Since last weekend, my monitor has been acting strangely. For a while about 1/2 the width of the screen will actually be used, although everything is shown - so everything is distorted. I will manually change the settings so that the picture widens out to fill the whole screen.
After about 5 minutes, there will be a couple of clicks and the screen will go to normal size - which means it now goes off the screen. So, I will manually adjust it to fit the monitor again. Then a couple minutes later, the clicking sound again and the width shrinks.
The setting for the monitor width is usually around 50%. I adjust it up to 100%, then back to 50%, back up, back down etc.
Last Thursday I got tired of this charade and decided to order a new monitor. This one is from a couple of computers ago, so is 6-8 years old and seems to be on the way out. I decided to get a 19" LCD monitor (I use a 17" LCD at work, which gives the same working screen area as the 19" tube monitor I use now). I did some research and ordered the brand that I thought would help out my eyes the most as well as be reliable.
So, yesterday and today, the old monitor has behaved itself; comlete picture all the time, no clicking, no re-sizing.
Naturally, the new monitor was shipped on Friday, so I can't cancel the order. If I could and did cancel the order, the old monitor would probably go back to its old tricks. I must admit that I have wanted an LCD monitor since using the one at work and, it does make a nice Birthday present to myself (yes, my BD was way back in April, and no, I didn't get anything then).
I guess I will put the old monitor on WS's computer since that has an old, old 15" screen - not that he uses the computer, but next winter he just might show some interest again and it will be ready.
The law of demand around here is; if it's needed, it doesn't work or doesn't work right. If it's not needed, it works beautifully.
Oh, yeah. Just like a car problem or a pain, you get to the shop or doc, and everything works just fine.
You are probably better with the new screen.
Now lets hope the video card doesn't freak out.
Posted by: WichiDude | July 17, 2006 at 10:30 PM
I feel much better; this morning the monitor is acting up.
In the video card - I made sure i got a monitor that has both DVI-D and VGA hookups, so I should be alright. I really don't want to spend 1/3-1/2 the cost of the monitor on a new video card if I don't have to!
Posted by: bogie | July 18, 2006 at 03:42 AM
Maybe your monitor has the same problem (only different) that my (flat screen) monitor has--a bug. Literally. I noticed a few months ago a dot on the screen. I assumed that a glitch had developed and that the electrons just weren't getting through to that spot. Eventually, I noticed that the spot was migrating upward. Even more eventually, I realized that the spot is a bump--under the covering of the screen. A teensy tinesy bug gave its life to exploration. How in the heck could it do that? I dunno.
Posted by: CopCar | July 18, 2006 at 11:29 PM
I don't think the electronics were ever cobbled together too well. I've always had a problem with it shutting off if the position of the power cable isn't to its liking (and considering the monitor has no "Off" button, shutting off means it actually loses the electrical connection). Of course, this could just be a really buggy house.
Posted by: bogie | July 19, 2006 at 04:07 AM
I thought that my printer was the only electronics without an "on/off" switch. It must have been a phase that the industry was going through in that era--about 1998 or 1999, on the printer.
Posted by: CopCar | July 19, 2006 at 10:41 PM
yeah, the same thing happens to me all the time. i go to the shop and the problem is gone. is this murphy's law. funny. cheers from jo-burg...
Sandra
Posted by: Zidane Game | July 22, 2006 at 01:30 AM