Computer monitor problems

[daughtersrus]

This morning the screen on my desktop is acting funky. It's changing colors and going from normal to yellow, to green and sometimes back to normal. It appeared to be working fine yesterday and started this as soon as I turned it on this morning.

I've shut it off a few times but it goes back to the color changing. How do I tell if I need a new monitor or could it be a video card? Can you tell that I'm technology illiterate?

The computer set up is about 4 years old.

Thanks!

 

[Jestocost]

This frequently means that the "burn-in mode" (or words to that effect) has somehow been activiated. You'll need to access your monitor's settings panel (usually through a button on the bottom) and scout around to find a setting with a name similar to that. If it is set to "on," switch it to "off" and that should solve the problem.

 

[Chuck S]

Make sure that the cable from the video card to the monitor isn't loose. Is it a flat screen or an older "picture tube" type monitor? If it has a picture tube, it could need degausing, or it could be dying. Do you have another monitor you could swap out and see if it exhibits the same problems?

 

[daughtersrus]

Thanks for the suggestions.

The monitor is an older one (not a flat screen). I turned it off last night and it's again acting up today. I tried pressing the menu button on the front but all I get is a dark blue wide strip doing down the center of the computer. When I press the other buttons on the monitor (including exit) nothing happens. The only way to get the blue strip to go away is to turn off the monitor.

I'm going to give my neighbor a call today and see if he can take a look.

Thanks!

 

[NotUrsula]

Is it patchy -- sort of like pastel tie-dye? If so, it probably needs to be de-gaussed. CRT monitors built after about 1997 have built-in degaussing coils that activate every time they power on, and you see the patchy colors when those begin to fail. You can use a degaussing wand to clear the colors. (TV repair shops have them)

The thing is, once this happens it is likely to happen over and over; it is the beginning of the end, and you may be looking at a blue screen of death in a few months. I'd start saving up and shopping around now for a replacement.

One other possibility that you should look at is that you might have a bad wire in your monitor cable. Does wiggling the cable terminals make it change? Can you get a different cable to try?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I just did a quick check on Comp USA's site. Looking at 19" LCD monitors they have 15 of them under $140 (as low as $89). You are definitely not talking big bucks unless you want to get something outrageous.

 

[daughtersrus]

It's happening on and off through out the day. When it happens, the entire screen has a green/yellow tinge to it. Sometimes darker than others.

Is it a new monitor that we need (I'd kind of like to get a flat screen anyway) or is it something in the tower?

As I said, I'm completely computer illiterate!