Why is everything all fuzzy?

Question

My computer is doing a great job of making me feel stupid. Everytime I boot it up the monitor becomes totally pixelated with random colors...it's almost to the point where nothing can be distinguished on my desktop. The mouse leaves a permanent trail, and the screen won't refresh. At first I thought my video card was just heading to digital heaven, but as soon as I restart the system via the start menu the monitor comes up fine, though the system is then lagging a whole lot. Could you please let me know if there's a way to fix this...or am I just an idiot that needs a new video card?

Thanks

Answer

This question was answered on November 3, 2005. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

First check the cable to insure both end are secure and the cable is not damaged. Next, make sure nothing magnetic is next to the monitor. A sub-woofer can cause problems if too close to your monitor. You should try to lower the resolution and refresh rate to see if that helps. From your desktop, right-click and select properties. You should get the display properties window. Select Settings to lower the resolution. From the Settings menu, select Advance/Monitor to lower the refresh rate. If all else fails, just smack the darn thing! Sometimes tapping the monitor can 'fix' an intermittent problem. If that's the case, than your monitor's power supply is bad or has a loose connection and should be serviced or replaced ASAP.

Author

Posted by Nathan of Chandler-Gilbert Community College on November 3, 2005