Tech: dying monitor?

Subject: Tech: dying monitor?
From: kendall
Date: 27 May 04 - 11:05 AM

For the past couple of weeks, when I turn my PC on, the page is in the shape of a nuclear power plant cooling tower. Lots of black on both sides. In time it returns to a full page as it should. Does this mean the monitor is sick?

Subject: RE: Tech: dying monitor?
From: GUEST
Date: 27 May 04 - 11:12 AM

yes

Subject: RE: Tech: dying monitor?
From: kendall
Date: 27 May 04 - 11:14 AM

thanks

Subject: RE: Tech: dying monitor?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 27 May 04 - 11:16 AM

Probably. I would imagine a graphics card could cause similar problems though.

Subject: RE: Tech: dying monitor?
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 27 May 04 - 11:24 AM

the "cooling tower" shape is typical of a dying monitor though - and very atypical of a graphics board problem.

Subject: RE: Tech: dying monitor?
From: Pied Piper
Date: 27 May 04 - 11:46 AM

Give it a really hard and heart-felt bash on the top left hand corner with a cucumber.

Subject: RE: Tech: dying monitor?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 27 May 04 - 12:00 PM

It sounds like your high voltage is limping up to where it should be. (I'm assuming a standard CRT monitor - not one of those new-fangled flat things.) This is a fairly common symptom of advancing old age.

Quite often, replacement of a component or two can stretch the life of a monitor for a bit, but it's very difficult in my area to find anyone who will work on one at a price that will be less than just replacing an old one. There's the risk, too, that there's always something else ready to give up. It might be well to start collecting referals for "used computer" shops, so you'll have a place you can trust if/when you need to replace.

If the picture comes up to normal after a while, one option is to just not turn the monitor off when you shut down the computer (assuming it's not built into the computer). The turn-on "surge" is a stress on monitor components; so many people believe that monitors last longer if they're not turned off, and routinely leave the monitor power on. (You can tell your "green friends" that the power used by leaving the monitor on is much less than the resources consumed to make a new monitor.)

John

Subject: RE: Tech: dying monitor?
From: Jeri
Date: 27 May 04 - 05:29 PM

Sounds terminal to me.
(Sorry. I really could NOT help it.)

Subject: RE: Tech: dying monitor?
From: Midchuck
Date: 27 May 04 - 08:10 PM

Jeri, are you coming to Old Songs? If so, report to the Woodchuck/Kendall encampment for appropriate discipline.

Peter.

Subject: RE: Tech: dying monitor?
From: kendall
Date: 27 May 04 - 09:12 PM

I bit the bullet and bought a new 17 inch monitor. Now, one side of the new one caves in

Subject: RE: Tech: dying monitor?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 May 04 - 09:27 PM

Kendall,

Who manufactured your computer? Go to their web site and search around their support pages for driver updates. They all have this stuff, and as they identify problems with the programs they installed at the factory they post updates. See what you can find to do with the monitor operation and download and install it before going any futher with your monitors. There may be a diagnostic tool as well, to tell you if something isn't performing as it is supposed to.

Good luck. It's a pain when the computer isn't working the way you want it to.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: dying monitor?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 27 May 04 - 10:17 PM

Kendall, again I use the word PROBABLY, in this case it could be a nedd to install new drivers for the monitor.

Subject: RE: Tech: dying monitor?
From: OldPossum
Date: 28 May 04 - 05:52 AM

Do you have something magnetic and/or electric next to the monitor? For example a loudspeaker? That can easily disturb the monitor. If you do, try moving it away from the monitor and see if it helps.

Subject: RE: Tech: dying monitor?
From: kendall
Date: 28 May 04 - 08:03 AM

There is nothing near it except the printer which is off most of the time. However, the driver thing may be the key, thanks.

Subject: RE: Tech: dying monitor?
From: Grab
Date: 28 May 04 - 08:27 AM

Kendall, you mean it's concave on one side? All CRT monitors have controls (usually via an on-screen menu built into the monitor) to adjust things like this. Fiddle with those settings until the screen is square. You will *always* need to do this with a new monitor.

It definitely is *not* the drivers or anything to do with the PC itself.

Graham.

Subject: RE: Tech: dying monitor?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 28 May 04 - 09:15 AM

You beat me to it Graham - It's quite likely that you'll find that you can adjust the old monitor OK as well - so I hope you haven't chucked it yet.

On my monitor it's in a group of settings called "Geometry" - the Cooling Tower one is called "Sidepin".

Subject: RE: Tech: dying monitor?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 May 04 - 10:01 AM

Yeah, it can be adjusted, but if he didn't put it that much out of alignment himself, then something else is probably wrong. It sounds like Kendall was using the old monitor just fine and then this happened. Buttons may not be the answer (I'd say they can't hurt, but that can sure make you feel like you're going blind after you fiddle with them for a while!).

SRS