more than likely needs an overhaul of at least the capacitors.
I do these on ebay.
There is a slim chance that one of your bulbs is failing ? This would normally show as a little pink in the screen, or flickering.
If you need instructions to disassemble it, let me know.
bammbammfran

it sound like you eather need a new video card or there is something wrong with your moniter.

thanks
hope this help you

Unplug the power cord for the monitor for a few minutes

You should be watching your dvd's on an input and not on tv analog 3. Every time the tv "senses" a signal change in the audio that screen will pop up. Connect the DVD player to the tv by using either the red, white and yellow (composite) connections or using the green, blue, red, white and red (component). Once you are on an actual input that box will stop popping up.

I just rang Samsung about this problem and they immediately said they would replace the monitor, no questions asked!